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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.

CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2012 – United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL), today launched the MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange, a first-of-its-kind program that enables MileagePlus members to convert the remaining value of unused or partially used retail gift cards into award miles.

MileagePlus members also may now use gift cards from more than 60 major retailers to purchase award miles electronically online.

After logging into their MileagePlus accounts, customers select the retailer and enter their gift card information. Once MileagePlus verifies the transaction, United converts the balance on the gift card to award miles and deposits the miles into the members’ accounts.

“The MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange program offers members another convenient way to earn award miles,” said Jeff Foland, president of Mileage Plus Holdings, LLC. “We are pleased to offer customers new and innovative ways to engage with the world’s leading loyalty program.”

In January, United launched MileagePlus Headliners, an auction program that enables members to use their miles to bid for a host of experiences, including once-in-a-lifetime trips, airline adventures and tickets for theater and sporting events. MileagePlus members may also use Facebook and Foursquare to receive special offers from restaurants and merchants.

Source: United Airlines

CHICAGO, Jan. 31, 2012 – United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL), today announced plans to launch year-round and seasonal service on several new routes to begin in the summer of 2012.

“We continue to capitalize on the combined resources of United and Continental to create a network that gives our customers more flights to the places they want to go,” said James Starnes, United’s director of domestic planning. “The flexibility of our fleet allows us to put the right aircraft in the right markets to serve new communities and to add additional flights to communities we already serve.”

Daily Service between Washington/Dulles and Honolulu

United will begin daily year-round service between Washington/Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Honolulu (HNL) on June 7, 2012, the only nonstop service between the two points. The flights will operate using Boeing 767-400 aircraft.

United, the largest carrier between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii, connects the Aloha State with eight mainland cities, as well as Tokyo, Guam and Majuro, offering nonstop service in 23 city pairs.

From its Dulles hub, United also offers more domestic and international service from the nation’s capital than any other airline.

New Summer Seasonal Flights from Denver, Houston and San Francisco

The airline will also add seasonal service to several popular summer travel destinations.

• Alaska: New daily service between Denver (DEN) and Fairbanks, Alaska (FAI), will operate from June 7, 2012 through Aug. 27, 2012, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Fairbanks offers access to Denali National Park, one of Alaska’s most visited destinations. The flights complement United’s existing Alaska service to Anchorage from hubs in Denver, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco, as well as Seattle.

• South Dakota: United Express will offer daily seasonal service between Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Rapid City, S.D. (RAP), gateway to the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands National Park, from June 7, 2012, to Aug. 27, 2012. ExpressJet will operate the flights using Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft. United currently serves Rapid City from its Denver and Chicago hubs.

• Wyoming: The airline will also add summer-season flights between its Houston and San Francisco (SFO) hubs and Jackson Hole, Wyo. (JAC), which attracts millions of summer visitors to nearby Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. The Houston flights will operate twice-weekly from June 8, 2012, through Aug. 27, 2012, using Boeing 757 aircraft. The San Francisco flights will operate daily from July 1, 2012, through Aug. 27, 2012, as United Express, with Bombardier CR7 aircraft flown by SkyWest Airlines. These flights are in addition to United’s existing service to Jackson Hole from hubs in Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles.

With these new route additions, United will remain within the previously announced capacity guidance.

Since the October 2010 merger of United and Continental, the larger combined fleet has given the company flexibility to better meet market demand. United has added new routes from its hubs to international destinations such as Lagos, Nigeria; Guadalajara, Mexico; Montreal, Canada; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Shanghai, China, and Stuttgart, Germany, along with new intra-Asia routes between the Tokyo hub and Hong Kong and between the Guam hub and Okinawa, Japan.

The merger also enabled the company to add a number of new domestic routes by using a mix of mainline and regional aircraft from both carriers more efficiently.

In addition, previously announced new service between New York/Newark and Buenos Aires, and between Washington/Dulles and Manchester, U.K. and Washington/Dulles and Dublin, Ireland, will begin this spring.

Source: United.com

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — United Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), successfully reached a tentative agreement with management today for 15,000 pre-merger United Flight Attendants.  The agreement was reached with oversight from the National Mediation Board (NMB) through expedited mediation with airline management.

“There can be no doubt that if it were not for the clear commitment of United Flight Attendants in supporting our elected leadership and negotiating committee, we would not have been able to achieve these results. Pending leadership approval, the United AFA members will carefully consider the tentative agreement for ratification.  Together, we will better our lives and our profession through our solidarity as we work towards improving our future. Next, we will achieve a Single Contract that is good for Flight Attendants, good for the company and unite us all,” said Greg Davidowitch, president of AFA at United Airlines.

