An airline alliance is an aviation industry arrangement between two or more airlines agreeing to cooperate on a substantial level. Alliances may provide marketing branding to facilitate travelers making inter-airline codeshare connections within countries. This branding may involve unified aircraft liveries of member aircraft.
140-451: SkyTeam is one of the world's three major airline alliances . Founded in June 2000, SkyTeam was the last of the three alliances to be formed, the first two being Star Alliance and Oneworld , respectively. Its annual passenger count is 624 million customers (2024), the second largest of the three major alliances. As of October 2024, SkyTeam consists of 19 active carriers; it also operates
280-452: A Colorado anti-discrimination law to be applied to his case against Continental. Green flew with Continental for 13 years from 1965 until his retirement in 1978. His employment paved the way for the hiring of ethnic-minority pilots by all U.S. carriers, an industry milestone which was finally realized in 1977 after Southern Airways hired their first minority pilot. At Six's insistence, Continental (with Pan Am and Trans World Airlines )
420-595: A frequent-flyer program of a full member: Copa Airlines already used Continental 's OnePass ; Kenya Airways and Air Europa used Air France–KLM 's Flying Blue . Following a 23-month joining process since May 2004 ( 2004-05 ) , Aeroflot joined on 14 April 2006. It was the first Russian airline to be associated with any airline alliance. Aeroflot had increased its operational standards, passing International Air Transport Association 's (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Delta 's subsidiary Song continued to operate as Delta Air Lines. In June, it
560-471: A memorandum of understanding with SkyTeam as it intended to become a full member. The event took place in the Kremlin following the airline's application earlier in the year for membership. SkyTeam expressed that Aeroflot has not met the consortium's standards, but that the airline's large hub networks made it ideal for the alliance, and made up for its deficiencies. On 28 August, China Southern Airlines ,
700-555: A 17-cent-rate airmail contract between Pueblo and El Paso; it carried passengers as a sideline. Following cancellation of all domestic airmail contracts by the Roosevelt administration in 1934, Robert F. Six learned of an opportunity to buy into the Southwest Division of Varney Speed Lines which needed money to handle its newly won Pueblo-El Paso route. Six was introduced to Louis Mueller (who would serve as chairman of
840-639: A broad expansion of its routes, thanks to a responsive CAB and persistent efforts by Six and Executive Vice President Harding Lawrence (who came to Continental in the Pioneer merger), who both frequently referred to his company as "the Airline that needs to grow." In 1958 Continental began turboprop flights with the Vickers Viscount on the new medium-haul routes. The British-manufactured Viscount four engine turboprop, which Continental referred to as
980-752: A budget of $ 25 million (€18 million). which brought competing airlines to form Oneworld in 1999 and SkyTeam in 2000. In 2010 Richard Branson , chairman of the Virgin Group , announced his intention to form a fourth alliance among Virgin branded airlines ( Virgin Atlantic ; Virgin America ; and the Virgin Australia Holdings group of airlines). Then in September 2011, Branson said that Virgin Atlantic would join one of
1120-669: A cargo alliance named SkyTeam Cargo , which partners with ten carriers, all SkyTeam members. Its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, is based in Amstelveen , Netherlands. On 22 June 2000, representatives of Delta Air Lines , Aeroméxico , Air France , and Korean Air held a meeting in New York to form a third airline alliance . These became the four founding carriers of SkyTeam. Upon its formation, SkyTeam would offer its customers 6,402 daily flights to 451 destinations in 98 countries. In September 2000 ( 2000-09 ) ,
1260-1088: A centralized management based in Amsterdam . The consortium also named a new managing director, Marie-Joseph Malé, outlined a timeline for the opening of its co-located facilities at London Heathrow Airport , and unveiled a new special livery. In September 2009 ( 2009-09 ) , Olympic Air entered into a codeshare agreement with Delta, a deal that was part of Olympic's intention to join SkyTeam and engage in further discussions with Delta's joint venture partner Air France–KLM. However, ties were cut in 2013 after Star Alliance member Aegean Airlines acquired Olympic Air. To start 2010, Northwest Airlines ' and Delta Air Lines ' operating certificates were officially combined on 1 January, while on 9 March, China Southern Airlines announced its plans to join SkyTeam Cargo . With membership expected to be granted in November
1400-789: A contentious battle with Continental's management who were determined to resist Lorenzo. Management teamed with unions to create a planned Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) that would have doubled the number of outstanding shares without shareholder approval, thus diluting Texas Air's ownership stake and maintaining control of the airline. But management lost the legal battle to enact the ESOP without shareholder approval and with its 48.5 percent ownership stake, Texas Air could win any shareholder vote. During this struggle, in August 1981, Continental Airlines CEO Alvin Feldman died from suicide in his office and
1540-577: A day each way. Pioneer's Executive Vice President Harding Luther Lawrence arrived at Continental as a result of the merger. Bob Six commented on more than one occasion that, "the reason we bought Pioneer was to get Harding." Harding Lawrence implemented several innovative changes at Continental as well as a flamboyant advertising campaign during his ten years as Six's protege. During Lawrence's tenure Continental grew by 500 percent. Lawrence left Continental in April 1965 to head Braniff Airways . Six petitioned
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#17327662418241680-519: A full member following a joining ceremony held in Hanoi . The airline became the first SkyTeam carrier from Southeast Asia, where Star Alliance has a strong presence through Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways International . With an extra 20 unique destinations added to SkyTeam's route map, Vietnam Airlines helped to strengthen the alliance's foothold in the region. On 22 June, the CEOs and chairmen of
1820-409: A given route, different times to choose from, more destinations within easy reach, shorter travel times, more options of airport lounges shared with alliance members, fast track access on all alliance members if having frequent flyer status, faster mileage rewards by earning miles for a single account on several different carriers, round-the-world tickets , enabling travellers to fly over the world for
1960-419: A hub to a spoke city. Between 1993 and 1995, Continental experimented with an "airline within an airline" by launching CALite , later renamed Continental Lite , which provided all-economy, low-fare, no-frills service between primarily leisure destinations. Continental Lite operated with a dedicated fleet of 100 McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 , Boeing 737-300 , and Boeing 737-500 aircraft, each repainted with
2100-523: A major competitive threat in 1983 when American Airlines was able to implement two-tier wage structures with its unions. American planned massive, rapid growth through new hires at starting pay 50 percent lower than existing contracts and equitable with low-cost, startup carriers and well below Continental's pay rates. American was already one of Continental's main competitors, operating a larger hub 250 miles north of Continental's southern hub in Houston and
2240-561: A major image change with a blue and gray livery and the "globe" logo that was adopted by the post-merger United Airlines. The airline also eliminated first class service—and only the second global carrier to take that action—giving business class passengers the same first class seats, a service change later to be marketed as Business First. On August 3, 1990, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and Texas Air announced that Jet Capital Corporation, which owned controlling interest in Texas Air,
2380-512: A merger with US Airways . On May 2, 2010, the boards of directors at Continental and United approved a stock-swap deal that would combine them into the world's largest airline in revenue passenger miles . The new airline would take on United's name, Continental's logo and be based in United's hometown of Chicago. The new United would be run by Continental's CEO, Jeff Smisek, along with United's CEO, Glenn Tilton, serving as non-executive chairman of
