News Release
Ten Continental Airlines Employees Drive Away New Ford Explorers
HOUSTON, July 31, 2001 -- Ten Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) employees drove away today in new Ford Explorers earned under the company’s Perfect Attendance Program.
Winning the vehicles are:
| Flight Attendant Harold Roberts | Houston |
| Airport Sales Agent Ruby Porter | Orlando |
| Airport Sales Agent Johnnie Renee Todd | Monroe, La. (CO Express) |
| Technician Hans Kasper | Los Angeles |
| 737 First Officer Dominic Lorusso | Houston |
| Customer Service Representative Abeer Husary | Cleveland |
| Chelsea Production Associate Annie Trinh | Honolulu |
| Technician Reynaldo Tizon | Guam (CO Micronesia) |
| Sales Representative Richard Matioszek | Paris, France |
| Reservations Agent Evelyn Barnett | Houston (Richmond Ave.) |
Since 1996, Continental has awarded 93 Ford Explorers to employees to promote perfect attendance. For each six month period with no absences, employees qualify to enter a drawing for the vehicles.
"Part of the fun of working at Continental is the way we recognize and celebrate the accomplishments and professionalism in our own ranks," said a company spokesperson. "Even if we don’t win a vehicle ourselves, it’s exciting to see our co-workers get a prize for being reliable and dependable alongside us."
The new vehicles were presented to the winners at a celebration event under a tent on the front lawn of Continental’s downtown Houston headquarters. Handing over the keys were Chairman and CEO Gordon Bethune, President Larry Kellner, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer C.D. McLean and Executive VP-Corporate Jeff Smisek.
Continental Airlines is the fifth-largest airline in the U.S., offering more than 2,500 departures daily to 136 domestic and 92 international destinations. Operating hubs in Newark, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, Continental (continental.com) serves more international cities than any other U.S. carrier, including extensive service throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Continental was named the 2001 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World, as well as the 1996 Airline of the Year, making it the only carrier to receive this honor twice in five years. Continental is in the top quarter of Fortune magazine’s "100 Best Companies to Work for in America," and is ranked the nation’s No. 1 airline in customer satisfaction for long and short-haul flights by Frequent Flyer Magazine and J.D. Power and Associates. Continental has received numerous awards for its BusinessFirst premium cabin (Condé Nast Traveler, OAG, Entrepreneur and SmartMoney magazines), OnePass frequent flyer program (InsideFlyer’s Freddie Awards) and overall operations and management (Fortune magazine).