United Continental to expand Economy Plus seating to Continental aircraft

by Scott Carmichael on

Compared to some other carriers, inflight services on United Airways have always been a little lacking. They don’t have a neat touch-screen entertainment system, limited inflight WiFi and no live TV or radio. Thankfully, they do have two perks you don’t find on any of the other domestic carriers – increased legroom in part of the cabin and the ability to listen in on cockpit communications.

As part of their merger with Continental, the new airline plans to introduce their Economy Plus seating to Continental aircraft.

Economy Plus is by no means a replacement for a business class cabin, but the 5 extra inches of leg room are usually quite welcome. What was once a perk reserved for their frequent fliers, has quickly become a new way for the airline to make money – charging up to $425 a year for unlimited access to the extra legroom. Individual flight upgrades to Economy Plus start at just $9 (for short flights).

Still, the airline has to be applauded for committing to this decent perk. The full press release is after the jump.

UNITED AIRLINES TO RETAIN ECONOMY PLUS,
EXPANd TO CONTINENTAL AIRCRAFT BEGINning IN 2012

Multi-year conversion brings Economy Plus to the new United

CHICAGO, Feb. 17, 2011–United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) today announced that it will retain United’s popular Economy Plus® seating on United flights and expand the option to Continental aircraft beginning in 2012, providing more opportunities for customers to enjoy additional legroom and comfort.

“Our customers value Economy Plus and the additional personal space that it provides,” said Jim Compton, chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings. “Customers who sit in Economy Plus are significantly more satisfied with their travel experience, as are travelers who choose other options that enable them to tailor their travel to their liking.”

The decision to maintain and expand Economy Plus across the combined fleet marks a significant milestone in the product integration of United and Continental. It also demonstrates the company’s commitment to provide innovative options to customers that enable them to customize their travel experience with superior products they value.

Today, United offers Economy Plus on all 359 mainline aircraft and more than 150 larger regional jets operated by United Express® carriers. When the multi-year conversion process is complete, the company plans to offer Economy Plus on more than 700 mainline aircraft, including all Continental mainline aircraft, as well as larger regional aircraft. When fully deployed, the new United’s fleet will include more than 40,000 Economy Plus seats, providing more than 122,000 Economy Plus seats each day, the largest amount of extra legroom economy seating available to customers of any airline in the world.

United introduced Economy Plus in 1999, offering up to five inches of additional legroom to customers seated in the forward section of United Economy®. Customers with elite status in United’s Mileage Plus and Continental’s OnePass frequent-flyer programs may confirm seat assignments in Economy Plus, when available. Customers may also purchase seat assignments in Economy Plus when making reservations via united.com and continental.com, through a reservation agent, or during the check-in process at home or at the airport.

Continental currently offers extra legroom seats and will continue to offer that option to travelers until those aircraft are reconfigured with Economy Plus seating. OnePass and Mileage Plus elite members may confirm extra legroom seats at no charge, and other customers may purchase seat assignments for extra legroom seats.
The expansion of Economy Plus reflects United’s focus on its product and customers. The airline continues to reconfigure United and Continental aircraft with new lie-flat seats in first and business class – with the new lie-flat product already on 112 aircraft in the combined fleet, more than any other U.S.-based carrier. In addition, more than 160 Continental aircraft feature DIRECTV®.

Breaking: United grounds all Boeing 757 aircraft

by Grant Martin on

If you were scheduled on a United 757 earlier today and are wondering why it was canceled, we now know why. According to the Wall St. Journal, the airline is in the process of grounding its entire fleet in order to perform maintenance checks to air data computers that were modified earlier this year.

According to Gadling’s resident pilot Kent Wien:

There are two air data computers on every 757 and they’re used to take inputs from pitot tubes, static ports and temperature probes to determine the speed, rate of climb and altitude of the airplane. Any difference in the captain and the co-pilot’s side requires a quick determination as to which side is giving the correct data. In 1996 a 757 experienced a blocked pitot tube that caused it to crash off the coast of the Dominican Republic. While not the same problem as an ADC failure, the failures would look very similar to the pilots.