2520-476: A mixture of Airbus and Boeing aircraft: Airbus A319s , Airbus A320s , Boeing 737s , Boeing 757s , Boeing 767s , Boeing 777s , and Boeing 787 Dreamliners with orders of Airbus A350s . At the time of the merger with United, Continental was the fourth-largest airline in the US based on passenger-miles flown and the fifth largest in total passengers carried. Continental operated flights to destinations throughout
2660-522: A more competitive route structure with routes radiating to every large U.S. city from major hubs at Denver and Houston. Continental also began developing its Midwest hub at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in 1986, just as United Airlines began to transfer its Cleveland hub operations to Washington Dulles International Airport in Fairfax County, Virginia. In October 1986, American Airlines senior vice president Thomas G. Plaskett became
2800-635: A nonstop service from Newark to Hong Kong , operating over the North circumpolar route. It was the first nonstop long-haul route for any airline with flying duration exceeding 16 hours. The service initiated a brief dispute between Continental, United Airlines and Cathay Pacific over rights to nonstop flights between Hong Kong and New York. On September 13, 2004, Continental entered the SkyTeam alliance along with Northwest/KLM and CSA. In 2005, Continental expanded service from Newark to Beijing after being awarded
2940-619: A relatively low price. Airline alliances may also create disadvantages for the traveller, such as higher prices when competition is erased on a certain route or less frequent flights; for instance, if two airlines separately fly three and two times a day respectively on a shared route, their alliance might fly less than 5 (3+2) times a day on the same route. This might be especially true between hub cities for each airline. e.g., flights between Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (a Delta Air Lines fortress hub ) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (a KLM fortress hub). The first airline alliance
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#17327662418243080-946: A route for Continental from Los Angeles to Australia via Honolulu , American Samoa , Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. The South Pacific service began May 1, 1979. After the 1978 passage of the Airline Deregulation Act Continental embarked on a route expansion. October 1978 saw Continental begin flights from the New York area airports to Houston and Denver, and from Denver to Phoenix . That month Continental started DC-10 flights between Los Angeles and Taipei , via Honolulu and Guam . Service between Houston and Washington, D.C., began in January 1979. In June 1979 Continental linked Denver with Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco and San Jose and also began Houston-Tampa service. The airline suffered in 1979 when
3220-554: A second gateway in India with the announcement of daily nonstop service to Mumbai . With the establishment of Mumbai service, Continental offered the most nonstop flights by any carrier from the United States to India. By May 2006, the carrier's passenger traffic surpassed that of Northwest Airlines , and Continental became the fourth-largest U.S. carrier. The Wall Street Journal reported on December 12, 2007, that Continental
3360-850: A share, netting proceeds of $ 149.8 million. Continental had been a principal shareholder in Copa. In June 2008, due to national and international economic conditions, Continental cut 3,000 jobs and the CEO and president had reduced salaries for the remainder of the year. The airline also reduced capacity and eliminated 67 mainline aircraft from its fleet by the end of 2009, retiring all of Continental's 737-300s and all but 35 of its 737-500s. Continental also announced that it planned to withdraw from SkyTeam and would join Star Alliance in order to cooperate more extensively with United Airlines and other Star Alliance airlines. The new Continental-United relationship
3500-415: A single operating certificate by 2012. Continental's air operator's certificate (AOC) was retained, while those of United and Continental Micronesia were surrendered. On the other hand, United's maintenance certificate remained while Continental's did not. On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines completed the planned merger and changed the name to United Continental Holdings. Although
3640-451: A single operating certificate from the FAA on November 30, 2011. That day, all Continental flights began to use the "United" callsign in air traffic control communications which marked the end of Continental Airlines. The new United is the third largest airline in terms of fleet size, behind American Airlines and Delta. The combined airline houses a fleet of over 1,280 aircraft that features
3780-457: A special livery in 2009, coinciding with the alliance's 10th anniversary, with Delta Air Lines being the first airline to paint one of its aircraft with these colours. The livery consisted of an all-metallic silver fuselage and a dark blue empennage with SkyTeam's logo on it. The alliance emblem is painted on both sides of the fuselage. Except Air France and Virgin Atlantic , all members’ aircraft painted in an airline's regular livery have
3920-399: A substantial premium for Frontier's high-cost operation. The acquisition, funded by debt, did not seem rational to industry observers from either the route integration or the operating philosophy points of view. On August 24, 1986, Frontier filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations. With PeopleExpress losing money, Texas Air announced the acquisition of PeopleExpress on September 15, 1986, at
4060-473: A total cost of $ 64 million for the Boeings, Viscounts and DC-7Bs—was launched in 1955 when the carrier's net worth amounted to $ 5.5 million.") During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Six was the airline industry's leading lower-fare advocate. He predicted that increased traffic, not higher fares, was the answer to the airline industry's problems. To amazement from the industry, he introduced the economy fare on
4200-667: The Los Angeles Times , and, "... clearly, the finest in the airline industry" by the Chicago Tribune . In the early 1960s, Continental added flights from Los Angeles to Houston, nonstop as well as via Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, Midland-Odessa, Austin, and/or San Antonio. In 1963, the company headquarters moved from Denver to Los Angeles. By late 1963, Continental had discontinued service to most of its smaller cities in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas with
4340-484: The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) for longer routes to larger cities, hoping to transform the regional into a trunkline like United Airlines , TWA , and American Airlines . He was discussing with Boeing for Continental to become one of the first to operate the soon-to-be-launched 707 . The timing was crucial, since new routes would justify the 707s, and vice versa. Continental Airlines had seen
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4480-662: The Great Plains states; Western's strengths were in the California intrastate market, Alaska, Mexico, and the Intermountain West . Both airlines served the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain states, but along different routes from Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle and Phoenix. The merger attempt failed when Texas Air Corporation interceded with its acquisition of Continental. With
4620-494: The "Jet Power Viscount II", was the first turbine powered aircraft operated by the airline with Continental claiming it was "First in the west with jet-power flights". The CAB permitted Continental to drop service at many smaller cities, enabling the carrier's new aircraft to operate more economically on longer flights. In 1960 Continental flew more than three times the passenger-miles it had in 1956. ( Aviation Week June 22, 1959: "Continental's current re-equipment program—involving
4760-725: The 'Lite' livery and stripped of its first class cabin. The service was based primarily at Continental's existing hub in Cleveland as well as a new hub established in Greensboro, North Carolina . The experiment proved unsuccessful and was dissolved in 1995. Continental's short-lived Greensboro hub was dismantled in the process. During this time period Continental was the subject of hostile takeover bids submitted by Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines . Former Boeing executive Gordon Bethune became president and CEO in October 1994 and
4900-466: The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for six consecutive years. In his final year piloting the airline Fortune magazine ranked Continental 2004's No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline, a title it earned again in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. While at Continental, Bethune created the Go-Forward plan, to fix problems with the airline, which included employee morale, the quality of the product, and
