An interesting article in our neighborhood weekly, covering a speech Gordon B. made to the "North Houston Association"

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...d=183684&rfi=6

A few from the article:

>>We need to learn how to keep 60 percent of the business men and women and still cater to those who just want the cheapest seat they can get. Maybe we should be more like the pizza business -- offer toppings from plain to supremo, with all the extras.

>>Other challenges for the industry, he said, has come from the Internet and the ability of customers, whom he called 'browsers,' to find and pay for the absolute cheapest seat in a matter of minutes.

>>"One of the good things at Continental though, is that one-third of our business stems from international traffic," Bethune said, adding that another strength is in the diversity of routes Continental flies. Making a humorous example of rival Southwest Airlines and CEO Herb Kellerher, Bethune remarked, "He goes to Paris -- Paris, Texas. We go to Paris, France."

>>"Two guys will be on the street soon -- US Air and United and I can't think of two guys who deserve it more," Bethune remarked to the bemusement of the crowd. "It is an evolution. Just like Darwin's theory. When we are arrogant, when we forget who we work for, we will fail."