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69-570: The buildings include 1600 Smith (formerly Continental Center I), 600 Jefferson (formerly Continental Center II), KBR Tower , and 500 Jefferson Street. In 1959, the family of Hugh Roy Cullen , an oil businessperson and philanthropist who was recently deceased, announced that they would build a skyscraper complex in Downtown Houston. To the surprise of everyone the family planned for the 12 acres (4.9 ha), 5½ city block site to accommodate several sites. The first two buildings were to be

138-440: A 2-2-2 seat configuration on Boeing 767s, 2-3-2 on 787s, and 2-4-2 on 777s. Upgraded dining is served on china dinnerware with free alcoholic beverages. Passengers are provided with Saks Fifth Avenue blanket and pillow, along with an amenity kit. The first aircraft with these seats were flying in mid-2018, and the full service launched in 2019. During the interim period, these seats were sold as part of Economy Plus. Economy Class

207-488: A 500-room, 15–18 story hotel and a 25-story office building. Next, a 40–45 story office building was to be completed. Other buildings were planned to be added at later times. Gerald E. Veitmann, president of the Cullen Center, said that it was going to be "a memorium to Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, an investment in excess of 100 million dollars," and "to Houston what Rockefeller Center is to New York City ." Work for clearing

276-580: A cocktail snack with a beverage is served shortly after takeoff, followed by a main course and dessert. Longer international flights feature a pre-arrival meal, which usually consists of a light breakfast or sandwich. Economy Plus is available on all aircraft. Economy Plus seats are located in the front few rows and exit rows of the economy cabin and have 2 inches (5.1 cm) more recline and at least 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) of additional pitch, totaling 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm) of recline and 35 to 37 inches (89 to 94 cm) of pitch. Economy Plus

345-546: A lease for 465,000 square feet (43,200 m ) of space. The lease deal filled the building to full occupancy and removed a large portion of available space from the Downtown Houston submarket. Tim Relyea, the vice chairperson of Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc., said that Chevron considered other properties before deciding on Continental Center I. He did not state which other towers the company had considered. Chevron planned to place 1,300 employees in 20 floors in

414-529: A major aircraft maintenance center in San Francisco, and call centers in Houston and Chicago. On September 24, 2020, United Airlines announced that it will roll out a new COVID-19 testing program for passengers from October 15 that year. Initially, testing was only available for passengers traveling to Hawaii from San Francisco International Airport. The pre-merger United logo, commonly nicknamed

483-775: A result, the combined airline would keep the United name but discontinue using the tulip logo and use the Continental Airlines " globe " identity and livery instead, designed in 1991 by the Lippincott company. United's earliest slogan, "The Main Line Airway", emphasized its signature New York-Chicago-San Francisco route, and was replaced in 1965 with "Fly the Friendly Skies", which was in use until 1996 in its first iteration. The "It's time to fly" slogan

552-438: A second level, used for pedestrian-oriented facilities such as main lobbies, shops, displays, galleries, lounges, and restaurants; and the top space, into which will rise the main towers containing hotel rooms and offices." In other words, the building design separated the pedestrian and vehicular traffic from one another. The first levels were to have open plazas. The developer planned to establish air-conditioned bridges connecting

621-585: A single air operator's certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration on November 30, 2011. On March 3, 2012, United and Continental merged their passenger service systems, frequent-flier programs, and websites, which virtually eliminated the Continental brand with the exception of its logo. On June 27, 2019, the parent company's name changed from United Continental Holdings to United Airlines Holdings . In early 2024,

690-443: A smaller amount of space. In addition Houston Industries, Inc. paid TrizecHahn so it could break its lease on 100,000 square feet (9,300 m ) of space. This made additional room for Continental Airlines. Tim Reylea, the vice president of Cushman Realty Corp., said that the Continental move "is probably the largest corporate relocation in the central business district of Houston ever". Bob Lanier , Mayor of Houston , said that he

