BACKGROUND Until this year, Continental’s transatlantic services from London departed from Gatwick, but with the advent of Open Skies the carrier has been able to move into Heathrow. Continental launched services from London’s biggest hub to Houston and Newark on March 30, and is now flying twice a day on both routes. It will add another daily service to New York from October 26, when it will also stop transatlantic flights from Gatwick (apart from a summer route to Cleveland).
CHECK-IN Continental is currently in Terminal 4 with its Skyteam partners, but is due to switch to Star Alliance by the end of next year and is then likely to join the rest of Star’s carriers in T1. I arrived at 0900 for my 1115 flight, having checked in online. Fast-track was surprisingly busy for a Sunday morning, but I was through security in 15 minutes and made my way to the Holideck lounge.
THE LOUNGE Located between Gates 15 and 16, this is open to the public (at £20 a time, see holideck.co.uk) and is a smart, pleasant area, divided into lots of little seating booths with comfortable chairs in twos at tables. There is a soundproofed quiet room at the back, and at the front is an area looking out onto the apron through floor-to-ceiling windows. A good selection of snacks, soft drinks and alcohol is available, but very few newspapers – all the English-language ones had been taken – and no magazines.
BOARDING At 1105, the departures board changed from “Will board Gate 12” to “Closing”, and by the time I had covered the 50 yards to the gate I was already being paged. Once on board, we were given a drink, a menu and an amenity kit (including ear plugs, socks, eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste). A selection of UK and US newspapers was offered, but still no magazines.
THE SEAT Continental recently announced that it would join American, United and Delta in going fully-flat in business class (see online news July 29). The new seat has been unveiled and is cleverly designed – it addresses several of the issues with the current angled lie-flat product, in particular the tiny IFE screen, and the lack of storage and power points. The airline had planned to introduce the seat on its 25 new B787s but, following the announcement of further delays at Boeing, it will start with a retrofit of its 777 fleet from autumn 2009. At present, the flat-beds on Continental’s 777s recline to ten degrees from horizontal and are configured 2-2-2. There are overhead storage bins and a net under the seat in front, but nothing to put papers/specs/amenity kits in. The carrier’s 767s and 757s are still equipped with cradle-style seating, configured 2-1-2 and 2-2, respectively. The 757s will be fitted with the new seats, although a timetable hasn’t yet been set, but the 767s will be taken out of service when the Dreamliners are delivered and thus won’t be retrofitted.
THE FLIGHT We had missed our slot, so we didn’t take off until 1230, more than an hour behind schedule. Once we’d levelled out, hot towels were handed round, followed by warm nuts and more drinks. The lunch service began about an hour later, with a choice of excellent starters (satay, samosas and scallop chowder) served from a trolley. (Passengers who want to sleep can opt for the Executive Meal, when all the courses are served at once.) For the main course I chose prawn risotto with white wine sauce, which was delicious – other options included beef, chicken or a brunch meal. Continental prides itself on its wines in business class and a good selection of whites and reds was available – I didn’t try them, but my neighbour was enthusiastic about his choice. The meal finished with cheese, fruit and an ice cream sundae (choose your own toppings from a range including fruit, nuts, caramel and liqueurs). After the meal, tea and coffee were brought round. Coffee lovers should note that Continental’s 777s have machines for espresso and cappuccino, but these aren’t offered so ask for them; tea drinkers, on the other hand, will have to settle for Liptons. Bottles of water were then handed out, and more water, as well as crisps and biscotti, were left in baskets by the galley for passengers to help themselves to during the flight. Another hot meal was served about an hour before landing. Continental is rolling out on-demand IFE across its 777 fleet and ten of the planes are now fitted with it. Unfortunately, mine wasn’t one of them, so the IFE selection was very limited, and as it was the end of the month the reception on some of the film channels made them unwatchable (the tape is changed at the beginning of the month, and gets worn out by the end).
ARRIVAL We landed at Houston on time, having made up an hour and a quarter en route, and while still on board were given details of transfer flights (including the information that mine was 25 minutes late). George Bush Intercontinental airport in Houston is Continental’s second major hub (after Newark) and is very wide, bright and modern, with plenty of natural light and attractive shops (not cheap, but not just designer togs and jewellery). I was through immigration, customs and security fairly quickly, then made my way to the Presidents Club in Terminal E. This is the largest lounge in the Continental system, and like all the others is accessible to anyone travelling internationally in business class. As with other US carriers, the lounge is primarily used by passengers who pay a yearly subscription, so nothing is free except for tea, coffee, water, crisps, and some tiny packets of biscuits and processed cheese. The Houston lounge is on two levels, and has showers, work stations and a large bar area, as well as free wifi (available in all Presidents Clubs).
HOUSTON-LA We had a long wait for our 737 to come in from Cleveland, and eventually left about an hour late. The plane had four rows of fairly standard short-haul business class seats, which were upholstered in blue and configured 2-2. Once airborne, we were offered drinks and a choice of pasta or a turkey and cheese sandwich. I chose the pasta, which was a hearty and comforting cannelloni with spinach, ricotta and tomato sauce, and came with a delicious, chunky vegetable soup and a large, fresh salad. Pudding was a tasty cheesecake, and was followed by tea or coffee. The staff were very friendly throughout, but particularly at Houston and on the LA route – a touch of genuine southern charm. We arrived in Los Angeles about 50 minutes late, and were quickly through the airport.
VERDICT A decent business class product. The food and drink are excellent and the service is friendly and efficient, and once the upgrades to the seat and IFE have been introduced across the fleet this will offer an affordable and comfortable transatlantic option.
Fact file
CONFIGURATION There are 48 seats in business class (configured 2-2-2) in two cabins separated by the galleys and toilets. Two economy cabins are configured 3-3-3, and can hold a total of 235 passengers.
SEAT STATS The business class beds are angled lie-flat and recline to ten degrees from horizontal. Seat pitch is 140cm/55in, with a width of 56cm/22in.
IFE SCREEN 26.5cm/10.4in
PRICE Return fares from London to Los Angeles via Houston in mid-October started from £2,642 for business and £350 for economy.
CONTACT continental.com
By Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker
