HOUSTON, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For the seventh year in a row, Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) outranked all of its U.S. competition in international long-haul service and comfort, according to results of a survey of Conde Nast Traveler readers published in the magazine's October 2004 edition.
On transatlantic and transpacific flights, Continental Airlines ranked higher than all U.S. carriers on the magazine's lists of "Top Airlines."
In both regions, Continental was the only U.S. airline to rank on the top-5 lists of "Airlines with the Best Seats" and "Airlines with the Best Service."
Continental's renowned BusinessFirst service has bested the premium-class service offered by the airline's U.S. peers in the Conde Nast Traveler rankings since 1998. BusinessFirst also won the Best Executive/Business Class award in the OAG Airline of the Year Awards in both 2004 and 2003, based on voting by frequent flyers worldwide, and has ranked highly in recent years in rankings by Business Traveler and SmartMoney.
Domestic
In the Conde Nast Traveler rankings, Continental also placed highest among multi-class airlines for domestic travel, placing first among major, regional and new-entrant carriers offering coach and first class service. Continental, which continues to offer complimentary meals and in-flight entertainment, as well as in-flight telephone and email service for a fee, also ranked highest for onboard amenities, and bested the competition in the airport lounge club rankings.
Continental also ranked among the five domestic carriers offering the best seats.
The Conde Nast Traveler rankings were compiled from surveys of more than 1,000 frequent business travelers.
Continental Airlines is the world's sixth-largest airline with more than 3,000 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Continental serves 151 domestic and 120 international destinations -- more than any other airline in the world -- and nearly 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines. With more than 41,000 employees, the airline has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and carries approximately 51 million passengers per year. In 2004, Continental has earned awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture. FORTUNE ranks Continental one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America, an honor it has earned for six consecutive years, and also ranks Continental as the top airline in its Most Admired Global Companies in 2004. The carrier won major awards at the 2004 OAG Airline of the Year Awards including "Airline of the Year," "Best Airline Based in North America" and "Best Executive/Business Class." For more company information, visit continental.com.
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