759-814: A symbol for overexpansion in Houston". By 1987 the Canadian company Trizec Group bought debentures carrying an option to buy portions of the Cullen Center, including 1600 Smith Street. In 1997 subcommittees of the University of Houston System Board of Regents held meetings at 1600 Smith Street. In September 1997, Continental Airlines announced that it would consolidate its Houston headquarters in what would become Continental Center I. The airline scheduled to move around 3,200 employees in stages beginning in July 1998 and ending in January 1999. The airline consolidated

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828-405: Is United's international business class product. The Polaris seat converts into a 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) flatbed and has multiple storage areas, multiple charging ports, lumbar support, and improved dining and amenities. Polaris seats can be found on all Boeing 757-200s , Boeing 767s , Boeing 777-300ERs , and Boeing 787 Dreamliners , and internationally configured Boeing 777-200ERs . On

897-501: Is a Star Alliance member, customers reaching certain qualifications are entitled to certain benefits which may be used across the entirety of the Star Alliance network. Premier Silver customers are given Star Alliance Silver status, while Premier Gold customers and higher are given Star Alliance Gold status. United Club is the airline lounge associated with United Airlines and United Express carriers. The United Club replaced

966-586: Is a 51- story , 732-foot (223 m) office tower in Downtown Houston , Texas , United States. It served as the headquarters of Continental Airlines prior to its merger with United Airlines , and at one point also served as the headquarters of ExpressJet Airlines . It is a part of the Cullen Center complex. The 51 story building has about 1,098,399 square feet (102,044.6 m ) of rentable Class "A" office space. The design architect

1035-653: Is a member of the Star Alliance and has codeshare agreements with the following airlines: As of 25 November 2024 , the United Airlines fleet consists of 992 mainline aircraft, making it one of the two largest commercial airline fleets in the world, along with Delta Air Lines. United Airlines operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing narrow-body and all Boeing wide-body aircraft. Additionally, United operates more widebody aircraft than any other U.S. carrier. Polaris Business Polaris

1104-503: Is also on the seventh floor. The HFD chaplain, the fire codes division, the fire marshall/fire prevention division, the high rise certification division, the high rise inspections division, the public affairs division, and the firefighter recruiting division are located in Suite 600. The public education, public information office, special events, and staff services divisions are in Suite 700. The ambulance records, EMS records, fire records, and

1173-480: Is available on all aircraft and usually has a pitch of 31 inches (79 cm) and a recline of 2 to 5 inches (5.1 to 12.7 cm). Economy seats on Airbus A321, Boeing 737 MAX, Boeing 767, Boeing 787, and Boeing 757-200, and most Boeing 777 aircraft feature a personal touchscreen television at the back of each seat. Some Airbus A319, A320, Boeing 737, Boeing 757-300, and domestically configured Boeing 777-200 aircraft feature only personal device entertainment streamed from

1242-479: Is complimentary for all MileagePlus Premier members. Premier 1K, Platinum and Gold members may select an Economy Plus seat when booking, while Silver members can select an Economy Plus seat at check-in. Basic Economy is available on select routes. Intended to be United's lowest fare, Basic Economy fares provide most of the same inflight services and amenities as standard Economy. With Basic Economy, passengers do not get to select their seats. They are often placed in

1311-521: Is the successor to Speed Lines, which Varney had founded by 1932 and whose name changed to Varney Speed Lines in 1934. VAL flew the first privately contracted air mail flight in the U.S. on April 6, 1926. In 1927, William Boeing founded Boeing Air Transport to operate air mail routes under contract with the United States Post Office Department . In 1929, Boeing merged his company with Pratt & Whitney to form

1380-480: The Houston Business Journal said that if Continental Airlines left Continental Center I, the development of Brookfield Properties's new office tower would have been delayed. The parties did not reveal the terms of the lease agreement. As of 2008, Continental Center I was 98% leased. In 2010, Continental Airlines and United Airlines announced that they would merge and that the headquarters of

