News Release
Continental Express Defends Travelers' Right to New Choice at Love Field: Launches Campaign
DALLAS, June 23, 1998 -- Continental Express today charged that by trying to block fair and legal competition at Love Field, the DFW Airport Board and the City of Fort Worth are needlessly depriving Metroplex travelers of increased convenience, flexibility and consumer choice.
At issue are three daily flights between Love Field and Cleveland that Continental Express plans to start on July 1. The Board, the City of Fort Worth and American Airlines are parties to numerous lawsuits involving Continental Express' planned Cleveland service. The Board and Fort Worth have filed in state court for a temporary restraining order that would prevent the airline from flying its newly announced Cleveland service.
"When elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers," said David Siegel, president of Continental Express, quoting an ancient proverb. "In this instance, the elephants - DFW, Fort Worth and American - are trampling all over the rights of Metroplex travelers."
Siegel said Continental Express will launch an advertising campaign this week to directly tell travelers what's at stake in the lawsuit. The ads are cartoon-like in nature. One depicts an enormous gorilla atop Reunion Tower, a popular Dallas landmark, swatting at the three Continental Express commuter flights. Another features an armada of several dozen large DFW-based jets in a face-off with the three 50-seat regional jet flights.
"It's a classic case of David and Goliath. They're raising a hullabaloo over a mere 150 daily seats, less than two-tenths of a percent of American's more than 82,000 seats a day out of DFW," Siegel said. "We're trying to add a modest and reasonable amount of competition out of Love Field. There's no reason why the people of North Texas should be denied this added choice."
Continental Express has designed the new service to be in strict compliance with all laws and contracts governing flights from Love Field. Continental Express already started service June 11 between Love and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
"Our customers say they want to fly out of Love Field on modern 50-seat regional jets flown by Continental Express," Siegel said. "We're simply trying to provide them with that service."
Continental Express serves more than four million customers annually. As a regional air carrier owned by Continental Airlines, Express offers more than 800 daily departures from its hubs in Houston, Newark and Cleveland. Continental Express offers advance seat assignments and OnePass frequent flyer miles which can be redeemed anywhere in the world Continental and its partner airlines fly.