subject: Continental Airlines [print this page] Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Continental Airlines has its hubs at Houston Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Newark Liberty in greater New York City, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohio. Operating over 6,000 flights a day to destinations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and to many locations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Micronesia, Continental employs over 82,000 workers.
Continental, along with Northwest, Delta, Aeromexico, Air France, KLM, and Alitalia, is currently a member of the SkyTeam alliance. In October, 2009, however, Continental will discontinue its membership in SkyTeam to join the Star Alliance. Membership in Star Alliance will allow Continental to cooperate more closely with United, with which it has been in merger discussions since 2006. Coordinating with Star Alliance, however, is currently a higher priority for Continental than merging with United.
The airline offers a frequent flyer program called OnePass, which also operates on flights with Copa Airlines and Aero Republica. Members can also earn OnePass miles via Amtrak due to Continental?s partnership with the rail company. In addition, Continental also offers frequent flyer benefits to the airlines in the Star Alliance.
Continental was founded in'31 in El Paso, Texas as Varney Speed Lines. It offered service to and from El Paso and destinations in New Mexico and Colorado and also to Las Vegas. As the early carrier expanded its routes, it changed its name to Continental in'37.
Continental Airlines is a pioneer in the lower airline fare movement, first introducing the economy fare in'62. It offered its first flights to Europe in'85.
Continental was the first American airline to hire an African-American pilot, in'63, as well as the first U.S. carrier to survive 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.
Every Continental jet is made by Boeing?737, 757, 767, or 777. Continental plans to add the Boeing Dreamliner 787 to its fleet in the next several years. Boeing has had an exclusive agreement with Continental to build its aircraft since'90, although the European Commission found that the contract was void when Boeing acquired rival McDonnell Douglas in'97. Continental continues, however, to get all its jets from Boeing.
Continental has struggled financially over the past few years, like most United States airlines. The airline reported losing millions of dollars in 2008 due to increased fuel costs and airline pilot retirement expenses.
