Final answer:
The Star Alliance was formed by United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, and Thai Airways International to provide a broad network of destinations and shared passenger services.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Star Alliance is a significant global airline network, which was founded by five airlines coming together. Contrary to the provided information, which mostly discusses the effects of the Airline Deregulation Act and the changes in the airline industry, including bankruptcies and mergers, it does not explicitly list the founding airlines of the Star Alliance. To accurately answer your question on which five airlines formed the Star Alliance, they were: United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, and Thai Airways International. These major carriers joined forces to offer a vast network of destinations, improved passenger services, and shared benefits such as frequent flyer miles.