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.
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.
Continental Airlines is a pioneer in the lower airline fare movement, first introducing the economy fare in 1962. It offered its first flights to Europe in 1985.
Continental Airlines was also the first American airline to hire an African-American pilot, in 1963, as well as the first U.S. carrier successfully to fly through bankruptcy.
The company recently announced another first with the demonstration of the biofuel-powered flight by any commercial airline in the U.S. The fuel was a special blend extracted from algae and jatrophra seeds. The company intends to continue working with biofuels, as part of a comprehensive effort to reduce air travel’s environmental footprint. Continental offers its passengers the opportunity to buy carbon offsets, the money used to replant deforested areas, for just two dollars per ticket. The US Environmental Protection Agency has recognized Continental for its continuing efforts at green 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 airline, Continental has struggled with its finances. It reported losing millions of dollars in 2008 due to fuel costs and funding needs for retired pilots.
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