Star Treatment
Continental's entry into Star Alliance offers a new world of choices
and benefits to customers
Connectivity is essential in the modern world. On October 27, Continental Airlines made one of the most important connections in its 75 years of service, joining Star Alliance, the industry's oldest and largest global airline partnership. For Continental customers, the move opens a new world of possibilities — an expanded network of destinations, simplified air travel, and an even more valuable frequent-flyer program.
With flights to more than 950 airports, Star Alliance reaches every corner of the globe, providing a vast choice of itineraries. The incredible range of options is neatly illustrated by a screensaver available for download at Star Alliance's Web site (
staralliance.com). Thousands of colored dots move frenetically across a map of the world, each dot representing an actual Star Alliance flight. The movement never stops, on screen and in reality. Across the globe, a Star Alliance aircraft takes off or lands every three seconds.
Continental, which Fortune magazine has named the World's Most Admired Airline for the past six years, brings to Star Alliance a global route network that serves 130 U.S. and 132 international destinations. With Star Alliance, Continental customers now have access through partner flights to many new destinations throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia/Pacific region. Continental is the 25th member of Star Alliance (see "Star Alliance Members," below), which will soon add Brussels Airlines, Brazil's TAM Airlines, Air India, and Greece's Aegean Airlines as well. Each member airline retains its distinct identity and heritage while providing service across the Star network.
Simplifying Air Travel
Since it was established in 1997, Star Alliance has sought to simplify air travel, allowing customers to transfer from one partner airline to another with ease. In the words of the founding chairman Jürgen Weber, the alliance is designed "to create advantages for our customers, to maintain service at a high level, and permanently improve it everywhere in the world where our aircraft take off and land." Common policies and procedures across the network ensure that when you fly with any Star Alliance partner you know what to expect.
"One of the main goals of the alliance is to create 'seamlessness' for travelers whose itineraries involve flights on more than one carrier," says Mark Erwin, Continental's senior vice president for corporate development and alliances. "Most of the changes we are making to facilitate this in Star Alliance are happening behind the scenes. So travelers should plan their trips as they always have, noting that we are partnering with a new set of airlines."
Onboard Continental flights, customers will continue to enjoy the high quality of service they are used to. The most significant changes will occur on the ground. In many international airports, for example, Star Alliance partners operate from the same terminal. That allows them to share ticketing facilities, check-in areas, membership lounges, baggage handling, and fuel purchasing.
These shared facilities result in a much smoother travel experience, especially for customers transferring from one flight to another. Flight schedules are coordinated to reduce transit times. In the event of delays, the Star Connection Team at major hub airports will help customers (and their luggage) make their connections or, if they're late, transfer them onto the first available alternative flight. The streamlining of Star Alliance's services on the ground means that it's possible to reduce the time customers spend making connections between airlines.
Continental's OnePass frequent-flyer program will provide full reciprocity with the travel reward programs of the other Star Alliance members. OnePass members can earn and redeem frequent-flyer points with all Star Alliance airlines and can benefit from flight upgrade opportunities across the network
Uniting with United
In joining Star Alliance, Continental left its previous alliance and ended its partnership with Northwest and Delta. Domestically, Continental's largest new partner is fellow Star Alliance carrier United Airlines. There is relatively little overlap between the two airlines' current routes. As a result, the linking of their route networks through Star Alliance gives Continental customers unrivaled travel choice within the United States. US Airways, another U.S.-based Star Alliance airline, also becomes a Continental partner, further expanding options for Continental's customers.
Additionally, Continental and United, along with Air Canada and Lufthansa, are working to develop an even more integrated "alliance within an alliance," which operates on all four airlines' transatlantic flights. This exclusive grouping will enable the airlines to pool their resources to offer more services, a greater network of destinations, improved airport facilities, improved frequent-flyer programs, reduced travel times, and lower fares.
"In the transatlantic arena," says Erwin, "our aim is to give travelers 'one-stop shopping,' so they can have all their needs filled in the context of one airline alliance. Also, our customers will benefit from our new partnerships with the leading carriers from Asia and the Pacific region, including Air China, ANA, Asiana, Singapore, and Air New Zealand."
Star Alliance is something new in the skies for Continental customers. It will provide new routes, new possibilities, and new connectivity.
— Richard Newton
Fast Facts
The numbers are impressive. Star Alliance …
- Has more than 18,500 daily departures
- Serves more than 950 airports in over 150 countries
- Has more than 800 lounges
- Flies more than 550 million customers annually on over 3,500 aircraft
For a description of Star Alliance Gold Benefits, which are amenities for our most frequent fliers, read "Continental Insider."
Star Alliance Members
Adria Airways (Slovenia), Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA (Japan), Asiana Airlines (South Korea), Austrian, Blue1 (Finland), bmi (United Kingdom), Continental Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa (Germany), Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines (China), Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair (Spain), SWISS, TAP Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, United, and US Airways.
Continental a "Perfect Fit"
Continental caught up with Jaan Albrecht, CEO of the Frankfurt, Germany-based Star Alliance, to get his thoughts on what the addition of Continental means to the alliance, the airline, and its customers.
Q. How will Continental Airlines fit into Star Alliance?
A. A high-quality member with an excellent reputation in our industry, Continental is a perfect fit in a team of like-minded airlines. Current Star Alliance customers will soon discover the huge additional network that our new member will bring to the alliance, including Continental's world-class New York-area hub and much better connections to Latin America. And our new Continental customers will enjoy the benefits of traveling within the most experienced airline network around the globe.
Q. What will Star Alliance bring to Continental Airlines?
A. Increased global coverage. For instance, Star Alliance improves Continental's exposure to the Africa market with the help of its European partners. Membership will also bring new customers, new sales products, cost savings through alliance synergies, and a team of airlines that wants to drive innovation in aviation, developing future products and making aviation a sustainable industry.
Q. How will Continental's customers benefit from Star Alliance?
A. Access to more places, more choice of connections, more lounges, better corporate deals, and more options to make use of frequent-flyer points on more than 18,000 daily flights worldwide — the list is much longer. We are ready to demonstrate the alliance's value to our new customers.
Q. What does the future hold for Star Alliance?
A. The alliance concept has proven to be a successful recipe for individual airlines to offer their customers a truly global product. Therefore, alliances must be seen as an integral element of today's worldwide air travel requirements. Even if individual airlines choose to further integrate, alliances will continue to play a bonding element between companies, continents, and cultures, a role of which we are proud.
— R.N.
Photographs: iStockphoto (world); courtesy of Star Alliance (planes, Albrecht); Ted Fahn/courtesy of Star Alliance (Heathrow lounge)