1449-618: The Federal Aviation Administration announced in March 2024 that it would increase safety oversight of United Airlines following a string of safety-related incidents. As of November 2024 , United Airlines offers nonstop flights to 73 countries and 144 international and 214 domestic destinations, or regions across all six inhabited continents. It flies to more destinations across the globe than all other U.S.-based airlines put together. As part of its hub-and-spoke transport model, United currently operates eight hubs : United Airlines

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1518-590: The Houston Fire Department Records Department. In 2004, the law firm Lapin & Landa LLP signed a lease agreement to occupy 7,922 square feet (736.0 m) of space. In 2010, KBR signed a 20-year lease for 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m) at 500 Jefferson and the KBR Tower . In 2011 Brookfield Properties Corp. offered 500 Jefferson for sale. Paul Layne, Brookfield's Houston area executive vice president, said that

1587-548: The September 11 attacks and by September 2004 Continental laid off 24% of its clerical and management workers. Despite the reduction of the workforce, Continental did not announce any plans to sublease any of its space in Continental Center I and Continental Center II. In 2004 three new lease agreements to occupy space in Continental Center I were signed. Nancy Sarnoff of the Houston Business Journal said that

1656-581: The United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC) which then set about buying, in the space of just 28 months, Pacific Air Transport , Stout Air Services , VAL, and National Air Transport , as well as numerous equipment manufacturers at the same time. On March 28, 1931, UATC formed United Air Lines, Inc., as a holding company for its airline subsidiaries. In, 1961 United Airlines completed its merger with Capital Airlines absorbing 7,000 employees and all of Capital’s routes and aircraft to become

1725-542: The United States and all six inhabited continents primarily out of its seven hubs, with Chicago–O'Hare having the largest number of daily flights and Denver carrying the most passengers in 2023. Regional service is operated by independent carriers under the brand name United Express . United was formed by the amalgamation of several airlines in the late 1920s, the oldest of these being Varney Air Lines , created in 1926 by Walter Varney who later co-founded

1794-615: The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) in the Chicago Loop. On May 31, 2012, United opened its operations center, which occupied twelve floors there. In 2019 United renewed its lease at Willis Tower, originally ending in 2028 and now set to expire in 2033, and plans to construct a roof deck and a 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m ) dining hall on the fourth floor. The former headquarters campus at Elk Grove Township

1863-591: The Willis Tower , 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois. In 2007, United had moved its headquarters from Elk Grove Township , a suburb of Chicago, to 77 West Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop after receiving US$ 5.5 million in incentives from the City of Chicago. Then in 2010, United accepted the City of Chicago's offer of US$ 35 million in incentives, including a US$ 10 million grant, for United to move its remaining 2,500 employees out of Elk Grove Township to

1932-450: The "tulip", was developed in the early 1970s by the designer Saul Bass as part of a new brand image. The logo represented the airline's monogram as well as a modernized version of the airline's shield logo which had been adopted in the 1930s, but fell out of use by the late 1960s. The ribbon-like rendering has also been said to symbolize the motion of flight. In 2010, United announced they would be merging with Continental Airlines and as

2001-595: The 757s, Polaris is configured in a 2-2 seat configuration, so window passengers do not have direct aisle access. On widebody aircraft, the cabins are configured to provide aisle access to every passenger, with 767s featuring a 1-1-1 seat configuration while 777s and 787s have a 1-2-1 seat configuration. Polaris passengers check in at separate counters and can use priority security screening lanes where available. In-flight services include pre-departure beverages, table linens and multi-course meals. Passengers are also given priority with boarding and baggage handling and access to

2070-692: The Brazos Street to the west. The Hotel Corporation of America began operating the hotel as Hotel America. The hotel was scheduled to be ready for occupancy in 1962. By 1961 the hotel, with a groundbreaking scheduled for August 31, 1961, was scheduled to have 327 rooms. The hotel has 12,000 square feet (1,100 m) for event groups. Continental Center I KBR Tower 500 Jefferson Street 29°45′11″N 95°22′23″W  /  29.753°N 95.373°W  / 29.753; -95.373 1600 Smith 1600 Smith Street (previously named Continental Center I and also known as Cullen Center Plaza )