5040-449: The 13 member airlines gathered in New York to celebrate the alliance's 10th anniversary. During its first decade of operation, the world's second-largest airline alliance more than tripled its membership, doubled its flights and nearly doubled its destinations. On the same day, SkyTeam announced that it had renewed its membership program, thereby upgrading Air Europa , Kenya Airways and TAROM statuses from associate to full members. During
5180-746: The 1970s; the DC-10s took over most flights between Denver and Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and Seattle, and between Houston and Los Angeles. During the 1970s, Denver served as the airline's main hub. The 747s were focused on the Chicago-Los Angeles-Honolulu routes, with one daily round trip through Denver. The DC-10s served large markets (Los Angeles to Chicago, Denver, Houston and Honolulu; and from Denver to Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Houston). DC-9s and 727s predominated elsewhere and added frequencies on DC-10 routes. Next to Braniff , Continental operated fewer aircraft types (four:
5320-410: The 707 maintenance program. It developed the "progressive maintenance" program, which enabled Continental to fly its 707 fleet seven days a week, achieving greater aircraft utilization than any other jet operator in the industry. Six, not being satisfied with 707 service, introduced innovations and luxe cuisine on Continental's 707 flights which were described as, "... nothing short of luxurious" by
5460-498: The 747, DC-10, 727-200, and DC-9-10 ) during this period than any U.S. trunkline, affording savings in parts, maintenance, and crew training. The DC-10 enabled the airline to capitalize on traffic growth in the west. Continental saw market share grow annually in each DC-10 market through the 1970s, until relative market parity was achieved with United, the principal competitor on most of the DC-10 routes. The same innovations introduced on
5600-527: The 747s appeared on Continental's DC-10s, including the "Polynesian Pub", but after the 1973 oil crisis more seats were needed and the DC-10 pubs were removed. Continental phased out its 747s in 1978 in favor of the DC-10s (747s would return to Continental during the Lorenzo era, flying Newark to London and Paris). From the mid-1970s until it merged with Texas International, Continental operated only DC-10s, 727-100s, and 727-200s. From 1961 to 1982, Continental
5740-620: The Airline Deregulation Act the world changed for Continental as noted by Smithsonian historian R.E.G. Davies: "Unfortunately, the policies that had been successful for more than forty years under (Robert) Six's cavalier style of management were suddenly laid bare as the cold winds of airline deregulation changed all the rules -- specifically, the balance between revenues and expenditures." In 1981, Texas Air Corporation , an airline holding company controlled by U.S. aviation entrepreneur Frank Lorenzo , acquired Continental after
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5880-565: The Chicago-Los Angeles route in 1962. He later pioneered a number of other low or discount fares which made air travel available to many who could not previously afford it. One of Continental's early innovations was a system-wide economy excursion fare which cut the standard coach fares by more than 25%. Continental took delivery of the first of five 707-124s in spring 1959, and started Chicago-Los Angeles nonstop on June 8. Having so few jets, Continental needed radical innovations to
6020-461: The China route. Among U.S. airlines, only Delta (with its extensive network of legacy routes dating from Delta's acquisition of Pan American's European network) served more European destinations than Continental. In 2005, service to Asia was expanded as Continental introduced daily nonstop service between Newark and New Delhi , India. The success of this Newark-New Delhi route presaged establishment of
6160-474: The DC-10 was grounded nationwide following the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 . Continental Airlines only operated the DC-10 and the 727 at the time, so flights to Hawaii were cancelled during the grounding. By the time of the Texas Air Corp. acquisition in 1981, Continental's post-deregulation growth had allowed it to penetrate every major U.S. airline market (and all of the regional markets) from
6300-546: The Netherlands signed the first open skies agreement with the United States, in spite of objections from the European Union , which gave both countries unrestricted landing rights on the other's soil. Normally landing rights are granted for a fixed number of flights per week to a fixed destination. Each adjustment requires negotiations, often between governments rather than between the companies involved. In return,
6440-723: The Oneworld alliance. US Airways' participation in Star Alliance lapsed. In 2012, in South America, LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines began their merger. In March 2014, with the merger complete, TAM left Star Alliance and became part of LAN in Oneworld. On September 21, 2015, the Vanilla Alliance was formed between several airlines based in the Indian Ocean region, in order to improve air connectivity within
6580-453: The SkyTeam logo between the cockpit and the first set of cabin doors. As of August 2016, the SkyTeam livery was worn by 52 aircraft. Airline alliance In 2015, Star Alliance was the largest with 23% of total scheduled traffic in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs)/revenue passenger miles (RPMs) , followed by SkyTeam with 20.4% and Oneworld with 17.8%, leaving 38.8% for others. In 2019, by number of passengers, Star Alliance
6720-751: The Transpacific Case, but they were cancelled by the Nixon Administration. During the Vietnam War , Continental provided extensive cargo and troop transportation for United States Army and Marine Corps forces to Asian and the Pacific bases. Continental's long range Boeing 707-324Cs were the most common non-military aircraft transiting Saigon Tan Son Nhat airport; in 1967, 39% of CO's passenger-miles were on scheduled flights. With Continental's experience in Pacific operations,
6860-584: The U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific regions. Principal operations were from its four hubs at Newark Liberty International Airport , George Bush Intercontinental Airport ( Houston ), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam. The only Continental hubs to be rebranded are Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport . The Newark hub began
7000-418: The U.S.–Japan Open Skies agreement . Eventually, Japan Airlines opted to remain at Oneworld, citing that the transfer to SkyTeam would confuse its passengers and may not gain antitrust immunity from U.S. regulators. SkyTeam received its second application for full membership within five months. China Airlines , Taiwan 's flag carrier and largest airline, announced in mid-September that it had formally started
7140-477: The UK, France and the Netherlands. On 26 October 2024, Czech Airlines left SkyTeam and ceased operations following changes in operating model. The last flight arrived from Paris the following evening. As of September 2024, the following airlines are members of SkyTeam: Founding member. SkyTeam Cargo is the cargo division of SkyTeam. As of April 2024, the cargo alliance comprised nine members from
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#17327662418247280-508: The United States granted antitrust immunity to the alliance between Northwest Airlines and KLM. Other alliances would struggle for years to overcome the transnational barriers and lack of antitrust immunity, and still do so. On May 14, 1997, an agreement was announced forming the Star Alliance with five airlines on three continents: United Airlines , Scandinavian Airlines , Thai Airways International , Air Canada , and Lufthansa . The alliance chose Young & Rubicam for advertising, with
7420-532: The Viscount fleet with Douglas DC-9-10s and then added Boeing 727-100s and 727-200s . The DC-9 and 727 were to become the workhorses of the fleet from the late 1960s. The DC-9s were phased out by the late 1970s (although the type reappeared after mergers in the 1980s with an example being Texas International Airlines DC-9s which were added to the CO fleet); the 727-200 was the mainstay of its narrow-body fleet until
7560-489: The Web for all their travel needs. Continental was the first airline to use this technology. On January 1, 2010, Jeff Smisek, former president and COO, became the CEO of Continental Airlines. Continental also planned to start seasonal nonstop service between Portland International Airport (PDX) and Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC) , putting Continental in direct competition with former partner Alaska Airlines . The route
