Vaya con Dios, Continental Airlines
Mar 2, 2012, 6:49 am
#91
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,434
I really had no love for CO when it was part of SkyTeam. My experience with it was much better after it joined *A. But, to be honest, I'll never understand your apparently love for the legacy United Airlines. Your experience with it must have been infinitely better than mine.
On the Continental side, I will miss most the name and the way it appeared on the side of the aircraft. Seeing "United" there seems odd to me -- the same way the globe on the tail seems odd to those who predominantly flew on UA prior to the merger.
I think there are pieces of each of the two carriers that will come together to form a better product than what we had in each part before. We can't quite see much of that in the swirling morass that the merger currently is. Still, pieces are poking through. Over time, I know things will impr
ve.
Mar 2, 2012, 7:35 am
#92
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Southern California, GVA, SIN, LHR, BRU, CDG
Programs: UA LT GS 4.12MM (4.08MM BIS), AA EXP 1.86MM ,DL DM 1.1MM, HH LT Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 1,182
I really had no love for CO when it was part of SkyTeam. My experience with it was much better after it joined *A. But, to be honest, I'll never understand your apparently love for the legacy United Airlines. Your experience with it must have been infinitely better than mine.
I also mourn the loss of CO...it is a fine airline with a tremendous history...it is always sad to see a part of aviation history go away whether it be to bankruptcy or merger. It leaves us with fewer choices and less competition which will result in less service for all of us.
On the UA side, they are mourning the loss of "their" United...which I understand, as a name does not make an airline. I am afraid the "new" UA is going to be a disappointment to everyone except the CEO and board who are the only ones getting what they want...$$$!!
Mar 2, 2012, 8:06 am
#93
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LFT
Programs: AA Plat, lots of AA, AS, DL, UA miles, former top level CO Elite (sigh...)
Posts: 10,795
Folks, the merger has benefited me personally in the past year or so, just because of my status match and customer service that I have received from UA, so I am happy. I am confident. I am pleased with the new UA. After today, no more "boo-hoo" and "I miss CO" for me...but that starts tomorrow. Today, let me thank Continental Airlines one final time for a great run and many very enjoyable travel experiences. I started traveling regularly in 2002, and being that I chose CO for my travel at the height of their stature, I feel lucky to have experienced this airline since then and I will have some very fond memories. 
:-:
Good luck to The Most Professional Men and Women in the Industry as everyone turns the page at 12:01 a.m. CST tomorrow morning.
So long, Continental Airlines!!
:-:Good luck to The Most Professional Men and Women in the Industry as everyone turns the page at 12:01 a.m. CST tomorrow morning.
So long, Continental Airlines!!I've been flying on CO since the late 60's and overall it was truly a great experience.
So here's to the "new UA" and the future!
Mar 2, 2012, 8:25 am
#94
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Southern, CA, USA
Programs: UA just 8800 mi short of Silver
Posts: 2,815
It didnt take very long for CO to turn into airline racketeers after signing the UA papers. There's been nothing but takeaways since, yet all of their ads compliment themselves on great service
Mar 2, 2012, 9:59 am
#95
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Havana, Cuba
Programs: AA EXP UA Gold QR Platinum Hilton Gold FB Sinbad
Posts: 125
I am resident outside the USA but have extensively used CO during the past ten years and I have nothing but praise for them, whether on the ground or in Presidents club or in air.. used to love to take those 777 from IAH to NRT..
Thank you for the multiple upgrades and reward tickets on Business First to Asia..many many times
Thank you for the multiple upgrades and reward tickets on Business First to Asia..many many times
Mar 2, 2012, 12:57 pm
#96
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Southern, CA, USA
Programs: UA just 8800 mi short of Silver
Posts: 2,815
You have to wonder if UA and CO were non union, if the merger would have been approved in the first place because of the obvious thing it will do to fares--- but with the Whitehouse in love with unions, it had to go thru
Mar 2, 2012, 2:18 pm
#97
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium.;UA 1.5MM; UA Lifetime Gold (whoppee); DL Plat
Posts: 2,124
sad, very sad to see CO go
Last edited by boss315; Mar 2, 2012 at 2:19 pm Reason: spelling
Mar 2, 2012, 5:29 pm
#98
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SFO, LAX
Programs: AA (ExecPlat.), UA, DL, Hertz (Club Gold), Avis, Hilton (Diamond VIP), Starwood, Marriott
Posts: 374
I have had some of my very best flying experiences (on a domestic-based carrier) on CO (SAT-AMS, great flight, great service end-to-end), and a couple of my worst. The only complaint I have now are issues with mileage credits on UA codeshares.
