AustinWeatherGuy

Continental Announces Details of Capacity Reductions
HOUSTON, June 12, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) released to its more than 45,000 employees the following employee bulletin.

EMPLOYEE BULLETIN NO. 10

CO today released details of the reductions in flying that were announced last week. These actions are among the many difficult steps CO is taking to respond to record-high fuel prices that are creating unprecedented challenges for the airline industry.

Starting in September, at the conclusion of the peak summer season, CO will reduce capacity from its hubs, resulting in an 11 percent decline of domestic mainline capacity (available seat miles, or ASMs) in the fourth quarter, compared to the same period last year. The changes will result in a 6.4 percent decline in consolidated (mainline plus regional) capacity in the fourth quarter, compared to the same period last year.

The following table shows the estimated capacity reductions by hub, including certain capacity changes effective prior to Sept. 3:

4th Quarter Total and Year-Over-Year ASM Comparison by Hub (millions)

4Q - 08 ASM
Hub Est. ASMs Decrease % Decrease

Houston 11,208 (960) (7.9%)
Newark Liberty 13,251 (433) (3.2%)
Cleveland 1,462 (220) (13.1%)
Guam 799 (219) (21.5%)
Total 26,720 (1,832) (6.4%)



As of Sept. 3, 2008, CO will be reducing frequencies in certain markets and will also discontinue service between its hubs shown below and the following cities or airports:

Houston George Bush Intercontinental: Cali, Colombia, Chatanooga, Tenn.,
Guayaquil, Ecuador, Hartford, Conn., Monclova, Mexico, Montgomery, Ala.,
Oakland, Calif., Palm Springs, Calif., Reno, Nevada, Sarasota, Fla.,
Tallahassee, Fla., and Washington - Dulles.

Newark Liberty: Albuquerque, N.M., Cologne, Germany, Santiago, Dominican
Republic, Sarasota, Fla., Salt Lake City, Utah, San Jose, Calif., and
Tucson, Ariz.

Cleveland Hopkins: Austin, Texas, Birmingham, Ala., Charleston, S.C.,
Charleston, W. Va., Cincinnati, Ohio, Des Moines, Iowa, Detroit, Mich.,
Green Bay, Wis., Greensboro, N.C., Lexington, Ky., Little Rock, Ark.,
Memphis, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., Norfolk, Va.; Oklahoma City, Okla.,
Omaha, Neb., Ottawa, Canada, San Antonio, Texas, San Diego, Calif.,
Sarasota, Fla., Savannah, Ga., Toledo, Ohio, Tulsa, Okla., Washington-
Dulles.

Guam A.B. Won Pat: Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.



As a result of the discontinued service, the following stations will close:

Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia Oakland, Calif.
Cali, Colombia Palm Springs, Calif.
Chattanooga, Tenn. Reno, Nev.
Cologne, Germany Santiago, Dominican Republic
Green Bay, Wis. Sarasota, Fla.
Guayaquil, Ecuador Tallahassee, Fla.
Monclova, Mexico Toledo, Ohio
Montgomery, Ala.



As announced last week, CO will eliminate 3,000 positions across all work groups, including management positions, through voluntary and involuntary separations, with the majority of them expected to be through voluntary programs. The specific number of involuntary furloughs will not be determined until August, after the company knows how many co-workers elect to take advantage of voluntary programs.

The company will work with furloughed/terminated co-workers to provide information on benefits and other employment opportunities available to them. In the case where suppliers and vendors are affected by capacity reductions, CO will work with them to determine if there are other job opportunities for their affected employees.

CO customers who are currently booked on flights previously scheduled to operate on or after Sept. 3 that are affected by the capacity reductions, will be contacted by CO to make alternate arrangements.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are not limited to historical facts, but reflect the company's current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. For examples of such risks and uncertainties, please see the risk factors set forth in the company's 2007 10-K and its other securities filings, including any amendments thereto, which identify important matters such as the consequences of the company's high leverage, the significant cost of aircraft fuel, delays in scheduled aircraft deliveries, its high labor and pension costs, service interruptions at one of its hub airports, disruptions to the operations of its regional operators, disruptions in its computer systems, and industry conditions, including the airline pricing environment, industry capacity decisions, industry consolidation, terrorist attacks, regulatory matters, excessive taxation, the availability and cost of insurance, public health threats, an economic downturn in the U.S. and global economies and the seasonal nature of the airline business. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this press release, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Continental Airlines

http://www.continental.com

AustinWeatherGuy

Closing of stations:

RNO

OAK

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

Yikes. I had no idea that OAK, RNO and GYE were such money-losers. However, I hope this bodes well for Co.com specials to Ecuador later in the summer...

sdm1130

Wow - some surprises in there... IAH-OAK, EWR-SLC, EWR-SJC and EWR-TUS.

I am very sad to see the CLE-DSM is being cut already! I was looking forward to finally getting away from NW on that route!

No surprise on EWR-CGN being cut. I wonder what they will do with the extra 752.

CO 1E

Could OAK really be that much of a money loser, even with the heavy LCC presence there?

rkkwan

Cutting DPS can't account for the 21% decrease in ASM out of GUM. I wonder what's going on there. Just a few weeks ago, CO is saying they'll gradually increase capacity at GUM due to the relocation of US troops from Okinawa to Guam.

CosmosHuman

They are very concerned, made the front page the Plain Dealer today.

http://www.cleveland.com/business/pl...500.xml&coll=2

CLE Hopkins was about to be revamped, well, improvements made as CO is their biggest airline.

cova

IAD is shutting down, except the flights to EWR. I wonder if the RJ/Q400 traffic is enough to justify keeping IAD open.

sbm12

Not surprised by EWR-TUS going away, though CO would have had the ability to price flights higher since B6 pulled out of TUS-JFK. Still, I have to assume that TUS just isn't big enough to support the flights.

OAK is a bit of a surprise to me. It looks like it is heading towards an all-LCC direction with CO also pulling out (AA is too, right? Or was it UA?). And losing RNO stinks.

Most of the other closings seem to make sense as smaller destinations.

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

I guess this will make IAH-DCA/BWI upgrades harder to come by.

MBM3

Most of the flights being cut were the new ones or ones already served by DL or NW. Still, it still will hurt the CLE Station.

Totoro

I find the IAH-OAK and EWR-SJC interesting although not too surprising. Just a few years ago, CO proclaimed itself as the only carrier serving all 3 Bay Area airports non-stop out of NYC/EWR.

WBurcham

Shocked to see IAH-IAD go. Those are two large markets.

I guess they will let those pax go to UA?

BearX220

Surprised SEA-CLE didn't get it.

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

I hope the commodities bubble in oil futures bursts...and soon.