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LAX Direct To Havana From $689; Cuba Libres Not Included

July 1, 2009 at 10:32 AM | 0 Comments

Light a cigar in celebration, since yesterday marked the first day of direct flights to Havana, Cuba from LAX. Obama relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba back in April, allowing people to visit their relatives in Cuba and resume educational and journalistic travel to the Communist nation, but it takes some time to put the direct flights into place to get them there.

According to USA Today's Today In the Sky, the weekly flights are chartered by Cuba Travel Services of Long Beach, and flown on a Continental Airlines 737-800, which can accomodate 150 passengers, Perhaps Continental should consider putting their retro-liveried planes on this route just for kicks.

If your papers are in order, you can book one of the roundtrips starting at $689 and settle in for the five-hour flight landing in Havana at 7:25pm EST, perfect timing for dinner with the family you haven't seen in forever or just for kicking back with a few cuba libres.

Related Stories:
· Continental begins flights between LAX, Havana Today [Today In the Sky]
· Obama eases Cuba travel restrictions [CNN]
· Cuba Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Samuel Negredo]

Continental Celebrates 75th Anniversary By Buying Their Own Present

June 29, 2009 at 9:17 AM | 1 Comment

Continental Airlines is getting ready to celebrate their 75th anniversary on July 15, and they’ve ordered themselves a pretty nice birthday present: a brand spanking new Boeing 737-900ER. This fresh jet will have a retro paint job known as “The Blue Skyway,” a livery originally slapped onto the side of the company’s planes in 1947 and chosen to be on the newest plane by the company's employees.

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2009 Airline In-Flight Entertainment Status Update

June 15, 2009 at 1:22 PM | 7 Comments

2009 has been the year when the US Domestic air carriers have really begun to step up their in-flight entertainment systems. We are no longer in the post-WWII era where airlines can cling to an occasional projector movie during longer flights. Furthermore, the CRT drop-down world is very close to extinction as well. These days seat back LCD screens and IFEC (c is for connectivity) are all the rage and most US airlines are expanding their offerings accordingly.

Of course, younger airlines with a smaller fleet have a built-in advantage here (fewer and newer planes), but that doesn't change the increasing demand from passengers for better, more reliable IFEC options. It could even be argued that customers are more likely to accept higher ancillary fees for things like extra luggage and pets if they can kick back with a killer IFEC on the flight.

Just this weekend we heard a JetBlue customer comment to her friend at baggage claim:

We sat on the tarmac for an hour at JFK, but by the time I watched three shows I was where I needed to be -- how can you beat that?

It seems in todays world, all delays might even be close to forgiven if you can get caught up on Jon and Kate Plus Eight while you wait.

Click here for our 2009 IFEC Chart and see how the airlines stack up against each other.

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Continental Must Think Slow And Steady Wins In-Flight Entertainment Race

May 26, 2009 at 9:00 AM | 1 Comment

While some airlines are declaring their dominance through amenities like in-flight WiFi, other airlines are a little behind the times. One such airline is Continental, which announced a rollout of DirecTV service on its domestic fleet back in 2008. Well, 2009 is almost halfway over, so we thought we’d check and see what’s been done—too bad we’re totally disappointed.

Fortunately, they’ve launched a pretty neat tracker where we can monitor their progress, or lack thereof. So far they’ve installed the seatback monitor service on 4 of 21 737-900ER aircraft, which according to their snazzy bar graph means they are only 1% complete overall. They are claiming these planes will be finished by September, with a couple other models finished by later this year. However, some won’t even be done until 2011, like their 757-300s.

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Baggage Fee Lowdown: Continental Airlines

May 15, 2009 at 12:06 PM | 0 Comments

Checked baggage allowances make our heads hurt, and often in those critical few hours before a flight as we bounce to close our suitcase. To put minds at ease and clarify all the charts out there, all week long at Jaunted we will be detailing what it costs to check your bags and get on board. Got any suggestions or tips? Let us know.

Continental's Domestic Routes (within United States and Canada):
Thus far, Continental hasn't caved in to upping their fees, but we still have to pay them. That is, unless you are First or BusinessFirst, OnePass Elite, traveling on full-fare economy (Y) class tickets, or active military personnel. All the rest of us in cheap-o economy will have to pay:
· $15 for your first checked bag.
· $25 for your second bag.
· Extra dollars if you check more than 2 bags, exceed 50 lbs per bag, go over 62 inches all around each bag, or you're hauling a special item like a totem pole or harp.

