"News Releases

Continental Airlines to Accept MAXjet Airways Tickets

HOUSTON, Dec. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) has announced that it will accept tickets for standby travel from passengers who were originally scheduled to fly on MAXjet Airways following that airline's cessation of service, on Dec. 24, 2007.

MAXjet customers will be accepted for travel on a standby basis on Continental flights between Los Angeles/Las Vegas/Newark and London Gatwick from Dec. 24, 2007 through January 6, 2008. Passengers will be charged a $50 per flight segment ticketing fee, plus any applicable taxes and security fees. Continental will waive the current fuel service charge normally required for Newark to London passengers.

Proof of confirmed ticketing on MAXjet flights will be required to qualify for the special rate on Continental.

MAXjet customers wanting to reschedule their travel may call Continental reservations at 1-800-525-0280. Additional information is available at continental.com.

Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 144 domestic and 138 international destinations. More than 580 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines. With more than 45,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 67 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.

For the fourth consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 World's Most Admired Airline on its 2007 list of World's Most Admired Companies. Continental was also named the No. 1 airline on the publication's 2007 America's Most Admired airline industry list. Additionally, Continental again won major awards at the OAG Airline of the Year Awards including "Best Airline Based in North America" for the fourth year in a row, and "Best Executive/Business Class" for the fifth consecutive year. For more company information, visit continental.com."


Anyone think they are giving Maxjet customers BusinessFirst class? LOL

I guess there’ll be a few more 757’s available shortly for some of those international destinations CO wants to go to, either directly or by substitution to make the larger planes available for elsewhere. They’ll have to be retrofitted, of course. Full AVOD and power?

If they gave stranded folks standby in BF, it might also give CO the opportunity to introduce its BF service to some possibly new passengers.

Maxjet flew 4*762ER and 1*762. No 757s at all. You're thinking of some of the other transatlantic premium airlines.

You're thinking CO will pick up MaxJet's 762s? I doubt it since they are considered gas guzzlers when compared to the 787s and 777s.

752's are operated by Eos, and L'Avion

Actually, if the 762's have the right engines, the leasing company might be interested in short term leases, say 3 years until the 787s come online.

I would imagine it's a lessee's market w/r/t 767-200s at the moment. Perhaps CO could make a sweetheart deal to make up for getting shafted on the 737-500 leases.

As far as the New York to London passengers, the Maxjet website says they have contracted with Eos Airlines for passage.

I would have to think that CO would be far more interested in picking up some interim 764's (or even 763's) than the 762's which have the highest cost of operation in this category of jet currently.

Of course, there is not a good pipeline for 764's as the only two customers for this variant were CO and DL...

The story in the NY Times quotes MaxJet's CEO blaming high fuel prices but quotes Robert Mann, the airline consultant, as saying that the direct competition at Stansted from AA was the "coup de grace."

Here is the story:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/busi...=1&oref=slogin

Good on CO for picking up stranded pax.

Nice work MaxJet . . . Just couldn't hold out past XMas to get people home for the holidays. Hope it works out for any stranded pax.

It was only a matter of time before some of the TATL LCC's started to fail, given the intense competition with both the legacies and other LCC's. MaxJet clearly was the weakest of such carriers - it's product was weak when compared to the others, but also less expensive. I wonder which carrier will go next; if I had to guess, I would say L'Avion.

Thanks for the correction. Makes the case even more for CO picking up the planes, if the price is right, since the 787�s probably won�t come on line for CO when the Shanghai route is supposed to start. That�s even assuming there is no further pushback in the delivery schedule, which many feel will happen. CO wants to add international routes but seems constrained by lack of planes that can be delivered. While not a perfect solution, the Maxjet planes could be a short term solution till new 777�s and 787�s are delivered.

..nor is there a good pipeline for 763ERs, as many airlines have decided to "refresh" them instead of replace them with other equipment types.

That said, CO could do quite well with those 762ERs on 2-4 year leases. It'd allow the airline to open up some long-ish routes ex-EWR at a decent capacity level (PRG, CAI, and MUC come to mind).

I am not sure if I would rule this out. BF sales are weak during the holidays, hence the Holiday BF sale. They are only accommodating MaxJet passengers as standbys. But if there are empty BF seats - who knows they may put such a passenger in BF.

These are folks who bought discounted BC seats over a holiday period (weak time for full fare BC seats). So CO may want to get these passengers next year.

Clearly CO is hoping to gain some new customers and keep AA from getting them. Maybe CO should resume service to Stansted to complete with AA out of JFK.

CO could certainly use those MaxJet 762ERs as LHR opens in the Spring.