UDPATE: The judge has dismissed the suit. Take that, lawyer who sues for the sake of suing!

We thought it was pretty slick that airlines ditched cash in the cabin in favor of plastic money for in-flight purchases, but there’s at least one passenger who isn’t thrilled about the cashless cabin. Of course this person is an attorney, and that means there’s a lawsuit.

A lawyer from New Jersey recently flew from Honolulu to Newark aboard Continental Airlines, but when it was time to purchase some in-flight goodies he wasn’t about to swipe his credit card. This unhappy passenger tried to buy some headphones for the 10-hour flight—apparently the ones purchased on the way to Hawaii no longer worked—but with his credit cards in his checked luggage he was out of luck. We feel for the guy, as that is too long to go without any in-flight entertainment—but is a lawsuit really necessary?

And who puts their credit cards in their checked luggage?! ]]> kjb 2011-08-22T09:30:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/12/23/104724/28

About a year or so ago, Continental Airlines started to roll-out new BusinessFirst lie-flat seats on some of their airplanes. Last month, we lucky enough (not really lucky, as we paid for the privilege) to squeeze into these new seats on a 757-200 from LAX to EWR and test out all that they have to offer. But first, let's address the name BusinessFirst.

BusinessFirst is one of the crazier-sounding names out there. Is it business class? Is it first class? No, it's BusinessFirst! Does this mean it's business class with some first class amenities or vice-versa? And is it better for business travelers rather than leisure travelers? The answer is no. This is essentially first class with modern technology upgrades so that business travelers who need to do work on the plane will have the ability to do so (minus the WiFi, that is.)

Still, the name bugs us but obviously, Continental wants to woo in business travelers. On the bright side, it is easy to shorten the name by just calling it BizFirst which does sound cooler. Now, onto the seats!]]> juliana 2010-12-23T15:49:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/10/4/84259/7446

Despite having a lot of behind the scenes work to do involving their merger with United, it seems that Continental still has some time to work on some of their in-flight offerings. After announcing that free food in the back of the plane was going the way of the dinosaurs earlier this year, the airline has revealed their new economy dining options. Of course these will cost you a few bucks, but we’d gladly spend a couple dollars if it’s for something tasty.

As of October 12, the menu will be changing, at least for domestic flights. Don’t worry, they won’t pull a US Airways—drinks will still be free. Some of the new dining options include an Asian noodle salad and a grilled chicken spinach salad. For those that aren’t fans of roughage in their in-flight meal there will also be Angus cheeseburgers, but unfortunately we’re thinking that there won’t be any fries. ]]> kjb 2010-10-04T12:44:58-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/8/12/84421/5404

If you have the necessary credentials to sneak into this year’s National Business Travel Association International Convention and Expo in Houston, you might just get a sneak peak at Continental’s plans for their Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The soon-to-be world’s largest airline revealed bits and pieces of what the insides of the new bird will look like.

One of the things Continental is bragging about is lower cabin altitude. The plane will change cabin pressure to simulate 6,000 feet to help passengers feel more comfy throughout their flight. Additionally, there’s to be way more natural light thanks to larger windows, and plenty of room for carry-ons in the overhead storage bins; in fact, Continental claims there'll be room for everyone's bag. We'll believe it when we see it.]]> kjb 2010-08-12T09:44:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/5/9/21485/18649

Depending on the type of plane that you board, you either walk right past them all, or you are forced to turn the other way and never even see them. We're talking about the first class or business class seats. The back of the plane is where why find ourselves nine times out of ten, but we can always dream about the promised land. That's why we wanted to share what we know about flying in the front of the plane, and what it takes to get there. Check out what we found:

· How Much Does It Cost?
Continental Airlines has a lot going on right now, but at the moment, things should remain somewhat stable until they merge their forces with their new pals over at United. If you want to test out the Continental seats one last time before the outside of the plane has a different name on it, now is the time to do so. Head out the first week in June from Newark to Frankfurt and you’re looking at an addition of about $4,800 to the monthly budget. If your passport is expired, the airline would be happy to whisk you from coast to coast as well. A flight from Newark to Seattle up in the front will cost $1,300.

More room to stretch your legs after the break... ]]> kjb 2010-05-12T09:43:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/4/20/8373/79426

In-flight cocktails are always a good choice when you get your in-flight boozing on, but sometimes something with a little carbonization and fermentation is what you really need. That’s why we took some time to see what’s on tap up in the air. In-flight lagers and ales might not be as sweet and tasty as some other beverage options, but they compliment the free peanuts and pretzels better than a margarita, that's for sure. Here’s our list of the best suds in the sky and the airlines where you can find them:

· Alaska Airlines
The airline dedicated to The Last Frontier State flies to way more locations than just Alaska, but their in-flight beverage selection brings a little bit of Alaska elsewhere within the nifty fifty. Besides the typical offerings of Budweiser and Miller Lite the airline also will be happy to pour you a glass of Alaskan Amber. The beer is from the Alaskan Brewing Company, and it’s an alt-style beer brewed with water from glaciers outside of Juneau. If you’re going somewhere a little warmer on Alaska Airlines—like Hawaii—they fill up the beverage cart with Longboard Island Lager from Kona Brewing Company. Either option will set you back $6 and will get you into the proper state of mind en route to a new time zone.

More boastin' and in-flight toastin' after the jump... ]]> kjb 2010-04-20T10:15:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/3/25/74955/3244

We just can’t get enough of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It seems like every week there’s more information to share as we get closer and closer to the first commercial flight later this year. Hopefully by this summer All Nippon Airways—they’ve got first dibs on the flight—will start auctioning off the first flight seats on eBay.

Without some extra cash the best bet to flying on one of these new birds is with Continental Airlines. Like several other US carriers, Continental has placed a hefty deposit for the right to get a few of these airplanes, but they might be the first ones to receive their airplanes in the US. In some regulatory paperwork Continental revealed that they’re thinking that they will get six 787s in the second half of 2011. That’s a long wait, but we’ll figure out something to kill the time. ]]> kjb 2010-03-25T09:09:26-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/