Continental Airlines: The Low-Fare, Green-Fuel Pioneer
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 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.
Continental’s frequent flyer program is called OnePass. Members earn miles on all Continental flights as well as flights on Copa, Aero Republica, and SkyTeam members. OnePass members can also earn miles on America’s rail carrier, Amtrak. All members of SkyTeam programs (Star Alliance programs after October 2009) can both earn and use frequent flyer miles on Continental.
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.
Continental is a pioneer in the lower fare moment, introducing its first coach fares in 1962. It has been flying to Europe since 1985.
Continental was the first American airline to hire an African-American pilot, in 1963, 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.
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.
