Jun 6th, 2013 at 6:00PM:
Adam Baker, Flickr
I'm traveling in Sicily this week, and was reminded how crummy the aptly named Continental breakfast can be in this part of Europe: a cup of coffee (the only time of day it is socially acceptable to have a cappuccino, incidentally) and a roll or small pastry. While I'm not a person who starts every day with steak, eggs and a short stack, the Italian "breakfast" makes me yearn ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Continental posts
Photo Of The Day: Guatemalan Ice Cream Truck
Jun 6th, 2013 at 6:00PM:
Adam Baker, Flickr
I'm traveling in Sicily this week, and was reminded how crummy the aptly named Continental breakfast can be in this part of Europe: a cup of coffee (the only time of day it is socially acceptable to have a cappuccino, incidentally) and a roll or small pastry. While I'm not a person who starts every day with steak, eggs and a short stack, the Italian "breakfast" makes me yearn ...First domestic 787 begins construction
Aug 19th, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Production and delivery of the 787 jumbo jet is starting to shift into high gear, and as ANA shows off its new Japanese aircraft the focus is now turning to the domestic carriers. Delivery of the new Boeing aircraft to its first domestic carrier is slated for the merged Continental/United airlines -- it was Continental's order (in 2004!) before the two giants joined forces.
Planned for ...Tom Stuker becomes first frequent flyer to pass 10 million miles, United celebrates
Jul 11th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
Ryan Bingham exists in real life, and his name is Tom Stuker. Mr. Stuker, an automotive consultant based in Chicago has been flying United for over 20 years, and this Saturday afternoon, somewhere between Los Angeles and Chicago he officially crossed the line over 10 million frequent flyer miles.
To celebrate, the folks at United hosted a private celebration at Chicago's O'Hare airport, ...Twin United pilots throw opening pitches in Chicago's crosstown classic
Jun 25th, 2011 at 2:30PM:
The rivalry between the Cubs and the White Sox is no doubt one of the greatest in the sports community, each teams reflecting the vastly different attitudes and culture between the north and south sides of Chicago. Despite the tension, however, there's always room for some joviality, and this year, United jumped into the fray by bringing a pair of its identical twin pilots down to U.S. ...Airline fees are worth more than Facebook
Jun 13th, 2011 at 3:30PM:
Outside the travel world, everyone's marveling at the prospect of a Facebook IPO, which could be valued at as much as $100 billion. So, what are we missing while we fawn over Mark Zuckerberg's creation? How about the slow, stodgy, ugly airline industry. Known for a painful user experience and a steady decline of free features, the likes of Delta and American Airlines are outdoing the hottest ...2011 Airline Quality Ratings - AirTran at number one
Apr 5th, 2011 at 10:00AM: The 2011 Airline Quality Ratings (AQR) were just released, and AirTran topped the list at number one. The Atlanta based air line got top marks in the study that accounts for on time arrivals, mishandled baggage, complaints, and other metrics. The study only includes airlines in the United States and provides interesting statistics about the overall quality of domestic air travel.
The main form ...Vegetarian passenger tosses meat at flight attendant
Mar 21st, 2011 at 2:30PM:
One of the simple truths about air travel is that the food is usually somewhere between sub-par and awful. Sure, there are exceptions, but these are unlikely oases in a desert of damp sodium-rich indelicacies. Unless you are posted up in first class on Singapore Air eating pan-seared Chilean bass in bouillabaisse broth with capsicum confit and zucchini pasta or one of their many other haute ...Knocked up abroad: pregnant travel in the first trimester
Mar 16th, 2011 at 11:30AM: For more on pregnant travel, see parts 1 and 2 of Knocked up abroad: pregnancy in a foreign country here and here.
There's no question that having a baby changes you: your body, your lifestyle, even your shoe size. One thing I hoped not to change altogether was traveling, as long as it was reasonably safe and comfortable for me and the baby. From the beginning of my pregnancy in Istanbul, my ...Travel Agent scams thousands by selling fake vouchers
Feb 16th, 2011 at 6:00PM: Avoiding the hustle is part of travel. You look for the good deals, and inspect the great deals with much scrutiny, hoping for it to shake out in the end. From $10 easyjet flights from London-Gatwick to free cab rides in Bangkok, anyone that has done either realizes rather quickly the high price of low cost. Whether it be wasting an afternoon at tourist traps or corralled like cattle onto a ...Continental offers "Fare Lock" technology
Dec 16th, 2010 at 10:30AM: We're all about comparison shopping here at Gadling. But what happens when you wait just a moment too long and that oh-so-perfect fare is gone? It sucks, that's what. Which is why we're excited to experiment with Continental Airlines' newest feature, FareLock, an option that offers customers the opportunity to hold reservations and lock-in ticket prices for 72 hours or seven days with no ...Which airline charged more than $500 million in cancellation fees?