7700-644: The acquisition, UAL Corporation changed its name to United Continental Holdings. During the integration period, each airline ran a separate operation under the direction of a combined leadership team, based in Chicago . The integration was completed on March 3, 2012. Although the merged airline retained the United name, it uses Continental's operating certificate and livery. On June 27, 2019, United changed its parent company name from United Continental Holdings to United Airlines Holdings . Varney Speed Lines (named after one of its initial owners, Walter T. Varney , who
7840-562: The airline industry, which would dissolve the CAB and for the first time in industry history allow U.S. carriers to determine without government supervision where they would fly, and how much they could charge. Continental began flights from Denver to Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa/St. Petersburg in Florida. That year, President Carter authorized Continental to begin daily round trips between Air Micronesia destination Saipan and Japan, and approved
7980-475: The airline joining SkyTeam and would sharply increase the alliance's footprint in London . Rivals Star Alliance and Etihad Airlines were also investigating competing options about Virgin Atlantic. China Eastern Airlines joined the alliance on 21 June 2011, along with its subsidiary , Shanghai Airlines , to become the 14th member. Later in 2011, on 28 September, China Airlines joined the alliance. In November
8120-589: The airline leave SkyTeam and join Star Alliance. The European Commission approved Lufthansa Group's purchase of a 41% stake in ITA Airways in July 2024. ITA would leave SkyTeam and join Star Alliance in 2026 or 2027. In February 2022, both Delta and KLM announced plans to suspend their codesharing agreements with Aeroflot in connection with the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Subsequently, on 27 April, SkyTeam and Aeroflot announced that Aeroflot's membership with
8260-471: The airline's merger with PeopleExpress Airlines in 1987. With that merger came significant customer service issues, especially in the Northeast, for a period of time. In October 1985, Texas Air Corp. made an offer for a Denver-based regional carrier, Frontier Airlines , opening a bidding war with PeopleExpress , which was headed by Lorenzo's former Texas International associate Don Burr . PeopleExpress paid
8400-706: The alliance (as opposed to a full member, an associate has no voting rights), Malév Hungarian Airlines opted to join the Oneworld airline alliance, signing a memorandum of understanding late in May. A few days later, SkyTeam announced four new associate members due to join by 2006, each one being "sponsored" by an existing member: Madrid -based Air Europa (sponsored by Air France), Panama-based Copa Airlines (sponsored and partly owned by Continental Airlines ), Kenya Airways (sponsored and partly owned by KLM ) and Romania's TAROM (sponsored by Alitalia ). Every associate adopted
8540-450: The alliance established a cargo alliance, SkyTeam Cargo . The group's inaugural members were Aeromexpress, Air France Cargo, Delta Air Logistics and Korean Air Cargo. The following month, the newly established airline alliance announced its intentions to incorporate CSA Czech Airlines as the 5th member in April of the following year. The alliance saw the joining of CSA Czech Airlines on 25 March 2001; Alitalia entered SkyTeam on 27 July
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#17327662418248680-564: The alliance was suspended. On 2 March 2023, Virgin Atlantic joined the alliance, making it the 19th member and the first UK airline of the alliance. On October 2023, as a part of the restructuring of Scandinavian Airlines' parent company SAS Group , Air France-KLM, along with the Government of Denmark and two financial firms announced plans to invest in Scandinavian Airlines. In March 2024, US Bankruptcy Court approved
8820-584: The alliance. On 4 November 2019, the International Airlines Group (IAG) announced it had agreed terms to purchase Air Europa and that the airline would leave SkyTeam if the deal succeeded. The COVID-19 pandemic and antitrust concerns delayed the sale. Negotiations resumed in March 2022 when IAG agreed to grant Air Europa a €100 million loan convertible into a 20% stake. In February 2023, negotiations were completed and IAG agreed to buy
8960-585: The alliance. China Southern Airlines joined SkyTeam on 15 November to become the 11th full member and the first carrier from China to join the alliance. In June 2008 ( 2008-06 ) , following an agreement between Continental Airlines and United Airlines , the former, as well as Copa Airlines, announced their intentions to move to Star Alliance after Continental's final flight with SkyTeam on 24 October 2009. That day, as announced, Continental Airlines and Copa Airlines simultaneously left SkyTeam. Continental Airlines joined Star Alliance three days later; at
9100-725: The arrangements, Air Canada would have 24 percent of the voting stock, while Air Partners would hold 41 percent of voting interest in the reorganized Continental. Continental emerged from bankruptcy in April 1993. In March 1993, the airline cancelled its services to nine U.S. destinations and six non-U.S. destinations, including all 24 weekly services between the United States and Australia and New Zealand in addition to its flights between Guam and Australia, effective October 31 of that year. In 1994, Continental substantially reduced its jet services in Denver and terminated all turboprop operations, which had been unprofitable, reducing Denver from being
9240-659: The balance between revenues and expenditures." In 1981, Texas International Airlines acquired a controlling interest in Continental. The companies were merged in 1982, moved to Houston, and grew into one of the country's largest carriers despite facing financial and labor issues, eventually becoming one of the more successful airlines in the United States. Continental and United Airlines merged in an $ 8.5 billion all-stock merger of equals on October 1, 2010. Continental's shareholders received 1.05 per share in United stock for each Continental share they owned. Upon completion of
9380-561: The benefits of the SkyTeam membership, a study was carried out in July; following it, the Aeroflot board reaffirmed its position within the alliance in September ;2013 ( 2013-09 ) . Garuda Indonesia became the 20th member of the alliance on 5 March 2014. Garuda initially expected to gain SkyTeam membership in 2012, but the joining process took 40 months to be completed. On 31 December 2018, China Southern Airlines left
9520-524: The board of Continental until February 28, 1966). Mueller had helped found the Southwest Division of Varney in 1934 with Walter T. Varney. As an upshot of all this, Six bought into the airline with US$ 90,000 and became general manager on July 5, 1936. The carrier was renamed Continental Air Lines (later changed to "Airlines") on July 8, 1937. Six relocated the airline's headquarters to Denver Union (later Stapleton) Airport in Denver in October 1937. Six changed
9660-498: The board. The deal received approval from US and European regulators in the summer of 2010. The shareholders of both airlines approved the deal on September 17, 2010. Both airlines had been reporting losses in the recession and expected the merger to generate savings of more than $ 1 billion a year. In August 2010, Continental and United revealed a new logo that was used after the merger was complete. Both carriers planned to begin merging operations in 2011 and were expected to receive
9800-422: The carrier formed subsidiary Air Micronesia in May 1968, inaugurating island hopping routes between Yap / Saipan / Guam , Majuro , Rota, Truk , Ponape ( Pohnpei ) and Honolulu. "Air Mike", as it was known, initially operated with Boeing 727-100 aircraft with open-ocean survival gear, doppler radar, and a large complement of spare parts (including tires). A senior mechanic flew on every Air Mike flight until
9940-477: The ceremony, the Board outlined its plans to recruit members from Latin America , South America and India. Three days later, TAROM officially became the 13th SkyTeam member. As a part of the celebration, SkyTeam offered reductions of round-the-world fares and other promotions. Following the 10th anniversary, SkyTeam intended to enhance customers' travel experience and deepen cooperation among its members to supplement
10080-553: The company's existing business as consumers were for the first time able to choose lower fares over Continental's better service. In 1978 Continental and Western Airlines , which held a nearby headquarters and similar fleet, began a nearly three-year attempt to merge. The route systems would have been complementary, with little overlap; although they both served the Western states, Continental had strength in Hawaii, southern-tier and