UA on the other hand, produced a couple of the worst experiences I've had flying. I swore off them many years ago - even let my M+ account lapse.
CO's been a great story, and a great turnaround. I'll always hold Bethune in high regard for what he did for/with the airline and how he focused on the traveler.
My fervent hope is that CO can "infect" UA with the spirit and quality, and not vice-versa. Oh, and dump the Indian call centers.
Cheers, CO, for all you've done!
UA on the other hand, produced a couple of the worst experiences I've had flying. I swore off them many years ago - even let my M+ account lapse.
CO's been a great story, and a great turnaround. I'll always hold Bethune in high regard for what he did for/with the airline and how he focused on the traveler.
My fervent hope is that CO can "infect" UA with the spirit and quality, and not vice-versa. Oh, and dump the Indian call centers.
Cheers, CO, for all you've done!
Mar 2, 2012, 5:58 pm
#99
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Houston, TX USA
Programs: UA - GS/1MM, Marriott- PT, SPG-Gold/Fairmont Presidents
Posts: 204
With the entity currently known as Continental Airlines, Inc. having an existence of less than 72 hours, I wanted to table a few things that I think need to be said...again. :-: There are and will be several threads on this, but there needs to be, because this organization will cease to exist in a few days.
Continental Airlines has, since I began flying regularly in the mid-1990's, been able to deliver a product that was predictable and fun. You did not get a $100 bill or 50-inch seats in coach, but they were able to deliver about 20 things at a level 5% higher than the competition, and it showed. Some airlines did a better job with this, others did a better job with that. But no one domestically did it all better than Continental.
Thank You. ^
I have been able to do things and see events, and talk with people within CO that I would never dreamed of, mainly due to a select few people here on FT and starting with Gordon Bethune, but also due to people like Scott O'Leary, Larry Kellner, and other people who's names I cannot remember. There is no other airline that has done this at any level approaching what Continental has done.
Thank You. ^
I enjoy a lot of things that are sure to continue: great service from IAH and good frequency to CLL, awesome frequency to many destinations in Europe, the PC's, EUA's, mileage bonuses, no scAirBus planes, and many, many other things.
Thank You. ^
Continental has been a big part of the community of Southeast Texas and particularly the Houston area through their philanthropy and support of various organizations.
Thank You. ^
Some people have shown negative attitudes or are complete smarta$$es towards the staff of CO on this board
, but I appreciated the Most Professional Men and Women in the Business...a lot. That phrase was stated a lot, because they deserved it...a lot.
Thank You. ^
Continental was also the subject of one of the biggest turnarounds in American business history, and it is a subject that I have found absolutely fascinating. Continental filed for bankruptcy several times and, honestly, should have been broken up like Eastern -- it was such a horrible airline and was so poorly run for a long time. What Gordon Bethune did from 1994 forward is nothing short of remarkable, and it is due to his Worst to First mentality and the remarkable spirit of the staff at CO that made it the envy of the entire aviation industry. To Gordo and the staff who did it:
Thank You. ^
Finally, and I think that this is because of my upbringing, but I have always been attracted to entities and organizations that have a strong sense of self-worth and/or Esprit de Corps. I went to a University like that. My family is like that. I work at a company like that. Continental was like that. You could tell by the way that the mainline staff worked, spoke, and the way that they handled their business. CO and maybe one other airline have had a strong sense of self and what they have achieved and will achieve...Let's hope that some of the old CO spirit bleeds through to the new organization. For that, I say a rousing and very emotional:
Thank You. ^
Yes, I drank CO.O.L.-Aid and I continue will drink heavily until it runs out on October 1st. CO wasn't perfect...no organization ever is and most certainly not one in the aviation industry, but I liked it. No one can ever tell me different...I just liked it. From Walter T. Varney to Robert F. Six to Gordon M. Bethune to Larry W. Kellner...Marlon D. Greene...Chavon...pilots, flight attendants, gate staff, Chelsea, baggage handlers, reservation agents, P-Club employees, headquarters staff....everyone.
Thank You for everything, Continental. Vaya con Dios, and THANK YOU! ^
Continental Airlines has, since I began flying regularly in the mid-1990's, been able to deliver a product that was predictable and fun. You did not get a $100 bill or 50-inch seats in coach, but they were able to deliver about 20 things at a level 5% higher than the competition, and it showed. Some airlines did a better job with this, others did a better job with that. But no one domestically did it all better than Continental.
Thank You. ^
I have been able to do things and see events, and talk with people within CO that I would never dreamed of, mainly due to a select few people here on FT and starting with Gordon Bethune, but also due to people like Scott O'Leary, Larry Kellner, and other people who's names I cannot remember. There is no other airline that has done this at any level approaching what Continental has done.
