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Pilots at United Airlines lost on Thursday in their bid to postpone the integration of flight operations with Continental Airlines, an essential step to completing the 2010 merger of the two carriers.

The pilots’ argument that the training shortfall would endanger the public was “‘too speculative'” to justify pushing back the deadline, the U.S. District Judge said in an eight-page ruling.

United bought Continental last year in a $3.17 billion all-stock deal to form United Continental Holdings Inc, the world’s largest airline company. The two airlines continue to operate separately while they integrate operations.

source: Reuters

US Airways, United, Continental and Delta confirmed that they raised prices.

Jamie Baker, an analyst for J.P. Morgan Chase, said the increases of $6 to $10 were applied to last-minute tickets favored by corporate travelers. He said the move, led by US Airways, appeared to back up the company’s comments that demand for business travel has held up.

Baker said the airlines did not increase prices on tickets requiring an advance purchase. Those are usually bought by leisure travelers.

source: msnbc.com

A former Continental Airlines sales agent has been sentenced to prison for a $1 million Ponzi scheme involving the sale of hundreds of fake airline ticket vouchers.

Victoria Scardigno (Skahr-DEE’-noh) said she was “‘beyond remorseful'” as a federal judge in Manhattan sentenced her Thursday to 2 years and 5 months.

She had pleaded guilty to wire fraud in February.

source: WSJ

Continental is rolling out a new menu of snacks and meals coach passengers on most U.S. flights will be able to get for a price starting Oct. 12.

Customers in first-class cabins and on many international flights will still eat for free.

The Houston-based airline, which plans to combine with United Airlines, announced the menu and prices Monday. It said several months ago that it planned to join most other U.S. airlines in charging for food in coach.

source: Business Week

United Airlines and Continental Airlines will merge in an all-stock deal worth over $3 billion that will create the world’s largest carrier with annual revenues of nearly $29 billion.

The two American carriers have entered into a definitive merger agreement, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. The merged entity will be known under the brand name of United Airlines and will be based in Chicago, the headquarters of United.

Continental is based in Boston, which will cease to exist post-merger. “‘The all-stock merger brings together two of the world’s premier airlines, creating a combined company well positioned to succeed in an increasingly competitive global and domestic aviation industry,'” both companies said in a statement.

source: Rediff business

Continental Airlines Inc. would make the best merger partner for United Airlines, creating the world’s largest carrier, an analyst said Friday.

Together, Houston-based Continental and UAL Corp.’s United would surpass Delta Air Lines Inc. for the top spot in global passenger traffic.

source: thenewstribune.com

Continental Airlines, the last U.S. carrier serving free meals in the coach cabin, will start charging for food for economy-class passengers on most domestic and Canadian flights as well as certain Latin American routes.

Complimentary meals will still be offered to passengers on economy fares on all intercontinental trips, certain other international routes and domestic flights longer than six hours, Houston-based Continental said today in a statement.

Now, with shorter flights and pressure from low-fare rivals such as Southwest Airlines Co., Continental and the rest of the large U.S. airlines are turning to fees including bag-check charges to raise revenue from sources other than tickets.

source: Business Week

US airline Continental has denied responsibility for a deadly Concorde crash that spelt the end of supersonic travel as its mechanics went on trial in France with French engineers.

Judge Dominique Andreassier read out the charges against the US airline Continental and two of its technical staff who are accused of the manslaughter of 109 people on the plane — most of them German tourists — and four hotel workers on the ground.

The court will decide whether to side with investigators and technical experts who say the crash was caused by a strip of metal that fell off a Continental DC-10 that took off shortly before the Concorde on July 25, 2000.

source: themovechannel.com

Continental Airlines has joined rival Delta in boosting the price for checking bags on flights within the USA and to Puerto Rico, Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Delta began charging $8 more for the first checked bag and $7 more for a second on Jan. 5. Continental did the same thing beginning with tickets sold Jan. 16. So far, no other big U.S. airline has followed suit.

Continental and Delta now charge $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second if the bags are checked at the airport. The fee is slightly lower for bags checked in online.

source: poughkeepsiejournal.com

UK-based airline bmi has signed a new codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines. The new agreement is expected to provide bmi customers with access to a wider range of destinations in the US in a single booking.

The deal will reportedly allow bmi to offer fares to Newark Liberty International and George Bush Intercontinental from London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham International, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Brussels and also improve connections between US and the bmi network.

source: tradingmarkets.com