Continental Airlines: Pioneer In Low Fares
Based in Houston, Texas, Continental Airlines has hubs at Houston Intercontinental near Houston, Texas, at Newark, New Jersey, and at Cleveland, Ohio. Continental is the fourth largest airline in the USA, flying to destinations in North America, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Australia, Micronesia, and Australia. This airline offers over 6,000 departures every day to hundreds of domestic and international destinations, and employees nearly 83,000 workers.
Continental Airlines is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, partnering with Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air France, Aeromexico, Alitalia and KLM. Continental also has alliances with Amtrak train service and U.S. Helicopter in the United States, and SNCF French Rail in France. However, Continental plans to leave SkyTeam in October 2009 in order to join the Star Alliance. Joining the Star Alliance allows Continental to work more closely with United Airlines. Continental has been in merger talks with United off and on since 2006. However, Continental plans to focus on the Star Alliance until October.
The Continental frequent flyer program is OnePass. Member earn valuable miles on all Continental flights, as well as when they travel on Aero Republica, Copa, or any other SkyTeam carrier (Star Alliance after October 2009). Frequent flyers can earn and use their miles on Continental or any other carrier in its alliance.
The airline was founded in 1931 as Varney Speed Lines, its name changed to Continental Airlines in 1937. The airline was originally based in El Paso, Texas and offered service to Colorado, New Mexico, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Many modern flyers do not know that at one time, the only class was first class—and ticket prices were always high. Continental pioneered the lower fare movement, introducing coach class fares in 1962. Continental has been flying to Europe since 1985.
Continental Airlines was also the first U.S. airline to hire an African American pilot in 1963, as well as the first U.S. airline to fly through bankruptcy.
Continental recently achieved yet another first with the first biofuel-powered flight by any commercial airline in the U.S. The fuel for the flight was a fuel oil blend extracted from jatrophra seeds and algae. Continental plans to continue working with biofuels, as part of its comprehensive effort to reduce its carbon footprint. Every passenger on Continental gets an opportunity to buy carbon offsets for as little as two dollars a ticket, the money used to restore deforested areas. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has honored Continental for its continuing efforts at greener transportation.
Continental Airlines operates a fleet that consists entirely of Boeing aircraft: Boeing 737, 757, 767 and 777. The airline plans to add the Boeing Dreamliner 787 to its fleet in a couple of years. Continental signed an exclusive agreement with Boeing in the late 1990, but the European Union forced the contracts to be voided when Boeing acquired rival McDonnell Douglas in 1997. However, the agreement has continued since then.
Like every other carrier, Continental struggles with its finances. The company reported losing millions of dollars in 2008 due to retirement funding and soaring fuel costs.
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