The Agreement is now subject to approval by the United Master Executive Council (MEC), made up of the locally elected leaders from the 14 United Flight Attendants domiciles.  The MEC will meet in a special session on Sunday, January 8, 2012.  Until that time, full details of the Tentative Agreement will not be made public.  If approved by the MEC, the Tentative Agreement will be sent to the Membership for careful consideration and ratification.

CHICAGO, Nov. 17, 2011 – United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UAL) today announced that the first Continental Airlines aircraft with Economy Plus will enter service Nov. 19, offering Continental customers four inches of extra legroom in the forward rows of the Economy cabin.

The aircraft, a Boeing 767-400, will also feature new flat-bed seats in BusinessFirst and new touchscreen seat-back monitors in Economy. In addition, the aircraft will be the first in the Continental fleet to feature the popular Channel 9 air traffic control communications. Customers in both cabins also will have advanced audio/video on demand and in-seat power outlets.

“The merger of United and Continental is a unique opportunity to build an airline with leading products and services that customers value and are willing to pay for,’’ said Jim Compton, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings. “United’s customers who sit in Economy Plus consistently tell us they are more satisfied with their travel experiences, and we are excited to expand this option to more customers of the new United.’’

United introduced Economy Plus in 1999. Today, the airline offers the extra-legroom seating on all mainline aircraft and more than 150 larger United Express regional jets. When the company fully deploys Economy Plus on Continental and Q400 regional aircraft, the new United’s fleet will include more than 40,000 Economy Plus seats, providing customers more than 122,000 extra-legroom economy class seats each day, more than any airline in the world.

Customers with elite status in United’s MileagePlus and Continental’s OnePass frequent-flyer programs may confirm complimentary seat assignments in Economy Plus, when available. Customers may also purchase Economy Plus seating on United and United Express aircraft through united.com, through a reservations agent or during the check-in process online or at the airport.

Customers booked on Continental flights that include Economy Plus may purchase available Economy Plus seating during check-in. In 2012, after the airline retrofits a larger number of Continental aircraft, customers will also be able to purchase Continental’s Economy Plus seating online and through a reservations agent. Additional information is available at continental.com/economyplus.

The expansion of Economy Plus to Continental aircraft comes as the company continues with plans to invest more than $550 million to upgrade aircraft interiors, including new flat-bed seats in premium cabins, larger overhead bins and improved in-flight entertainment options. The new flat-bed seats are available today on more than 125 aircraft. In addition, more than 160 aircraft feature DIRECTV.

FAA oversight of united and continental is combined; business as usual for customers 

CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2011 – United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) announced today that it received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for a single operating certificate, marking another significant achievement in the integration of United Airlines and Continental Airlines.

This regulatory milestone, while significant from an operational policies and procedures perspective, does not change how customers interact with the airline. Customers of United and Continental will continue to shop for flights, obtain seat assignments and check flight status on each carrier’s respective website until the company migrates to a single passenger service system in the first quarter of 2012. At that point, from a customer’s perspective, the two carriers will function as one airline.

“I would like to thank the teams at United, Continental, the FAA, the Department of Transportation and the many regulatory authorities around the globe who put tremendous time and effort into our achieving a single operating certificate,” said United’s president and chief executive officer, Jeff Smisek. “While we have much work ahead of us as we integrate these two great carriers, this is a significant milestone.”

The two carriers went through a rigorous 18-month process of aligning operating policies and procedures to obtain a single operating certificate from the FAA. A team of more than 500 employees from both carriers worked together to evaluate closely each pre-integration program, process and operating specification from both airlines to determine the best choice for the new United. The team streamlined more than 440 operational manuals, programs and procedures down to approximately 260 manuals for the new United – a process that involved roughly 2,000 changes.

Effective today, air traffic control communications will refer to all United and Continental flights as “United.”  United and Continental announced their merger in May 2010 and closed the transaction on Oct. 1, 2010.

CHICAGO, Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) will introduce a new name for its airport lounges on Oct. 1. United Club, the re-branding of United’s Red Carpet Club and Continental’s Presidents Club, marks a further step in the integration of the two airlines’ products and services to provide a more consistent travel experience for customers.

At more than 50 lounges in 39 airports worldwide, United Clubs offer members and their guests complimentary bar service, light snacks and beverages; business amenities such as Wi-Fi, conference rooms and workstations; and personalized assistance with reservations, seat selection, upgrades and boarding passes.  In time, remodeled clubs will provide additional business-friendly features that customers say they value, including more workstations that enable travelers to be more productive.

Red Carpet Club and Presidents Club members may access any of the new United Clubs with their current membership credentials. Members also have access to Star Alliance departure lounges around the world when traveling on a Star Alliance member carrier.