Thank You. ^
I enjoy a lot of things that are sure to continue: great service from IAH and good frequency to CLL, awesome frequency to many destinations in Europe, the PC's, EUA's, mileage bonuses, no scAirBus planes, and many, many other things.
Thank You. ^
Continental has been a big part of the community of Southeast Texas and particularly the Houston area through their philanthropy and support of various organizations.
Thank You. ^
Some people have shown negative attitudes or are complete smarta$$es towards the staff of CO on this board
, but I appreciated the Most Professional Men and Women in the Business...a lot. That phrase was stated a lot, because they deserved it...a lot.Thank You. ^
Continental was also the subject of one of the biggest turnarounds in American business history, and it is a subject that I have found absolutely fascinating. Continental filed for bankruptcy several times and, honestly, should have been broken up like Eastern -- it was such a horrible airline and was so poorly run for a long time. What Gordon Bethune did from 1994 forward is nothing short of remarkable, and it is due to his Worst to First mentality and the remarkable spirit of the staff at CO that made it the envy of the entire aviation industry. To Gordo and the staff who did it:
Thank You. ^
Finally, and I think that this is because of my upbringing, but I have always been attracted to entities and organizations that have a strong sense of self-worth and/or Esprit de Corps. I went to a University like that. My family is like that. I work at a company like that. Continental was like that. You could tell by the way that the mainline staff worked, spoke, and the way that they handled their business. CO and maybe one other airline have had a strong sense of self and what they have achieved and will achieve...Let's hope that some of the old CO spirit bleeds through to the new organization. For that, I say a rousing and very emotional:
Thank You. ^
Yes, I drank CO.O.L.-Aid and I continue will drink heavily until it runs out on October 1st. CO wasn't perfect...no organization ever is and most certainly not one in the aviation industry, but I liked it. No one can ever tell me different...I just liked it. From Walter T. Varney to Robert F. Six to Gordon M. Bethune to Larry W. Kellner...Marlon D. Greene...Chavon...pilots, flight attendants, gate staff, Chelsea, baggage handlers, reservation agents, P-Club employees, headquarters staff....everyone.
Thank You for everything, Continental. Vaya con Dios, and THANK YOU! ^
Mar 2, 2012, 9:35 pm
#100
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: Alas, the Gravy Train Hath Ended...just happy to be an OW Sapphire and a ST Ivory...whatever
Posts: 4,389
Continental is dead - long live Continental!
Mar 4, 2012, 6:43 am
#101
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: DL DM/MM; UA Premier 1K; AA EXP; ICH Plat Ambassador
Posts: 1,565
I won't presume to answer for Channa... but for me, I have no love for any US based carrier since the glory days of PA and TW...but as a VFF on a lot of airlines, including CO...the deciding choice for a US based carrier was based on how they treated their VFF... and UA did this very, very well...better than any other carrier! There was an attitude that they would do anything for you (this diminished a bit the last few years but it was still can-do!) and they did! I can't say this about AA, DL or CO on which I have flown hundreds of thousands of miles...and have held top tier status on all! I think it comes down to which airline fits your needs the best. AA and UA became my airlines of choice based on where they flew (remember, CO all but abandoned the west coast and DEN a number of years ago) and how they treated me...which is (I hope it will not become "was") very well!
I also mourn the loss of CO...it is a fine airline with a tremendous history...it is always sad to see a part of aviation history go away whether it be to bankruptcy or merger. It leaves us with fewer choices and less competition which will result in less service for all of us.
On the UA side, they are mourning the loss of "their" United...which I understand, as a name does not make an airline. I am afraid the "new" UA is going to be a disappointment to everyone except the CEO and board who are the only ones getting what they want...$$$!!
I also mourn the loss of CO...it is a fine airline with a tremendous history...it is always sad to see a part of aviation history go away whether it be to bankruptcy or merger. It leaves us with fewer choices and less competition which will result in less service for all of us.
On the UA side, they are mourning the loss of "their" United...which I understand, as a name does not make an airline. I am afraid the "new" UA is going to be a disappointment to everyone except the CEO and board who are the only ones getting what they want...$$$!!
Well, your experience with 1K must be a lot better than mine. It's a total cattle call being 1K in SFO. I've never gotten a single UDU. Domestic upgrades are the only thing DL is good for. But upgrading international flights costs 2x on DL thank on UA. So it's good to have top tier in both! If I could roll back the hands of time (within the last 10 years), NWA was better to their top tier than either the current UA or the current DL. (I can't comment on UA's GS though).