2139-651: The Continental move "is probably the largest corporate relocation in the central business district of Houston ever." Bob Lanier , Mayor of Houston , said that he was "tickled to death" by the airline's move to relocate to Downtown Houston. In 2001, when Enron collapsed, it vacated 800,000 square feet (74,000 m) of space in the Allen Center and Cullen Center complexes in Downtown Houston. In 2008, Continental signed five-year lease renewals for its Downtown Houston office space. In 2010, Continental Airlines and United Airlines announced that they would merge and that

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2208-634: The Cullen Center for 11 years initially and 20 years if it takes renewal options. To make room for the airline and to increase the complex's overall tenancy, Trizec negotiated with the Shell Oil Company to renew a lease of 320,000 square feet (30,000 m ) that was scheduled to expire in 1998. The unit of Shell Oil Company agreed to reduce its 320,000 square feet (30,000 m ) square feet of space in Continental Center I to 170,000 square feet (16,000 m ) to make room for Continental. Shell had planned to downsize, so it renewed its lease for

2277-480: The KBR lease made the building a major candidate for sale. In 2013, an affiliate of W.P. Carey purchased 500 Jefferson. 1801 Smith, previously Continental Center II, then 600 Jefferson, has 20 stories and 449,087 square feet (41,721.5 m). Neuhaus & Taylor was the design architect, Linbeck Construction Company was the general contractor, Chault & Brady was the mechanical engineer, and Elisor Engineering, Inc.

2346-583: The Polaris seats of the Boeing 757-200s. Passengers receive priority boarding and baggage handling, pre-departure beverages, complimentary meals and separate check-in desks. In 2015, United released its new domestic first-class seat design. The new leather seats feature cradling headrests, granite cocktail tables, and a tablet stand. These seats debuted on Airbus A319 and Airbus A320 aircraft and were eventually rolled out on all domestic aircraft. In 2019, it

2415-678: The United Polaris Lounge, United Club or partner airline lounges. United First is offered on all domestically configured aircraft. When such aircraft are used on international services such as services to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (excluding Puerto Rico ) destinations, this cabin is branded as United Business. United First seats on narrowbody aircraft have a 38-inch (97 cm) seat pitch , while domestically configured Boeing 777-200s feature fully-flat-bed seats that alternate facing forward and backwards, similar to

2484-410: The airline leases 200,000 square feet (19,000 m) at Continental Center II. As of that year it has not yet renewed its lease. In 2009, at Continental Center II, Brookfield Properties began offering office suites from 1,200 square feet (110 m) to 2,000 square feet (190 m) to small businesses and laid off individuals seeking to start their own businesses. In November 2014, Brookfield sold

2553-400: The airline would relocate its headquarters to office space around George Bush Intercontinental Airport due to high fuel costs affecting the airline industry; the rumors stated that the airline was studying possibilities of less expensive alternatives to Continental Center I. If the airline had left Continental Center I, 40% of the space in the building would have been unoccupied. Steven Biegel,

2622-422: The building to DRA Advisors and Stream Realty Partners. In addition to millions of dollars of renovations and upgrades, the property address was permanently changed in March 2017, to 1801 Smith Street, Houston, TX 77002. The Whitehall Hotel Houston Downtown, is located in the Cullen Center. The hotel, initially planned as a 250-room, 10 story hotel, was built on a block bounded by Jefferson, Pease, and Smith, with

2691-473: The building, the airline wanted to display its logo on the roof of Continental Center I. The City of Houston had a 1993 ordinance restricting the height of any new signs in Downtown Houston to 42.5 feet (13.0 m). On Wednesday August 2, 2000, the Houston City Council voted 10–4 to stop enforcing the informal agreement and enact a new law that exempts a company from the height restriction if

2760-403: The building. The company planned to begin moving employees into the tower by the third quarter of 2006. Prior to the signing of the lease agreement, rumors stated that the company was looking for more office space in Downtown Houston. In 2008 Continental renewed its lease for around 450,000 square feet (42,000 m ) in Continental Center I. Before the lease renewal, rumors spread stating that