A variety of United Club membership options is available, with annual memberships starting at $495. Additional information is available at united.com/unitedclub and continental.com/unitedclub.

SOURCE United Continental Holdings, Inc.

CHICAGO, Oct. 13, 2011 – United Airlines today announced that Boeing completed the final assembly of the airline’s first 787 Dreamliner Wednesday evening, finishing the first major step in the aircraft’s production. United will be the first North American carrier to take a 787 delivery, with plans to introduce the first of 50 Dreamliners into revenue service in 2012.

While in final assembly, the aircraft moved through four factory positions, including the final aircraft body join, landing gear installation, weight-on-wheels testing and installation of interior components and systems. Over the next several months, the aircraft will move to the next phase of completion, which includes final cabin configuration, installation of engines and painting.

Boeing will configure United’s first 787 with 36 seats in BusinessFirst, 63 seats in Economy Plus and 120 seats in Economy. The aircraft’s use of light-weight composites, together with more electric systems, modern engines and improved aerodynamic design, allows it to fly farther, faster and more efficiently. Customers will experience greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features.

United Continental Holdings’ subsidiaries Continental and United each ordered 25 Dreamliners. With expanded range capabilities, greater fuel efficiency and superior operating economics, the 787 will allow United to target new long-haul markets and replace older, less-efficient widebody aircraft.

CHICAGO, Sept. 2, 2011 United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) today are announcing an agreement to return to negotiations in advance of mediation scheduled with the National Mediation Board in November.

During these negotiations the company and IBT will focus on reaching an agreement covering the approximately 4,700 technicians at the United Airlines subsidiary.

United and Continental employ more than 8,300 technicians who are represented by the Teamsters. Continental technicians ratified their collective bargaining agreement in November 2010.

HOUSTON, May 23, 2011 – Mayor Annise Parker and the Houston Airport System in partnership with United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) today announced that construction on the first phase of the $1 billion redevelopment project at Bush Intercontinental Airport will begin by the end of the year. Phase one of the three-phase project will create a new Terminal B south concourse dedicated to domestic regional jet operations. In addition, United announced that it is extending its lease on Terminal C at Bush Intercontinental Airport to 2027. Built in 1969 as one of the airport’s two original terminals, Terminal B has reached its maximum capacity. The $161 million south concourse project will replace the existing south side flight stations with a 225,000 square foot facility to accommodate United’s fleet of regional aircraft, allowing for both operational flexibility and a better customer experience by providing improved and expanded gate lounge space, concessions and restroom facilities. The new Terminal B south concourse will feature:

• A wide connecting bridge to a modern central passenger lounge
• Spacious passenger lounge areas with ample concession choices, restroom facilities and expansive tarmac views
• A high-efficiency boarding process that will allow for up to 30 flights to depart through three main boarding zones
• Durable and modern interior finishes
• A flexible gate layout that will accommodate aircraft today and in the future
• A design that incorporates energy-efficient techniques using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria

“As the largest hub for the largest airline in the world, Bush Intercontinental is positioned to serve the world as United builds its global network,” said Houston Mayor Annise Parker. “Our airport serves as one of the most important economic engines in Houston and we are committed to expanding the portal to our global business connections.” “This project and the extension of our Terminal C lease to 2027 clearly demonstrate United’s commitment to Houston and will help Houston maintain its status as an international city,” said Jeff Smisek, United’s president and CEO.  “Houston is United’s largest hub, and our investment will open opportunities for additional growth.” Plans for future phases of the $1 billion redevelopment project include:

• Redevelopment of the central Terminal B lobby and baggage claim areas
• A new international-capable north concourse for mainline and regional jet flights
• A new Terminal B Federal Inspections Services (FIS) facility
• Infrastructure improvements (which include improvements to existing roadway, signage, utilities and fuel-storage systems)

Construction of the entire redevelopment project is planned over the next seven to 10 years, with phase one expected to be completed in late 2013. The Houston Airport System is partnering with United on the project, and the new construction will be a significant investment into the local economy by creating many jobs. “Together, we serve millions of customers at an important international gateway and by investing in our infrastructure, we are ensuring that we may serve even more global passengers for many more years,” said Mario Diaz, Houston Airport System Director of Aviation. About Houston Airport System The Houston Airport System (HAS) served more than 49.5 million passengers in 2010, ranking as the 4th largest multi-airport system in the U.S. Houston’s three airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD) contribute more than $24 billion to the regional economy. IAH is the 7th busiest airport in the nation and is the largest hub for the world’s largest airline. IAH and HOU offer 21 airlines providing nonstop flights to more than 180 destinations worldwide.
For more information, visit fly2houston.com and follow us @IAH and @HobbyAirport.