A Rockin’ Good Time
With a bid of more than 475,500 miles, Continental Airlines OnePass Elite members Marc Harrison (right) and Brian Stolar (left) won the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria in New York in March.
“I’m a huge rock fan, and I was a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when it was founded,” Harrison says. “Attending the induction ceremony was a dream I’ve always had.”
Harrison is president of Silicon East Inc., a computer consulting company in Manalapan, N.J. Stolar is the founder and owner of Pinnacle Companies, a New Jersey–based real estate development company. Both have earned Elite status, and combined, they have flown on more than 75 Continental flights in the past year for business and personal travel. As winners of the auction item, they turned their miles into the unforgettable experience of watching some of their favorite bands, such as R.E.M and Van Halen, honored for their contributions to music history.
“The performance by R.E.M. meant a lot, not only because I had seen them in concert years ago, but also because bandmate Bill Berry, who left the band 10 years ago due to a brain aneurism, appeared on stage,” Harrison says.
Stolar, a die-hard Rolling Stones fan, says the highlight for him was seeing Keith Richards of the Stones induct the Ronettes into the Hall of Fame.
In addition to attending the Induction Ceremony, the winners also enjoyed a preshow cocktail party and dinner, the official after-party, and luxury accommodations at the Waldorf Astoria. Continental was the official airline of the Induction Ceremony, which had the fourth-highest winning bid for a OnePass Auction so far. To date, the highest bid was 566,500 miles, for the prize of a walk-on role in the Broadway musical Wicked.
Continental launched the Onepass Online Auction nearly three years ago. To place a bid or for more information, go to continental.com > Onepass Frequent Flyer > Use Miles > Onepass Online Auction. — Roxanne Butler
Join the Team
Interested in landing a job with the most admired global airline, according to Fortune magazine? Continental Airlines is currently hiring in these areas:
- Engineering
- Technology and eCommerce
- Management and Clerical
- Sales and Marketing
- Accounting and Finance
- Reservations
- Maintenance
- Pilots
- Flight Attendants
- Airport Services (ramp/baggage handlers, ticket and gate agents)
- Food Service
Many of the job openings are based at Continental’s hub airports, including Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Continental has Reservations Centers in Houston; Tampa, Fla.; and Salt Lake City. These cities also offer the opportunity to work from home.
To apply, go to continental.com and click on “About Continental” and then “Career Opportunities.” ― R.B.
OnePass Turns 20
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the OnePass program. In July, Continental Airlines will kick off some very special 20th anniversary promotions to celebrate the success of OnePass. A special 20th anniversary online auction will give members an opportunity to bid on exclusive merchandise and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. To learn more, go to continental.com.
Continental will announce a special surprise during the 20th anniversary celebration. OnePass members will hear more news about the OnePass 20th anniversary activities very soon. ― R.B.
Couch’s photo of St. Peter’s Basilica received the most online votes in the employee photo contest.
Picture Perfect
A photo of the Vatican won first prize in the 2007 Continental Airlines Employee Amateur Photo Contest. The photographer, Leigh Ann Couch, was on a month long family vacation in Europe when she captured the impressive image of St. Peter’s in Rome with the morning sun shining in.
“We walked into St. Peter’s just after they opened the doors to the public in the morning,” said Couch, who is the daughter of Houston-based Presidents Club Representative Linda Couch. “This was my favorite of all 3,000 photos I took during our family vacation to Europe.”
It won’t be long before Couch sets off on another adventure with camera in tow — Couch won two round-trip tickets to Cancún, Mexico, and a three-night hotel package for taking first prize in the photo contest.
About 650 Continental employees or their relatives entered the contest. All entries had to represent a Continental destination. The top finalists were selected by a professional photographer, and Continental employees cast votes online to determine the winner.
To see the photos taken by the runners-up, featuring some of Continental’s destinations around the world, click here. — R.B.
A Personal Mission
In the United States, about half a million babies are born prematurely every year. But if Reservations Special Functions Supervisor Carroll Tennant has her way — that risk to babies will disappear.
“It’s not uncommon for women to have an early delivery,” says Tennant. “It’s easy to say to yourself, ‘What did I do to make this happen?’ But the truth is that no one knows the cause of premature births. That’s why it’s important to help the March of Dimes.”
Tennant draws from personal experience for her motivation. Her first son, Scott, came into the world when Tennant was just over six months pregnant. Scott was one of the first preemies to survive weighing as little as he did, at 1 pound, 2 ounces. Tennant credits the excellent care he received at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital, near Chicago.
“Scott was one of the smallest ever to live at that time, in the ’60s,” says Tennant. “I think the world is a better place because Scott lived.”
Tennant has been the team leader for the Continental rest stops during WalkAmerica. Her passion has helped motivate others to get into the spirit. Each year, Tennant comes up with a new theme for the rest stop that ties to Continental’s international service. For 2007, walkers at the Houston WalkAmerica were energized by the sights and sounds of Mumbai, India — Continental’s newest destination, with service starting in October 2007.
Tennant’s passion has rubbed off on her co-workers, who together donate countless hours to raise money to help prevent premature births. The North Houston Reservations Center held a basket drawing this year that generated $14,000 for the March of Dimes. Dozens of employees put together about 60 baskets.
“My reservations co-workers have embraced helping the March of Dimes,” says Tennant. “The best treat is all the employees who work together.” — R.B.