2829-451: The buildings at their second levels. The architect, Welton Becket of FAIA, said that the two original buildings were "esthetically related through the use of a common material—concrete—in a variety of forms—physically related by the second-level pedestrian bridges, and visually related around open plaza parking areas and a common exposed aggregate sidewalk roads." 500 Jefferson opened in 1962. Continental Center II opened in 1974. The KBR Tower

Cullen Center - Misplaced Pages Continue

2898-531: The change feared that company logos would become more prevalent in the Downtown Houston skyline. The elevators were manufactured by Fujitec . United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. is a major airline in the United States headquartered at 233 South Wacker Drive in the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois . United operates an extensive domestic and international route network across

2967-591: The combined company would be in the Chicago Loop in Chicago . As of 2010 Continental had around 3,000 clerical and management workers in its Downtown Houston offices and leased 450,000 square feet (42,000 m ) in Continental Center I, about 40% of the tower's office space. United continued to occupy space in the building following the merger, but stated in 2011 that it would not renew the lease for 142,000 square feet (13,200 m ) of space on six floors. By 2016, United had reduced their leasehold at 1600 Smith to just 140,000 SF, and announced they would be leaving at

3036-839: The company ceased operations and sold its service contracts and equipment to Menzies Aviation . In December 2002, due largely to the post- 9/11 dropoff in air travel, as well as to poor relations between the corporation and one of its key labor unions, the International Association of Machinists , United Airlines filed for bankruptcy. It remained under court protection for more than three years. This enabled it to cut costs ruthlessly. Finally, in early 2006, it emerged from court protection and resumed normal operations. In late 2006, Continental Airlines and United began merger discussions, which concluded successfully in 2010. The carriers planned to begin merging their operations in 2011. The merged airline began operating under

3105-511: The end of 2017 for new space at 609 E Main . In 2011 Chevron renewed a lease for 311,000 square feet (28,900 m ) of space for seven years. As of July 2018, the building was 69% leased with over 500,000 square feet available. Continental Center I includes a blue lighting pattern on the roof that displays the Continental Airlines logo. The light had been kept off for a period before 2010. After Continental had occupied

3174-566: The financial year ending 31 December): United Airlines, Inc., is publicly traded through its parent company, United Airlines Holdings , Inc., which is a Delaware corporation , on the New York Stock Exchange NYSE :  UAL , with a market capitalization of over US$ 21 billion as of January 2018. United's operating revenues and operating expenses comprise nearly 100% of the holding company's revenues and operating expenses. United Airlines headquarters are located at

3243-683: The first order for the 777—128 units worth some $ 22 billion. At the time, United’s order was the largest ever for commercial aircraft. United was the launch customer of the type and was instrumental on the design and systems, working directly with Boeing. In 1994, United founded Kion de Mexico , an aircraft ground services and airline related outsourcing company located at Mexico City International Airport . Kion mainly served United, but also served other airlines including Air Canada , Lufthansa , and US Airways ( Star Alliance members). Services that Kion de Mexico offered included ramp service , customer service , and cargo management . In January 2009,

3312-510: The first two buildings, the 21 story, $ 12 million 500 Jefferson and the 12-story, $ 6 million Hotel America. Gerald E. Veltmann, the president of Cullen Center, Inc. said that the development "represents a marked departure from the traditional downtown scene and colors" because the development "centers around a planning concept with four separate levels structures: sub surface, used for parking and mechanical equipment; surface, used for vehicular traffic, parking, entrance lobbies, and service entrances,

3381-448: The former United Red Carpet Club and Continental Airlines Presidents Club prior to United Airlines' merger with Continental . United Polaris lounges are exclusive lounges only available for long-haul Polaris business class travelers, as well as long-haul first and business class travelers on Star Alliance carriers. Amenities include à la carte dining, shower facilities, and sleeping pods. The key trends of United Airlines are (as of