10220-410: The company's reorganization. They were later successful in working to persuade Congress to pass a new bankruptcy law preventing bankrupt companies from terminating contracts as Continental had successfully done, but the law was too late to affect Continental. Chapter 11 saved the company from liquidation, but required substantial reorganization, which began immediately. Following bankruptcy, Continental
10360-537: The early 1950s, Continental began several interchange routes with American, Braniff, and United Airlines. Routes were operated on American from Los Angeles and San Francisco to El Paso continuing onto Continental's route to San Antonio and Houston. Continental's Denver to Kansas City route would interchange onto St. Louis with Braniff Airways and United's routes from Seattle and Portland to Denver would interchange with Continental's routes onto Wichita and Tulsa. These interchange routes continued for many years until Continental
10500-436: The exception of Lawton, OK and Wichita Falls, TX which continued operating with DC-9 and 727 jets until 1977. Total passenger-miles in 1967 were more than five times greater than in 1960, but 61% of the 1967 total was on unscheduled flights (mostly transpacific charters). During the late 1960s the company disposed of the last of its turboprop and piston-powered aircraft—one of the first U.S. airlines to do so. Continental replaced
10640-563: The existing alliances; this idea was repeated in October 2012. In December 2012, Delta Air Lines purchased Singapore Airlines' 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic for £224 million. Virgin America was absorbed into Alaska Airlines , which joined the Oneworld alliance in 2021. On February 14, 2013, it was announced that American Airlines and US Airways would merge, retaining the American Airlines name and would remain in
10780-669: The expansion into regions that are yet to have SkyTeam members. In South America, India and Africa, it is clear there will be a significant battle for positioning to lure good carriers in your alliance. During the year, Delta Air Lines offered US$ 1.02 billion to Japan Airlines after the Asian airline filed for bankruptcy due to US$ 26 billion debt, at the same time lobbying Oneworld 's largest member in Asia to switch to SkyTeam. Delta, along with American Airlines , wanted Japan Airlines to be in their respective alliances to benefit from
10920-403: The first U.S. carrier to inaugurate scheduled service between New York and Shanghai , China, with daily nonstop flights from Newark. In June 2009, Continental Airlines took delivery of another new Boeing 737-900ER, which was painted with a retro livery to commemorate the airline's 75th anniversary. The livery, which was originally used on aircraft beginning in 1947 and is called The Blue Skyway,
11060-457: The first airline to launch a mobile boarding pass service to London's Heathrow. The service allowed customers to receive boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or PDAs. Continental Airlines left the SkyTeam alliance on October 24, 2009, and joined Star Alliance on October 27, 2009. In February 2008, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines began the advanced stages of merger talks and were expected to announce their decision in
11200-535: The future under its parent company, future SkyTeam member China Eastern Airlines . This bolstered SkyTeam's presence in the People's Republic of China and surrounding areas, making SkyTeam the number one alliance in the region. Garuda Indonesia formally started its joining process on 23 November and was scheduled to be integrated by 2012. Upon joining, the airline became the second Southeast Asian airline to join SkyTeam, therefore challenging Star Alliance 's dominance in
11340-571: The growth that was funded by the lower pay rates was larger than all of Continental at the time. In 1983, Continental went to its unions to restructure labor costs to compete with the startup carriers and American's Plan B labor costs. After 19 months of negotiations, the International Association of Mechanics and Aerospace Workers went on strike in August 1983, even though the company was offering 20 percent pay raises in return for substantial productivity improvements. Continental
11480-421: The hubs in Denver and Houston, with the corresponding expansion of facilities at both of these airports. But that growth came at the cost of continuing losses. In Denver, Continental's rapid growth provided the final impetus for the construction of the new Denver International Airport , which would be completed almost fifteen years later. While deregulation allowed Continental to expand into new areas, it hurt
11620-439: The immediate aftermath of a definitive merger agreement between rival Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines . The timing of the events was notable because Northwest's golden shares in Continental (that gave Northwest veto authority against any merger involving Continental) could be redeemed, freeing Continental to pursue a marriage with United. On April 27, 2008, Continental broke off merger negotiations with United and stated it
11760-419: The initial stages of bankruptcy, with no legal agreement that would allow travel agents to book flights, passengers could only book directly with the airline. And, with no credit card agreements, Continental could only accept cash for travel. Continental began offering flights for only $ 49 for each nonstop segment, raising it later to $ 75 on any segment. In the federal courts, the unions unsuccessfully sued to stop
11900-638: The international community, as it will strengthen the airline's international cooperation and global competitiveness." On 13 September, Continental Airlines , KLM and Northwest Airlines joined the alliance. Their simultaneous entry was the largest expansion event in airline alliance history. As a result of the three new members, SkyTeam surpassed Oneworld to become the second largest airline alliance, serving more than 341 million customers with 14,320 daily flights to 658 destinations in 130 countries. Even though member CSA Czech Airlines pledged to help Malév Hungarian Airlines become an associate member of
12040-484: The investment along with Stockholm District Court in 12 June 2024 and European Commission on 28 June 2024. As a result of the approval for the investment, Scandinavian Airlines left Star Alliance on 31 August 2024 and joined SkyTeam in 1 September 2024. In September 2024, high-speed rail operator Eurostar signed a memorandum of understanding to join SkyTeam as the first non-airline partner. This cooperation will enable integrated intermodal transport ( air-rail ) in
12180-458: The joining process. Upon joining, the airline's route network supplemented those of China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines , allowing cooperation among the three airlines. The following month, Aerolíneas Argentinas signed an agreement to officially start the process of becoming the first South American SkyTeam member. The airline was set to join in 2012. On 1 November, Shanghai Airlines exited from Star Alliance to join SkyTeam in
12320-472: The largest carrier in the People's Republic of China, signed a preliminary agreement in Guangzhou in its bid to become a full member. In the presence of some Chinese and airline officials, Yan Zhiqing, the chairman of China Southern Airlines, said, "This agreement-signing event is an important step forward into the future for China Southern Airlines to adapt itself to the need of further reforms and opening to
12460-417: The largest of which was Chicago/Los Angeles. However, deregulation in 1978 changed the competitive landscape and realities, as noted by Smithsonian Airline Historian R. E. G. Davies , "Unfortunately, the policies that had been successful for more than forty years under (Robert) Six's cavalier style of management were suddenly laid bare as the cold winds of airline deregulation changed all the rules—specifically,
12600-568: The late 1970s. Air Micronesia operated as subsidiary Continental Micronesia until 2010. In September 1969, Continental began flights from Los Angeles to Honolulu/Hilo and one month later from Albuquerque to Chicago, San Antonio, and San Francisco. In 1970, Continental was awarded routes from Seattle and Portland to San Jose, Hollywood-Burbank Airport, and Ontario, California—all of them growing markets. In 1963, Continental denied employment to African-American pilot and Air Force veteran, Marlon D. Green . A United States Supreme Court decision allowed
12740-534: The late 1980s. In 1968 a new livery was launched: orange and gold cheatlines on a white fuselage; and a black "jetstream" logo (by Six's friend, the noted graphic designer Saul Bass ) on the iconic "Golden Tails" of the airline's aircraft. The slogans adopted in 1968 and used for more than a decade were, "The Airline That Pride Built" and, "The Proud Bird with the Golden Tail". 1960s saw international routes awarded to Continental (to New Zealand and Australia) in
