Welcome aboard, and on behalf of my more than 45,000 co-workers around the world, thank you for choosing Continental Airlines for your flight. We appreciate the time you’ve chosen to spend with us today.
Each month in “Continental’s View,” I pick a specific topic related to Continental, from updates on our fleet to our environmental commitment, so that you can learn about what’s going on at our company. This month, I want to tell you about the most important thing of all: our people. I believe the key to any successful company is having great people who enjoy coming to work and taking care of customers. There is no single element more important to Continental’s continued success than our superb team, and I want to thank them for all their efforts.
One of my favorite things about working with a great team is that we work together, and then, when we are successful, we all share in that success. This year, we celebrated Profit Sharing Day on Valentine’s Day, February 14, handing out $158 million in checks, the largest profit-sharing total in Continental’s history. Additionally, in 2007 my co-workers earned incentives in 10 out of 12 months for being among the top three major network carriers for Department of Transportation on-time performance, totaling $755 in bonuses per employee. We also recognized co-workers with perfect attendance by giving away Ford vehicles, a tradition we have enjoyed for more than a decade.
In addition to their superb on-the-job performance, my co-workers band together every year to support the March of Dimes and the organization’s annual charitable cause, the March of Dimes March for Babies. I enjoyed seeing many of my co-workers at the walk in Houston this year. We also support each other through WE CARE, an organization that provides financial assistance to Continental co-workers in need, and through the Continental Scholarship Fund, which offers co-workers and their dependents the opportunity to pursue higher education.
In a recent issue, Fortune magazine showed that I’m not the only one cheering for our employees. For the fifth consecutive year, we were ranked No. 1 in the airline industry on Fortune’s annual list of the World’s Most Admired Companies, and we were No. 41 on its Most Admired Companies “Top 50” list, which ranks companies in a wide variety of industries. Continental was the only U.S. passenger carrier on the “Top 50” list. The rankings are determined by a survey of corporate and airline executives, boards of directors, and industry analysts. Companies are evaluated according to criteria such as quality of products/services, global competitiveness, people management, quality of management, and social responsibility.
Our award-winning airline is a reflection of the consistent excellence of each of my co-workers, including Chelsea Food Services Production Associate/Sanitation Agent Cheddi Sealy, whom you can read about here.
Thank you again for flying with us today. We hope to see you again soon.
Larry Kellner
Chairman and CEO
Continental Airlines