3450-616: The headquarters of the combined company would be in the Chicago Loop . Continental has not stated how much of the 480,000 square feet (45,000 m) of space that it leases in Continental Center I and the 220,000 square feet (20,000 m) of space that it leases in Continental Center II will be vacated. 500 Jefferson, with its construction scheduled to begin on October 1, 1960, was the first building in Cullen Center to be developed. 500 Jefferson, which opened in 1962, has offices of KBR . In addition, at one time Suite 1600 had

3519-576: The headquarters operation at the America Tower in Neartown and three other local operations into Continental Center I and Continental Center II in the Cullen Center. Continental anticipated taking 15 floors at Continental Center I. In addition it planned to add a company store, a credit union, and an employee service center in the street-level lobby of Continental Center I. The airline agreed to lease 600,000 square feet (56,000 m ) of space in

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3588-480: The land was scheduled to begin in December 1959. During the year, the family's plans also included another 25 story office building and a parking garage. Construction of the Cullen Center, which was planned to have around one dozen buildings, was scheduled to begin on October 1, 1960, with the first building being a 21-story office building with an attached parking garage. Welton Becket and Associates master planned

3657-517: The medical director are in Suite 800. Continental Airlines moved its employees into the Cullen Center, including Continental Center I and Continental Center II, in stages beginning in July 1998 and ending in January 1999. After the September 11 attacks and by September 2004, Continental laid off 24% of its clerical and management workers. Despite the reduction of the workforce, Continental did not announce any plans to sublease any of its space in Continental Center I and Continental Center II. As of 2008

3726-402: The national headquarters of a company occupies 45 percent or more of a Downtown Houston building of over 750,000 square feet (70,000 m ) of usable space. The Mayor of Houston , Lee P. Brown , said that he supported the ordinance change since it was a promise made by Bob Lanier to the airline in exchange for enticing the company to move its headquarters to Continental Center I. Opponents of

3795-550: The nearby Allen Center , which was also owned by Trizec. During that year Continental Airlines announced that it was moving its headquarters to the Cullen Center. Paul Layne, a vice president of the TrizecHahn Office division, said that the Continental move would raise the Cullen Center's occupancy rate from 81 percent in November 1996 to 94 percent. Tim Reylea, the vice president of Cushman Realty Corp. , said that

3864-788: The onboard WiFi system. Some Boeing 737 aircraft feature DirecTV. United plans to add a personal touchscreen television at the back of each seat on all Airbus and Boeing aircraft by the end of 2025 as part of its United NEXT interior. Food is available for purchase on domestic, Caribbean, and some Latin American flights. These include snacks, fresh meals, and snack boxes, depending on flight time and distance. Meals are complimentary on all other international flights. Beverages and small snacks are complimentary in economy class on North America flights. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase on North America flights but are complimentary on long-haul international flights. On flights where meals are served,

3933-558: The predecessor to Continental Airlines . In 1997, United became one of the five founding airlines of Star Alliance , of which it remains a member today. Since its merger with Continental in 2010, United consistently ranks as one of the world's largest airlines ; it is currently first by the number of destinations served and second in terms of revenue and fleet size. United traces its roots to Varney Air Lines (VAL), which Walter Varney founded in 1926 in Boise, Idaho . Continental Airlines

4002-404: The purchase of Pan American World Airways’ Pacific Division for $ 715 million.  After experiencing continued financial losses, Pan Am sold its routes between the United States and London to United.  On December 9, 1991, Pan American ceased operations after 64 years of operations.  United Airlines acquired its Latin American operations for $ 135 million. In 1990, United Airlines placed

4071-614: The rear of the aircraft. Carry-on luggage is not allowed; however, passengers may bring a smaller personal item that can be placed under the seat in front of them. Passengers booking in Basic Economy cannot use some MileagePlus and Premier member benefits, such as complimentary upgrades. MileagePlus is the frequent flyer program for United Airlines. Published MileagePlus Premier tiers are Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K. Unpublished tiers include United Global Services and Chairman's Circle. As United