In this specific case, checks have acturally already been completed on the 96 767s; this round of study is in order to comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements that were not followed at that time. Continental‘s 62 aircraft are not affected.

Each check takes less than two hours so the groundings should be brief. But operation on the aircraft will be disrupted for the rest of today and into tomorrow’s schedules.

Contacted for comment, United Airlines’ Charles Hobart confirmed:

We have about 25 cancellations. The maintenance checks are ongoing and will continue until completed. We expect minimal further disruption tomorrow.

First major signs of the United – Continental merger: 500 jobs lost in Houston

by Scott Carmichael on

We’ll file this piece of news under “quelle surprise” – now United Airlines and Continental Airlines are working hard to merge their companies, the first victims will be found at the Houston based headquarters of Continental.

Within the management and clerical ranks, 500 people will soon be without a job. The firings begin in April, and will continue through June 30. Workers will leave with a severance package and subsidized health care benefits.

Since both airlines are about the same size, it is a tricky task to figure out where the various departments will be headquartered, so this loss of jobs is most likely only the beginning.

The new airline does not expect any job losses in frontline staff positions such as pilots, gate agents or anyone that works at the airport.

There is some other good news too – despite the loss of 500 jobs, the Texas Workforce Commission expects a net gain in jobs once the merger is complete, as George Bush Intercontinental Airport will be one of the largest hubs for the new airline. Later this year, United Airlines expects to announce its first major round of job cuts.

[Photo: Getty Images]

United Airlines launches Three Perfect Days contest — win a free vacation!

by Grant Martin on

Good with a video camera and a Final Cut Pro? United Airlines might have the perfect opportunity for you to win your dream vacation.

Yesterday they launched a new promotion on Facebook soliciting video entries for their “Three Perfect Days” contest. All that you have to do to enter is make a short video explaining what you would do with three perfect days of vacation and post it to their site. The submission that gets the most “likes” wins two free round trip tickets, a digital camera and a $2,500 Visa debit card (you could use it to pay off the taxes!) at its complete disposal. You’ve got until March 1st to come up with the most “likeable” video on the web.

Having sumbitted a few entries and reviewed a few more ourselves at Gadling Labs, permit us to give you a tip before inking the celluloid: people who vote in these contests dig two things:

  1. The best cinematogrphy ever known to man
  2. Hotties

Aim to have one of the two concepts in your entry and you’re guaranteed a shot. Have both and you’ll take home the gold.

United and American sue City of Chicago for planned O’Hare expansion

by Scott Carmichael on

United Airlines and American Airlines have taken a disagreement with the City of Chicago to court, asking a judge to block a planned expansion of the airport.

At the heart of the disagreement is “phase 2” of the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP). The modernization of O’Hare started years ago and was badly needed – it included new runways, a new air traffic control tower and upgrades to the existing terminal buildings. Phase one of the program added runway 9L/27R – the first new runway added to the airport since 1971.

Now Phase 1 is almost complete, work on Phase 2 has started – and is expected to cost an estimated $3.36 billion. In Phase 2, the airport will rebuild two runways, extend one runway and build a new western terminal building. Problem is – the two airlines that provide over 80 percent of air traffic to O’Hare are not convinced the airport actually needs the expansions.

The two airlines made the rare move of joining forces to issue a combines statement about the changes, and filed their lawsuit in the Cook County Court. Whether or not the airlines get their way won’t matter – the lawsuit alone will probably become just another delay in the modernization program.

And if you feel sorry for the airlines – don’t – most of the money for the modernization program comes from “passenger facility charges” in the form of bonds – and these “PFC’s” make up a small chunk of every ticket sold. End result – O’Hare becomes one of the most expensive airports in the country.

Still, as someone who uses O’Hare regularly, I’m really not against paying a couple of bucks extra to improve the airport. Things (read: delays) have become more bearable in recent years, but there are still plenty of ways the airport can improve itself. If the airlines actually want to fix things, they can start by improving their own terminal facilities and lounges (hint: AA, your presence at O’Hare really sucks)

For more on the lawsuit and for a link to the actual filing, check out Chicago Breaking Business.

[Photo: Getty Images]