12880-590: The name to "Continental" because he wanted the airline name to reflect his desire to have the airline fly all directions throughout the United States. During World War II, Continental's Denver maintenance base converted Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses , Boeing B-29 Superfortresses and North American P-51 Mustangs for the United States Army Air Forces . Profits from military transportation and aircraft conversion enabled Continental to contemplate expansion and acquisition of new airliners after
13020-547: The new airline startups then emerging and thriving in the southwestern U.S. By the end of 1984, Continental had grown back to be a larger airline than pre-bankruptcy and that year recorded a $ 50 million profit. Continental was the first airline to largely gradually replace a pilot workforce and the working pilots ultimately voted the union out. On April 28, 1985, Continental inaugurated its first scheduled service to Europe with flights from Houston to London/Gatwick. Additional service from Newark to London and Paris started after
13160-401: The northeastern markets. In July 1987, Plaskett resigned and Lorenzo returned to the position of CEO. 1987 saw the creation of Continental's OnePass frequent flier program (jointly with Eastern Airlines ); and, in 1988, Continental formed its first strategic partnership (and the first international airline alliance of its kind) with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) . Continental also made
13300-464: The overall number of members in the alliance rising to 19. In late June 2013 ( 2013-06 ) , the Russian newspaper Kommersant published an article that mentions that Aeroflot was considering leaving the alliance over disagreements with Delta on the pricing on some routes to North America . The report also mentioned that the Russian carrier was considering joining Star Alliance . To assess
13440-506: The passenger alliance: Aeroméxico Cargo , Air France-KLM Cargo (include Air France Cargo and KLM Cargo ), China Cargo Airlines , Czech Airlines Cargo , Delta Cargo , ITA Airways Cargo , Korean Air Cargo and Saudia Cargo . Aerolíneas Argentinas Cargo , the cargo division of Aerolíneas Argentinas, joined the alliance in November ;2013 ( 2013-11 ) . Saudia Cargo joined the alliance on 15 April 2019. SkyTeam launched
13580-455: The president and CEO of Continental Airlines. On February 1, 1987, People Express , Frontier , New York Air , and several commuter carriers were merged into Continental Airlines to create the sixth largest airline in the world and became the largest low-fare airline by introducing the industry's first non-refundable airfares, initially called MaxSavers. The mergers and the aggressive marketing led to Continental becoming an even larger player in
13720-493: The rebranding process on October 19, 2011, with all United-operated ticket counters and gates to be rebranded in Phase One; Phase Two of rebranding at Newark began in 2012 with Continental ticket counters and gates to be rebranded. On November 30, 2011, Continental officially merged with United and no longer operates as a separate airline. On March 3, 2012, Continental's passenger reservation system and frequent flyer program
13860-538: The region through Thai Airways International and Singapore Airlines . On 10 January 2011, Saudi Arabian Airlines signed an agreement to join SkyTeam in 2012. On 28 February the same year, Middle East Airlines agreed to join the alliance. Member airlines Delta and Air France–KLM appointed Goldman Sachs in late February 2011 ( 2011-02 ) to advise them on a potential bid for Sir Richard Branson 's 51% stake in Virgin Atlantic , which could lead to
14000-423: The region. The founding members are Air Austral , Air Mauritius , Air Madagascar , Air Seychelles , and Int'Air Îles . On January 18, 2016, the first alliance of low-cost carriers was formed, U-FLY Alliance . The founding members— HK Express , Lucky Air , Urumqi Air , and West Air —are all affiliated with HNA Group , although the alliance is also seeking airlines not within the group. On May 16, 2016,
14140-682: The remaining 80% stake in Air Europa (which it plans to keep as a separate brand but have managed by Iberia ) for €400 million, subject to European regulatory approval. In August 2024, IAG abandon the deal after deeming additional remedies to address EU antitrust conditions too onerous to make the deal viable. On 15 October 2021, Alitalia ceased operations, departing the alliance. Its successor, ITA Airways , joined SkyTeam on 29 October 2021. In 2023, Lufthansa , after confirming its initial acquisition of 41% of ITA Airways, said its plans included gaining total ownership of ITA's shares by 2028 and having
14280-400: The required nine-month notice. Additionally, Continental joined the Star Alliance, as Delta and Northwest merged. United was reported to be in serious merger discussion with US Airways in early April 2010. A New York Times report indicated that a deal was close. Union consent was cited as a major hurdle for negotiators to clear. On April 22, 2010, United announced that it would not pursue
14420-409: The resultant Gulf War , which had prompted a dramatic increase in the price of jet fuel, Continental filed for bankruptcy. In mid-1991 Harris was replaced as CEO by Robert Ferguson, who had been a Texas Air executive. In November 1992, Continental accepted a $ 450 million buyout offer from an investor group composed of Air Partners, an investor from Texas led by Texas Pacific Group, and Air Canada. Under
14560-475: The route structure, among others. Bethune began by ordering new aircraft in an effort to convert to an all-Boeing fleet. Beginning in 1998, Continental again embarked on a program to expand its international operations. It inaugurated services to Ireland and Scotland, and in October 1998 the airline received its first Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, allowing nonstop flights from Newark and Houston to Tokyo–Narita , and from Newark to Tel Aviv, Israel . Continental in
14700-619: The same time gaining Frontier, whose strong network in the Great Plains and intermountain West reinforced Continental's already formidable Denver hub. The PeopleExpress acquisition also provided the option to acquire Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport and allow Continental to build a formidable hub in the New York market. With a reorganization plan that repaid creditors 100 percent, Continental emerged from bankruptcy on June 30, 1986, with improved asset and cash flow positions and
14840-406: The same year launched partnerships with Northwest Airlines , Copa Airlines , Avant Airlines , Transbrasil , and Cape Air , and Continental and America West Airlines became the first two US airlines to launch interline electronic ticketing. In 1999, Continental Airlines started service between Newark and Zurich, Switzerland, and from Cleveland to London. On March 1, 2001, Continental launched
14980-459: The same year, Xiamen Airlines committed to be incorporated as a full member by the end of 2012, with their entry supported by China Southern Airlines . On 29 May 2012, Saudi Arabian Airlines became both the first carrier to join the alliance in 2012 and the first one based in the Middle East , which brought the total members to 16. The same day of its incorporation, Saudi Arabian Airlines
15120-419: The same year, the airline was to be the first Chinese carrier to join a global air cargo alliance. On 16 April China Eastern Airlines announced its intention to join SkyTeam, with the official joining ceremony initially expected to occur by mid-2011. The announcement came shortly after the airline's merger with Shanghai Airlines , a member of SkyTeam's rival Star Alliance . On 10 June, Vietnam Airlines became
15260-511: The same year, with its membership scheduled to become effective 1 November that year. On 30 September 2001, the alliance received KLM's application for membership, following the airline's plans to create a leading airline group with Air France. In 2003, Delta 's subsidiary, Delta Express , was replaced by Song . That same year, SkyTeam also launched an improved website focused on providing passengers with more information, increased interactivity and other resources. On 24 May 2004, Aeroflot signed
15400-487: The standard for service in the western U.S. On June 1, 1972, Continental's widebody DC-10 service began. Six had insisted that Continental place a large order for DC-10s with manufacturer McDonnell Douglas . This decision again proved prescient, since the publicity associated with Continental's splashy 747 service Chicago-Denver-Los Angeles-Honolulu had stimulated increased market share and increased traffic for all carriers. Denver, Houston and Seattle were growing rapidly in