4140-432: The senior vice president of Studley Inc. and a representative of office building tenants, said that the square footage renewed by Continental is a significant amount of space. Biegel added that if the space went vacant, the vacancy would not have had a significant impact in the Downtown Houston submarket as there is not an abundance of available space, and that another potential tenant would likely occupy it. Jennifer Dawson of

4209-611: The three to five year terms were "considerably short" for leasing agreements; she added that the short leases were due to an abundance of capacity in the Downtown office market, which allowed tenants to have more say in their agreements. Southwest Bank of Texas (now Amegy Bank ) agreed to occupy 23,271 square feet (2,161.9 m ). Tana Exploration Co. LLC agreed to occupy 11,347 square feet (1,054.2 m ). Stinnett Thiebaud & Remington LLP agreed to occupy 8,974 square feet (833.7 m ). In February 2006 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. signed

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4278-453: The world’s largest commercial airline. In 1973, United Airlines became the first civil airline to carry an active President of the United States , when then-president Richard Nixon was on board of a regularly scheduled flight from Washington D.C to Los Angeles . The aircraft used, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 , therefore received the callsign " Executive One". On February 11, 1986 United Airlines began service to 13 Pacific cities after

4347-614: Was "tickled to death" by the airline's move to relocate to Downtown Houston. In September 2000 an electrical component burned out at Continental Center I, and the Houston Fire Department shut off the backup power supply as a precaution. As a result of the temporary power outage , delays of between 300 and 400 Continental Airlines flights occurred worldwide. The Texas bureau of Jesse Jackson 's Wall Street Project opened in office space in Continental Center I in May 2001. After

4416-427: Was Morris Architects, the general contractor was Linbeck Construction Company, the mechanical engineer was I.A. Naman, and the structural engineer was CBM Engineers. The building was completed in 1984. The tower stands as a postmodern -style building. It is currently the 9th-tallest building in Houston . Bruce Nichols of The Dallas Morning News said that in early 1984 1600 Smith Street "was so vacant it became

4485-627: Was announced that United was increasing first and business class seats "by 1,600" across all their aircraft in their fleet, including the Bombardier CRJ550 for which United is the launch customer of. Premium Plus is United's international premium economy product. Compared to United Economy or Economy Plus, Premium Plus offers more comfort and amenities. Premium Plus recliner seats are wider, have more legroom, and are equipped with leg rests and footrests. Premium Plus seats can be found on all internationally configured widebody aircraft, with

4554-571: Was built in 1973 and renovated in 1991. Continental Center I was completed in 1984. By 1987, the Canadian company Trizec Corporation bought debentures carrying an option to buy portions of the Cullen Center, including 1600 Smith Street . By 1991, the M. W. Kellogg Company , which has already taken space at the M. W. Kellogg Tower formerly held by its parent company, leased an additional 250,000 square feet (23,000 m) of space on 12 floors within one building in Cullen Center. By 1997, Trizec had convinced several Cullen Center tenants to move to

4623-708: Was created in 2004. After the merger of United and Continental in October 2010, the slogan changed to "Let's fly together" until September 2013, when United announced a return of the "Fly the Friendly Skies" slogan in an ad campaign to start the following day. The resurrected slogan would be accompanied by the 1924 George Gershwin song " Rhapsody in Blue " as its theme song, and a voiceover provided by Matt Damon . United had licensed its theme song, "Rhapsody in Blue", from Gershwin's estate for US$ 500,000 (equivalent to $ 2,677,193 in 2023) in 1976. "Rhapsody" would have entered

4692-532: Was gradually annexed into the Village of Mount Prospect , and serves as an IT operations facility, with a new 172,000 sq ft (16,000 m ) data center constructed in 2013. United maintains a large presence in downtown Houston, having leased 225,000 sq ft (20,900 m ) of space (seven floors) for occupancy in 2017. United has training facilities for its flight crews in Denver and Houston,

4761-448: Was the structural engineer. The building was completed in 1972 and was renovated in 1998. As of November 2014, United Airlines is the primary tenant. The Houston Fire Department has its administrative offices in the building. The administrative offices, the planning and homeland security division, and the HPD emergency operations division are located on the seventh floor. The training room

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