UA767400

Here is the press release:
United Continental Holdings, Inc. has added a news release to its Investor Relations website.
Title: United Rebrands Premium Cabins, Upgrades Food, Entertainment, Amenities

Date(s): 17-Feb-2012 11:05 AM

For a complete listing of our news releases, please click here

CHICAGO, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL), today announced the company is upgrading its premium-cabin services to offer customers new food and beverage options, additional choices in in-flight entertainment, and on long-haul international flights new amenity kits, pillows and blankets.

United is also rebranding its international, long-haul premium-cabin services, introducing:


• United Global First, the international first-class experience on three-cabin aircraft.

• United BusinessFirst, the international business-class experience on two-cabin and three-cabin aircraft.


United Global First, United BusinessFirst
Beginning March 3 on long-haul international flights and many flights within Asia and the Pacific, first-class customers on three-cabin aircraft will experience United Global First, with a higher level of privacy and comfort, a flat-bed seat, priority airport services and more-personal attention.

On most of United's three-cabin aircraft, United Global First suites offer flat-bed seats, laptop power, USB ports, individual audio and video on demand with noise-reduction headsets, additional storage compartments and a multi-course meal with complimentary wines.

Beginning in the second quarter, United will upgrade the long-haul first-class experience with new amenities, including:


• More-comfortable bedding amenities.

• Additional in-flight food choices.

• New amenity kits featuring Philosophy-brand skin-care products.


United also will extend Continental's award-winning BusinessFirst product to United, offering an elevated business-class service with new amenities that include:


• An additional entree option, for a total of four, designed by United's Congress of Chefs. United is also changing the way it prepares business-class meals to improve the quality and taste.

• Expanded wine selections chosen by Doug Frost, Sommelier and Master of Wine.

• New ice cream sundae dessert option with a choice of six toppings.

• Improved in-flight entertainment including noise-reduction headsets.

• New amenity kits featuring Philosophy-brand skin-care products.

• Duvet-style blankets and higher-quality pillows and hot towels.


"The rebranded cabins offer premium-cabin customers the highest levels of service, every time they fly," said Mark Bergsrud, United's senior vice president of marketing. "We are keeping the products that our customers tell us they value the most as we continue to build the world's leading airline."

United First, United Business
For customers flying United in North America, between North America and Central America, between North America and northern South America, and on some flights within Asia and the Pacific islands, the airline will continue to offer United First and United Business premium-cabin services.

On most flights, United has revamped its premium-cabin meal and snack choices to offer customers their favorites among options previously available only on United flights or Continental flights, including:


• Warmed, all-natural scones and cookies, made from scratch exclusively for United.

• Warmed cinnamon rolls on breakfast flights.

• Pasta salads as a light snack.

• Premium snacks including all-natural pop chips, Emerald nuts, Clif organic energy bars, Toblerone Swiss milk chocolate and fresh fruit.

• Warmed nuts offered in a small china bowl on all lunch and dinner services.

• Ice cream sundaes offered with a choice of six toppings, available on many transcontinental lunch and dinner services.


On United Express flights longer than two hours, customers seated in the premium cabin may enjoy complimentary snackboxes.

The rebranding and expanded menu options come as United continues with plans to invest more than $550 million to upgrade aircraft interiors. The airline has installed Economy Plus seating on dozens of Continental aircraft. When fully deployed, United will offer customers more extra-legroom economy-class seats than any other airline in the world.

United continues to upgrade its widebody fleet with new premium cabins, with more than 130 aircraft outfitted with flat-bed seats. Once completed in early 2013, United will offer more premium-cabin flat-bed seats than any other airline.

Beginning later in 2012, customers will see additional improvements, including larger overhead bins on Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft increasing the available carry-on storage space by approximately two-thirds and satellite-enabled inflight internet service. United is also introducing on-demand entertainment on its popular transcontinental p.s. service, along with an expanded premium-cabin service with flat-bed seats.

About United Continental Holdings, Inc.
United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) is the holding company for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Together with United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection, these airlines operate an average of 5,656 flights a day to 376 airports on six continents from their hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. United and Continental are members of Star Alliance, which offers more than 21,000 daily flights to 1,290 airports in 189 countries. United and Continental's more than 80,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. For more information about United Continental Holdings, Inc., go to UnitedContinentalHoldings.com. For more information about the airlines, see united.com and continental.com or follow United on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE United Continental Holdings, Inc.

FriendlySkies

Correction.

It's going to suck to be working at the airport this weekend. @:-)

joshwex90

I don't know. My father does IT for Smith Barney, and it's been hell as they've been switching over from Citigroup to Morgan Stanley. I don't envy the IT people at UA.

To UA767400, it really sounds like much won't be changing, but we'll see. I'm flying either United International First or Global First on March 4.

FriendlySkies

I don't either. However, you have to remember that the IT people most likely won't have to be the face of UA in front of angry customers.

UA767400

Right, much is not really changing on the on board product.

joshwex90

They may have a lot of cr*p to deal with, but the IT job is quite hard and extremely stressful.

UA767400

I am going to ask that we do get back on topic.

Thanks
Ua767400

FriendlySkies

Quite true. I work in an IT Department, so I understand many of the challenges they'll be facing on 3/2-4.. Hope they've got a good coffee machine in their offices

No need to panic. Quite often, the main thread branches out into some smaller topics, although things are still loosely related to the overall theme of the first post.

UA767400

First of all I am not panicking. There are many threads about 3/3

TomA

Good luck. My first post-merger flight is the 7th in PMCO BF.

joshwex90

Ya, well it'll be an experience. At EWR no less! I will be flying UA F (or GF) EWR-BRU with a friend (who's in E-). I'm wondering with all the confusion at the airport, I'm somehow able to finagle him into E+
My parents are flying at the same time, EWR-PBI. So we'll be able to enjoy the fiasco family style!

ErgoTraveler

Should I be worried??? I am on CO (oops) UA07 IAH to NRT on Sat., March 3...

sbm12

I disagree. Those things all affect the customer. Some affect a customer more than others, but they all affect the customers. And, more than not, for the better in that running on a single platform really does make things operate more smoothly.

Completely disagree. I've got a cutover to do on Saturday as well and it is going to be rather boring. I'd rather "get up" for the challenge of a good project like this one. Doesn't mean it will be easy, but I always prefer the more challenging gigs.
Nope.

boss315

It's like losing a good friend...or maybe having your sister get married--she's still your sister but her last nanme is(or may be) different.

UA767400

I agree! It is like a sister is getting married. Good comparison