15540-400: The time, it was rumored that the switch was Continental's initial move in a United-Continental merger. In April 2009 ( 2009-04 ) , the alliance signed a preliminary agreement with Vietnam Airlines for the airline to become a full member in 2010. Also in 2009, Alitalia-Linee Aeree Italiane re-launched operations as the new Alitalia , and the alliance announced initiatives towards
15680-695: The two airlines remained separate until the operational integration was completed by mid-2012, as of that day both airlines were corporately controlled by the same leadership. On June 27, 2019, United changed its parent company name from United Continental Holdings to United Airlines Holdings . On December 22, 2010, Continental Airlines merged operating certificates with Continental Micronesia. All Continental Micronesia flights were then branded and operated by Continental Airlines. Both carriers began merging their operations in 2011. On March 22, UCH announced that they had plans to offer Wi-Fi Service on more than 200 domestic Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft. The airlines attained
15820-696: The value of its fuel hedges. In January 2009, Continental became the first commercial carrier to successfully demonstrate the use of sustainable biofuel to power an aircraft in North America. During the demonstration flight, Continental's test pilots successfully conducted a number of flight maneuvers, and the biofuel met all performance requirements as compared with traditional jet fuel. The biofuel blend included components derived from algae and jatropha plants, both sustainable, second-generation sources that do not impact food crops or water resources or contribute to deforestation. In March 2009, Continental became
15960-666: The war. Among those were the Douglas DC-3 , the Convair 240 and the Convair 340 . The Convairs were Continental's first pressurized airliners. The airline's early route was El Paso to Albuquerque and Denver, with routes being added during the war from Denver, Albuquerque, and El Paso eastward across Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. In 1946 Continental flew Denver to Kansas City, Wichita, Tulsa, and to Oklahoma City, and from El Paso and Albuquerque to San Antonio. Each route included stops in several of 22 smaller cities. In
16100-3887: The world's largest alliance of low-cost carriers was formed, Value Alliance . The founding members were Cebu Pacific , Cebgo , Jeju Air , Nok Air , NokScoot , Scoot Airlines , Tigerair , Tigerair Australia , and Vanilla Air . Star Alliance , founded in 1997, currently has 25 members: [REDACTED] Aegean Airlines , 2010 [REDACTED] Air Canada , founder [REDACTED] Air China , 2007 [REDACTED] Air India , 2014 [REDACTED] Air New Zealand , 1999 [REDACTED] All Nippon Airways , 1999 [REDACTED] Asiana Airlines , 2003 [REDACTED] Austrian Airlines , 2000 [REDACTED] Avianca , 2012 [REDACTED] Brussels Airlines , 2009 [REDACTED] Copa Airlines , 2012 [REDACTED] Croatia Airlines , 2004 [REDACTED] EgyptAir , 2008 [REDACTED] Ethiopian Airlines , 2011 [REDACTED] EVA Air , 2013 [REDACTED] LOT Polish Airlines , 2003 [REDACTED] Lufthansa , founder [REDACTED] Shenzhen Airlines , 2012 [REDACTED] Singapore Airlines , 2000 [REDACTED] South African Airways , 2006 [REDACTED] Swiss International Air Lines , 2006 [REDACTED] TAP Air Portugal , 2005 [REDACTED] Thai Airways International , founder [REDACTED] Turkish Airlines , 2008 [REDACTED] United Airlines , founder Former members: Oneworld , founded in 1999, currently has 13 members: [REDACTED] Alaska Airlines , 2021 [REDACTED] American Airlines , founder [REDACTED] British Airways , founder [REDACTED] Cathay Pacific , founder [REDACTED] Finnair , 1999 [REDACTED] Iberia Airlines , 1999 [REDACTED] Japan Airlines , 2007 [REDACTED] Malaysia Airlines , 2013 [REDACTED] Qantas , founder [REDACTED] Qatar Airways , 2013 [REDACTED] Royal Air Maroc , 2020 [REDACTED] Royal Jordanian , 2007 [REDACTED] SriLankan Airlines , 2014 Former members: Future members: SkyTeam , founded in 2000, currently has 19 members: [REDACTED] Aerolíneas Argentinas , 2012 [REDACTED] Aeroméxico , founder [REDACTED] Air Europa , 2007 [REDACTED] Air France , founder [REDACTED] China Airlines , 2011 [REDACTED] China Eastern Airlines , 2011 [REDACTED] Delta Air Lines , founder [REDACTED] Garuda Indonesia , 2014 [REDACTED] ITA Airways , 2021 [REDACTED] Kenya Airways , 2007 [REDACTED] KLM Royal Dutch Airlines , 2004 [REDACTED] Korean Air , founder [REDACTED] Middle East Airlines , 2012 [REDACTED] Saudia , 2012 [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Scandinavian Airlines , 2024 [REDACTED] TAROM , 2010 [REDACTED] Vietnam Airlines , 2010 [REDACTED] Virgin Atlantic , 2023 [REDACTED] XiamenAir , 2012 Former members: Vanilla Alliance , founded in 2015, currently has 5 members: [REDACTED] Air Austral , founder [REDACTED] Air Madagascar , founder [REDACTED] Air Mauritius , founder [REDACTED] Air Seychelles , founder [REDACTED] Int'Air Îles , founder U-FLY Alliance , founded in 2016, currently has 4 members: [REDACTED] Eastar Jet , 2016 [REDACTED] Lucky Air , founder [REDACTED] Urumqi Air , founder [REDACTED] West Air , founder Former members: Value Alliance , founded in 2016, currently has 5 members: [REDACTED] Cebu Pacific , founder [REDACTED] Cebgo , founder [REDACTED] Jeju Air , founder [REDACTED] Nok Air , founder [REDACTED] Scoot , founder Former members: Continental Airlines Continental Airlines (simply known as Continental )
16240-495: Was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1934 until it merged with United Airlines in 2012. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started out as one of the smaller carriers in the United States, known for its limited operations under the regulated era that provided very fine, almost fancy, service against the larger majors in important point-to-point markets,
16380-551: Was able to operate through the strike because many mechanics crossed picket lines and Continental hired new mechanics. The company continued to negotiate with the pilots and flight attendants and management gave a final proposal to its pilots in mid-September, which would have provided ownership by the pilots and other employees of 35 percent of the company's stock in return for meaningful wage and productivity changes. With no agreement, Continental filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 24, 1983, and shut down for three days. Continental
16520-462: Was able to secure routes of its own between each city. In 1955, Continental merged with Pioneer Air Lines , gaining access to 16 more cities in Texas and New Mexico. In August 1953, Continental flew to 35 airports and Pioneer flew to 19, but Continental's network didn't reach beyond Denver, El Paso, Houston and Kansas City until April 1957 when it started Chicago-Denver-Los Angeles, two Douglas DC-7 Bs
16660-534: Was also a founder of United Airlines ) was formed in 1934, operating airmail and passenger services in the American Southwest over a route originating from El Paso and extending through Albuquerque , Santa Fe , and Las Vegas, New Mexico , to Pueblo, Colorado . The airline commenced operations with the Lockheed Vega , a single-engine plane that carried four passengers. Varney was awarded
16800-417: Was an agreement to link international networks and share technology and passenger perks. This agreement was termed a "virtual merger" as it included many of the benefits of a merger without the actual costs and restructuring involved. The alliance took effect about a year after Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines completed their merger, as that released Continental from the SkyTeam contract and allowed for
16940-460: Was announced that Portugália would become the alliance's next associate member candidate. However, in November, rival airline and Star Alliance member TAP Air Portugal , purchased 99.81% of the airline, bringing a sudden end to its candidacy. On 4 September 2007, Air Europa, Copa Airlines, and Kenya Airways became members of SkyTeam's Associate program, which was launched to serve airlines in strategic regions which intended to become affiliated with
17080-424: Was changed to United Airlines, Inc. The designer Saul Bass designed the Continental "Jet Stream" logo in the late 1960s. In the 1990s, the design agency Lippincott introduced the globe logo. Before it merged, Continental's livery consisted of a white fuselage, with the globe in blue and gold, and a gray underside. The combined United Airlines adopted the pre-merger Continental Airlines livery and logo following
17220-694: Was characterized as a "virtual merger" in some circles. In September 2008, Continental announced that it would commence providing seasonal non-stop service between Houston and Rio de Janeiro . The new nonstop flight was timed to provide roundtrip flight connections at Continental's Houston hub to more than 160 cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Central America, Europe, and Asia. Continental renewed its lease for around 450,000 square feet (42,000 m ) in Continental Center I . Continental announced that its fourth quarter 2008 net loss widened to $ 266 million on costs for pilot retirement and reducing
