Immediately after it made the decision to move to Star Alliance from SkyTeam, Continental created a detailed transition plan and began an extensive list of strategic tasks to facilitate the alliance change. The tasks included:
● Airport co-locations: To enhance easy connections to other Star Alliance carriers, by the end of this year Continental will have physically moved airport operations at 11 airports around the world. For instance, on October 27, Continental moved to Terminal 1 at Frankfurt and on November 1 it moves to the South Wing of Terminal 1 at Tokyo Narita. Other airports where Continental and other Star alliance carriers have made co-location moves include Beijing, Chicago, Honolulu and Shanghai;
● Airport and aircraft sign replacement: Continental has removed all signage referring to its former alliance and is in the process of deploying extensive Star Alliance branding throughout its airport facilities and on its aircraft. To remind customers of the transition, every main cabin entry door in Continental’s fleet will display a message saying, “You’re About To Get The Star Treatment”;
● Booking class realignment: Continental has completed an extensive revamping of the booking classes used in its yield management system. Continental uses a total of 23 single-letter fare codes to designate fare categories in its reservations system and other distribution channels. In order to make its seat-inventory controls compatible with Star Alliance airlines, it was necessary for Continental to change the letter designations for various booking categories. This included a 72-hour process to revise the fare codes stored within more than 6 million passenger reservation records that were active at the time the change was made;
● Branding and customer communications: Continental will launch a broad advertising campaign coinciding with the airline’s entry into the alliance. With international business travelers as its target audience, the campaign will deploy mainly in print and digital media, focusing on key markets such as New York/Newark, where Continental offers the most flights of any airline. Star Alliance will launch a parallel campaign to help attract new customers and reinforce understanding of customer benefits;
● Customer service policies: Continental has adjusted various customer service policies to give it a high degree of consistency with policies in use throughout Star Alliance. For instance, the complimentary baggage allowance for Continental’s Platinum and Gold Elite customers, as well as Star Alliance Gold customers from other member carriers, has increased to three bags weighing up to 70 pounds each, which is consistent with the established Star Alliance Gold benefit;
● Distribution and sales planning: Continental has reshaped its sales programs for corporate and retail customers to conform to Star Alliance programs;
● Employee training: Thousands of Continental employees have received training specifically on Star Alliance processes and services, including airport and inflight procedures, frequent flyer program reciprocity, and orientation to Continental’s prospective alliance partners. The airline has used a mix of classroom and computer-based training methods;
● Frequent flyer program changes and elite customer recognition: Recently, Continental’s OnePass frequent flyer program unveiled a new reward chart that enhances OnePass and makes it more akin to other programs in Star Alliance. From October 27, OnePass members are able to book reward travel on Star Alliance airlines (and vice versa) . OnePass mileage accrual for members’ travel on Star Alliance airlines is also effective from October 27; and
● Technology development: Continental has completed numerous other technology projects, large and small, in order to facilitate the change to Star Alliance. Top priority projects have included: updating customer information systems and booking records to ensure frequent flyer elite recognition across the Star Alliance network; implementing new frequent flyer processes for mileage accrual and award redemptions; developing through check-in abilities with all Star Alliance members; and connecting to the Star Alliance Data Network for real-time alliance flight information.
At the start of the ceremony in a Newark Airport hangar marking Continental Airlines' induction into the Star Alliance, a huge backdrop curtain vanished to reveal Continental's first Star-liveried aircraft, a Boeing 757. Flight attendants representing all the Star member airlines were arrayed on a set of airstairs drawn up to the aircraft
Due to the limited overlap between Continental’s and Star Alliance’s networks, its entry into Star increases the alliance’s overall global service network to 19,500 daily flights serving some 1,071 airports in 171 countries. The main network enhancements are in North America, to and from Latin America, and across the North Atlantic and the Pacific.
In North America, Continental adds its three hubs ― New York/Newark, Houston and Cleveland ― to the network, giving Star a leading position in the huge New York market for the first time. (COO Smisek says Continental is the only airline that operates a true hub at any of New York’s three major airports.)
Continental’s extensive Latin America network increases travel options for Star Alliance customers to Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Mexico, where Continental serves 29 destinations and has the biggest route network of any U.S. airline.
Across the North Atlantic, Continental also adds new options for Star Alliance travelers, especially in the highly important New York-London market. Travelers’ choices in the Pacific region are enhanced by Continental’s transpacific flights to mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan, and by Continental Micronesia flights centered on Guam.
In addition to the network benefits, Continental’s flights can now be used to create itineraries for the Star Alliance Round the World fare as well as for the North American Airpass. Additionally, Continental will sell all 13 Star Alliance fare products and participate in the Star Alliance Conventions Plus product.
Together with regional carrier Continental Express (ExpressJet Airlines) and its Continental Connection regional-airline franchisees, Continental Airlines has more than 2,400 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 130 domestic and 132 international destinations. With more than 41,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners carries approximately 63 million passengers per year.
Related to this story:
- Star Alliance Suspends Air India’s Membership Application
- Latin America’s Avianca-TACA and Copa Airlines to Join Star Alliance
- Star Alliance Launches Brazil Airpass on TAM’s Domestic Routes
- Continental Moves Ops at Narita to be Nearer Star Alliance Partners
- Continental Confirms Star Alliance Entry Date
Pages: 1 2
