Continental Airlines Completes Installation of New Flat-Bed BusinessFirst Seats on 25 Aircraft

HOUSTON, July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines' (NYSE: CAL) 25th aircraft with new flat-bed BusinessFirst seats and additional upgraded amenities took to the skies this week.

The carrier's flat-bed seats made their operational debut in November 2009 and are being installed on aircraft used on long-haul international routes.  Currently the seats are being installed on Continental's Boeing 777 and 757-200 fleets, with 11 777s and 14 757-200s completed.  In addition, Continental will take delivery of two new Boeing 777 aircraft outfitted with the flat-bed seats by the end of July.  The seats will also be installed on many of Continental's Boeing 767-400 aircraft starting in 2011 and on the Boeing 787 fleet as the new aircraft are delivered to the company.    

The BusinessFirst flat-bed seat reclines 180 degrees and provides 6 feet 6 inches of sleeping space in the fully extended position on the Boeing 777 (6 feet 4 inches on the Boeing 757-200). It is one of the widest business-class seats in the air, measuring up to 27 inches (25 inches on the 757-200).  Laptop power, headset and USB plugs are conveniently tucked above the customer's shoulder.  iPod connectivity allows each customer to view their personal videos and enjoy their music while their iPod is charging.  The new seats feature 15.4-inch video monitors for customers to enjoy on-demand movies, music and games.

"Our new BusinessFirst flat-bed seat is highly popular with our customers, and is a feature that makes our award-winning BusinessFirst product even more enjoyable," said Jim Compton, Continental's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "Continental continues to invest in products that our customers want and value."

Continental currently operates the Boeing 777 on international routes between Newark and Beijing, Delhi, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London/Heathrow, Mumbai, Shanghai, Tel Aviv and Tokyo, and between Houston and Frankfurt, London/Heathrow and Tokyo.

BusinessFirst on the Boeing 757 is currently offered on routes between Newark and Amsterdam, Barcelona, Belfast, Berlin, Birmingham, Bristol, Copenhagen, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hamburg, Lima, Lisbon, London/Heathrow, Madrid, Manchester, Oslo, Paris, Shannon and Stockholm.

Continental utilizes the Boeing 767-400 on routes between Newark and Athens, Brussels, Geneva, Paris, Rome and Zurich; and between Houston and Amsterdam, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 2,600 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 132 domestic and 137 international destinations. Continental is a member of Star Alliance, which overall offers more than 21,200 daily flights to 1,172 airports in 181 countries through its 28 member airlines. With more than 40,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners, carries approximately 63 million passengers per year.  

Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture. For nine consecutive years, FORTUNE magazine has ranked Continental as the top U.S. airline on its "World's Most Admired Companies" airline industry list. For more company information, go to continental.com.

SOURCE Continental Airlines