Message from Continental Airlines Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner

Larry Kellner Signature

Welcome aboard, and thank you for choosing continental airlines for your flight today. We appreciate your business, and we look forward to providing you with the best service in the industry on this and every flight you take with us. When it comes to providing quality service, my co-workers are second to none, and they've received many awards to prove it, including being named Best Airline for North American Travel in Business Traveler magazine's 2008 Best in Business Travel Survey. In the same survey, we also placed highest among U.S. airlines for Best Flight Attendants in North America.

My co-workers also show their commitment to service when they're away from their jobs, by giving back to their communities. At Continental, we recognize that the support of our communities is critical, and we work hard to foster strong partnerships with those communities we serve. Every day, I hear stories about how my co-workers make a difference in the lives of others. This month, I'd like to thank a co-worker who particularly exemplifies the spirit of giving: Debbie Taggart, who works at our Reservations Processing Center. You can read more about Debbie .

This year marks Continental's fourth year in partnership with the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes is such an important cause, and we are proud to be a part of their efforts to save the lives of babies. In 2009, we will again be a national sponsor of the March for Babies, the March of Dimes' annual fundraising walk, which takes place in hundreds of cities. We will also be the official airline of the March of Dimes National Ambassador Program and will fly the 2009 National Ambassador, Katelyn Hall of Leesburg, Va., to her public appearances on behalf of the organization.

Since we began this partnership, the Continental team has raised more than $1 million to help the March of Dimes. Thousands of Continental employees and their friends and families have walked together in the March for Babies, and they have also held a variety of fun and creative fundraising events, from auctions to contests to bake sales. I'm so proud of everything we've done over the past few years to support this organization, and I look forward to an even stronger partnership in the coming year. My co-workers have shown that when we work together, we accomplish great things.

Another way my co-workers show how special they are is the way we band together to support the community in times of crisis. I'm so proud of the way we worked together during the challenges posed by Hurricane Ike, which hit Houston in the fall of 2008 and continues to affect the city and other area communities today.

On behalf of all my more than 43,000 co-workers, thanks again for choosing Continental Airlines for your flight today. We look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon.

Larry Kellner's Signature
Larry Kellner
Chairman and CEO
Continental Airlines

Larry Kellner Signature

On behalf of my more than 43,000 co-workers, thank you for choosing Continental Airlines, and happy New Year. Although 2008 was a challenging year for the airline industry, with volatile fuel prices and a staggering global economy, we continued to invest in our people and our product.

We also continue to focus on strengthening our position as a global carrier. Continental serves more international destinations than any other U.S. airline and is the leading carrier out of New York. Our network is among the most balanced of all airlines, evenly split between international and domestic destinations, with strong coverage in many regions of the world.

In 2008, we launched service from New York/Newark Liberty and Houston’s Bush Intercontinental to Heathrow, our customers’ airport of choice in London and arguably the most important business airport in Europe. In recent years, we have also added service to some of the world’s booming new markets, including Beijing. In 2009, we will add service to Shanghai, China. Our route network is additionally strengthened through our alliances. In 2008, we announced that we will transition to the Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive airline alliance. We are currently part of the SkyTeam alliance, and we plan to transition out of SkyTeam and into the Star Alliance in a customer-friendly manner that preserves the alliance benefits our customers expect.

Our strong network would not be possible without more than a decade of careful planning, including investing in an industry-leading fleet, which we are continuing to strengthen with new-generation fuel-efficient Boeing aircraft such as the 737-900 ER and 787 Dreamliner.

One benefit of an industry-leading fleet is a reduction in carbon emissions and fuel usage, which is particularly advantageous given the fluctuating oil costs in the past year. We have reduced our fuel consumption by about 35 percent per revenue passenger mile since 1997, and today we fly one of the youngest and most efficient fleets in the skies.

Our commitment to the environment was a major focus in 2008, as we added a carbon-offsetting option for customers and extended our recycling program. This month, we will partner with Boeing, GE Aviation, and UOP (a Honeywell company) to become the first North American carrier to operate a demonstration flight powered by second-generation biofuels.

We continue to invest in our product. In 2008, we announced a new lie-flat BusinessFirst seat, and we are upgrading our onboard entertainment with Advanced Video/Audio On Demand and in-seat power on our 777s and 757s. This year, we will begin offering Live TV onboard some of our 737 aircraft.

Most important, in 2008 we continued to place the highest importance on our strong Working Together culture. The most important part of Continental’s success is our co-workers. This month, I’d like to thank LAX Customer Service Representative Christina Chou. You can read more about Christina here.

On behalf of Christina and all my more than 43,000 co-workers, thanks again for joining us for your flight today. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Larry Kellner's Signature
Larry Kellner
Chairman and CEO
Continental Airlines

Photograph: Mark Green