17360-435: Was elected chairman of the board of directors in 1996. Continental went from being ranked last in most performance categories to winning more J.D. Power and Associates awards for Customer Satisfaction than any other airline. BusinessWeek magazine named Bethune one of the top 25 Global Managers in 1996 and 1997. Under his leadership Continental's stock price rose from $ 2 to over $ 50 per share. Fortune named Continental among
17500-600: Was formed in the 1930s, when Panair do Brasil and its parent company Pan American World Airways agreed to exchange routes to Latin America . In 1990, the African Joint Air Services (AJAS) Accord between Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia led to the launch of Alliance Air in 1994, with South African Airways, Air Tanzania, Uganda Airlines and the governments of Uganda and Tanzania as shareholders. The first large alliance began in 1989, when Northwest Airlines and KLM agreed to large-scale codesharing. In 1992,
17640-448: Was freed of its contractual obligations and imposed a series of new labor agreements on its union workers, sharply reducing the airline's labor costs. Continental's senior management also reduced their salaries to those of the pilots. The pilot strike was ultimately unsuccessful due to Continental pilots and new hires who crossed the picket line, and customers who voted with their pocketbook. Continental became vastly more competitive with
17780-407: Was going to stand alone. Despite ending merger talks, Continental announced that it would join United in the Star Alliance. United and US Airways were in advanced merger talks in late April 2008, following the announcement that Continental had broken off talks with United. In June 2008, the CEOs of both United and Continental signed an alliance pact that led to their eventual merger. The alliance
17920-665: Was headquartered at the west end of the Los Angeles International Airport on World Way West. The facility included the general offices, system operations control, the central maintenance facility, flight kitchen, and Los Angeles crew bases. In 1974, after years of delays and legal proceedings, Continental started flights between Houston and Miami, and on May 21, 1976, Continental was authorized to operate long-sought routes between San Diego and Denver. President Jimmy Carter and Civil Aeronautics Board chairman Alfred Kahn had been promoting deregulation of
18060-747: Was in merger discussions with United Airlines. Of issue would be Continental's golden share held by Northwest Airlines and the divestiture of Continental's Guamanian hub. A deal was not "certain or imminent", with the talks being of a preliminary nature. In April 2008, at the height of oil prices, Northwest announced a merger with Delta Air Lines. This allowed Continental to buy back the golden share from Northwest Airlines, which it did. Continental then renewed merger talks with United Airlines, but broke them off again that same month. In May 2008, Continental Airlines sold its remaining 4.38 million share investment in Panamanian flag carrier Copa for $ 35.75
18200-583: Was leading 762 million, followed by SkyTeam (630 million) and Oneworld (535 million). Benefits can consist of an extended network, often realised through codeshare agreements . Many alliances started as only codeshare networks. Cost reductions come from sharing operation facilities (e.g. catering or computer systems), operation staff (e.g. ground handling personnel, at check-in and boarding desks), investments and purchases (e.g. in order to negotiate extra volume discounts). Traveler benefits can include lower prices due to lowered operational costs for
18340-502: Was merged into United. The last Continental Airlines flight taking off was "Continental Flight 1267", flying from Phoenix to Cleveland, and arriving into the latter as "United Flight 1267". United Airlines, Inc. merged into Continental Airlines, Inc., with Continental Airlines, Inc. being the surviving corporate entity and a wholly owned subsidiary of the UAL Corporation, on March 31, 2013. The name of Continental Airlines, Inc.,
18480-483: Was no progress with the other unions. On October 31, 1982, following approval by shareholders of both companies, Continental merged operations with Texas International , retaining the Continental identity and offering service to four continents (North and South America, Asia and Australia) with a fleet of 112 aircraft. Continental launched its frequent flyer program, initially called Travel Bank, in September 1982, following that of Texas International Airlines in 1979, which
18620-548: Was one of the three launch airlines for the Boeing 747 . On June 26, 1970, Continental became the second carrier (after TWA) to put the 747 into U.S. domestic service. Its upper-deck first class lounge and main deck "Polynesian Pub" won awards worldwide for the most refined cabin interior among all airlines, as did meal services developed by Continental's Cordon Bleu-trained executive chef, Lucien DeKeyser. Continental's 747 services from Chicago and Denver to Los Angeles and Honolulu set
18760-557: Was renamed to Saudia. Middle East Airlines became the 17th member of the alliance a month later, following its incorporation on 28 June 2012. On 29 August 2012, Aerolíneas Argentinas became the first South American and the second Latin American airline in joining the alliance, bringing the number of members to 18. Following its incorporation on 21 November 2012, Xiamen Airlines became the fourth member in Mainland China , with
18900-569: Was scheduled to start on June 10, 2010. On February 16, Continental, along with its wholly owned subsidiary Continental Micronesia , announced that it applied for nonstop flights to Tokyo-Haneda as part of an open-skies agreement between the US and Japan. Continental planned to begin services to Tokyo-Haneda from its New York/Newark hub in late October 2010, and Continental Micronesia planned to start service to Haneda Airport from its Guam hub. However, Haneda slots were awarded to American, Delta, and Hawaiian Airlines instead. Continental Airlines became
19040-556: Was selected by Continental employees. Continental flew the aircraft to its three hubs for anniversary celebration events for employees and retirees. Post-merger, United maintained the livery, but on a different 737-900ER than the aircraft originally carrying it. In July 2009 Continental began to offer DirecTV , giving customers the choice of 95 channels of live television programming, more channels than any other carrier. Continental also launched Virtual Expert technology on their website at continental.com, offering customers 24-hour support on
19180-413: Was selling its interest to SAS. Under the agreements, Lorenzo would be leaving the active management of the airline as CEO for the first time in 18 years and would remain on the board of directors for two further years. At the same time, Hollis Harris , formerly President of Delta Air Lines, was named chairman and chief executive officer. On December 3, 1990, due to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and
19320-660: Was succeeded by George Warde. In three letters left to his children, Feldman said he had been depressed since the death of his wife the previous year. Lorenzo became Continental Chairman and CEO in March 1982. He and his team viewed the company as stuck in the pre-deregulation era and in need of serious changes to be competitive. Continental was experiencing significant financial challenges both before and after Texas Air's takeover, and management showed how Continental could not compete and survive with its cost structure. The pilots union agreed to some cost reductions in mid-1982, primarily through modest productivity improvements, but there
19460-471: Was the first airline to file for bankruptcy with a plan to continue operating as it did continuously starting September 27, 1983. Airline unions fought Continental at every step. On October 1, 1983, the pilots and flight attendants joined the IAM, which was still on strike. When Continental resumed service three days after filing Chapter 11, it initially served 25 cities versus the more than 70 cities previously. In
19600-424: Was the industry's first frequent flyer program, and American Airlines AAdvantage program in 1981. In mid-1983, Continental relocated its headquarters to Texas International's base in Houston, Texas, which resulted in a large expansion of its hub at Houston Intercontinental Airport and extensive new routes to Mexico and the south central U.S. Even with the cost reductions from the pilots in 1982, Continental faced
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