Dec 14th, 2010 at 8:00AM:
There isn't as much money in cancellations as there is in baggage fees, it seems. So far, close to $2.6 billion has been charged for bags this year (with three quarters measured), and U.S. airlines have only racked up $1.7 billion in cancellation fees. And, as usual, there's one culprit that consumes around 30 percent of this, with the top five airlines accounting for more than 80 percent of ...Which airline made the most money on baggage fees?
Dec 13th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Last year, baggage fees were used by airlines to make up for lost fare revenue, as the recession kept people on the ground. This year, it's just been a great source of extra revenue, as passenger traffic and fares are up – and the fees haven't gone away. Almost all airlines are getting in on the action, some more egregious than others.
Well, data for the third quarter of 2010 is in, and ...Five United Airlines non-answers about the frequent-flier future
Nov 5th, 2010 at 12:00PM: United Airlines decided to dive into the weeds. Executives from the airline met with close to 200 members of the online forum FlyerTalkers to discuss some of the major issues they see with the carrier, according to USA Today. This may not seem like a bold move, but to put the company's top dogs out in front of some of the highest-value customers comes with plenty of risk, especially for an airline ...New Continental - United combination already leading on-time performance charts
Oct 12th, 2010 at 3:30PM:
The new combination of Continental Airlines and United Airlines is already off to a good start - the two just took the top spots in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights among the leading carriers in the country.
The Department of Transportation measures the on-time performance, and the information is published in the Air Travel Consumer Report. Continental ended the month with ...Fallen American Airlines could be next to merge ... with JetBlue?
Oct 12th, 2010 at 12:00PM: American Airlines used to be the largest airline in the industry – now it's third. Merger activity has narrowed the field, with Southwest-AirTran and United-Continental the latest deals that hit the sector. So, all eyes are on who will succumb to the urge to merge next, and American is being eyed as the next player.
According to a Forbes blog post, analysts from Morningstar believe that ...Five reasons airline fees up 50% year-over-year
Sep 27th, 2010 at 3:30PM: Does your wallet feel a little bit lighter? A new USA Today analysis reveals that airline fees are on the rise, with some up more than 50 percent relative to a year ago. The study compares the extra fees (not to be confused with fares) of 13 airlines and shows just how important this revenue source is to the airline sector.
According to USA Today, "The numerous fees are a sore subject for many ...British man passes through U.S. TSA security checkpoint with bag full of fireworks
Aug 17th, 2010 at 5:30PM: When 29 year old Paul Jones celebrated the 4th of July in Kansas, he ended up with a large bag of unused fireworks. Instead of discarding them, he kept them in a bag and brought them home back to the United Kingdom. In doing so, he was able to keep them in his carry-on luggage, and even passed the bag of explosives through the Kansas airport x-ray machine, in plain sight of officers.
It wasn't ...Top five reasons you'll pay more for flights
Jul 27th, 2010 at 1:00PM: It looks like flight deals are a thing of the past. The airline sector is starting to recover, as evidenced by an aggregate $1.3 billion in earnings for the six largest U.S. carriers last quarter, and more profits are said to be on the horizon. Of course, we're still in the early stages, and those earnings do pale in comparison to the $22.7 billion in losses sustained in 2008 and 2009. So, the ...New United Airlines livery still keeps a bit of Continental in the mix
May 3rd, 2010 at 2:30PM:
What you see here is the proposed final product of the United Airlines - Continental merger. As you can see, the new airline will fly with the United name, but keeps the globe logo from Continental.
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Proposed_New_Look_for_United_Continental_Planes'; I'm not sure what to make of it - but since these two airlines have been such important players in ...Continental and United Airlines approve merger
May 2nd, 2010 at 7:00PM: Two of the nation's largest airlines, United and Continental have taken one step closer to joining forces to becoming the world's largest carrier. Early last week, news in underground was that the two airlines were in high level talks to discuss merging operations. Things became more official with the announcement late last week that their respective boards had approved the undertaking.
The new ...