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Boeing Unveils a New 737 to Please the Big & Tall

April 29, 2009 at 11:26 AM | 0 Comments

Mountain men, rejoice! Freshly announced from Boeing is a new, taller 737 cabin design which will free up more headroom and actually allow passengers of average heights to stand up in their seats and stretch. Gone are the days of contorting yourself while waiting to grab your carry-ons and disembark.

To reconfigure the cabin of the workhorse 737, Boeing looked at the spaciousness of the upcoming 787 Dreamliners (set to roll out in Seattle within a week) and the pivoting overhead bins of 777s of 15 years ago. The result, the "737 Sky Interior," features these tucked-away bins to relieve the claustrophobia of the past while borrowing a Virgin America's touch of mood lighting to highlight the lofty aisle.

So where will the more statuesque folk feel more comfortable flying in the future? Boeing has already sold a bunch of these 737s, which also include fuel-conserving engine upgrades, to big and small airline names alike: Continental Airlines, FlyDubai, GOL of Brazil, Lion Air Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle and TUIfly. Just don't go wearing your 10-gallon hat on board quite yet; sadly these big babies won't be hitting the tarmac until next year.

Related Stories:
· Spiffed up 737 will let passengers stand tall at their seats [Seattle Times]
· Boeing Unveils Performance, Comfort Changes to Next-Generation 737s [Bername]
· Boeing Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Seattle Times]

Lounging at The Airport: Continental's Presidents Club

April 27, 2009 at 12:16 PM | 2 Comments

Airport lounges promise respite from the sad public seating at the gates and the unhealthy diet offerings of the terminal food courts. But of course, at a premium price. All week long at Jaunted we will be detailing what it costs to lounge at the big domestic airline lounges. Got any suggestions or tips? Let us know.

Continental's Presidents Club
· How Much: $45 for one person per day. Yearly membership starts at $475 (includes $50 initiation fee), if you have no airline status. Those with BusinessFirst or International Business Class boarding passes can stop by for free, and can bring two guests.
· Internet Access: Free WiFi, and they've got telephones with data ports—just in case you miss the days of 56K.
· Beverages: Complimentary beverages and bar service. That means free booze from your usual favorities. They've also got some fancy wines from some of Napa Valley's finest, like Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, but these will cost you some cash.
· Snacks: The lounge offers "light snacks." This looks to usually be fruit, cheese and crackers, chips, and peanuts. In the mornings, small bagels and other pastries are offered.
· Other Amenities: Newspapers, magazines, business center, and unlimited access to the copy machine. The ones at EWR and IAH have showers and family rooms.
· What To Watch Out For: Must be 21 to join the club. There are 26 clubs; five of them are in Houston and three in Newark.

Are you a frequent visitor to the Continental Presidents Club Lounges? Tell us what you like or dislike in the comments below.

Related Stories:
·Continental Airlines - Presidents Club Lounges [Official Site]
·Annals Of Things We Can't Afford: AA's New 'Flagship Experience' [Jaunted]
·Airport Lounges coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of a lounge in IAH: TravelingOtter]

Five In-Flight Movies To Avoid Now

April 21, 2009 at 2:37 PM | 3 Comments

Try as we might to entertain ourselves in the air, we occasionally get sucked into the in-flight movie anyway. It's difficult not to feel that childlike tickle of enthusiasm as the pop-down screen descends and people all around you take out their headphones. When we were younger, this was a golden opportunity to watch (an edited version of) the movies our parents wouldn't take us to -- only now do we realize how right they were, when we single out the worst in-flight movies this month.

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Five Air Fare Sales in Case You Get a Tax Refund

April 15, 2009 at 1:41 PM | 0 Comments

Today is Tax Day and if you aren't out protesting in a Tax Day Tea Party, then perhaps you're like us, fantasizing about getting a fat tax refund and spending it on travel. Of course, the only problem is that some of these sales require you to book immediately to take advantage of the deal. So make sure there's room in your budget just in case that rebate doesn't come in like you thought. Below, we've rounded up Five Air Fare Sales in Case You Get a Tax Refund.

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Enjoy a Shanghai Noon With Continental

March 27, 2009 at 11:09 AM | 0 Comments

Always planned to go to China? This could be your year: Our relatives at Concierge.com spotted a great Newark-Shanghai fare in honor of Continental's newest Far East destination.

$315 one-way may not seem like such great shakes, but it's way below what other carriers have asked for the same route. Pick among 9 cities (including hub Houston, New Orleans and Washington D.C.) to the largest city in China. Just don't forget your stretches: It's a 14-and-a-half hour nonstop from Newark.

Related Stories:
· $700 Roundtrips to Shanghai on Continental [Concierge.com]
· Shanghai's Airports Are Totally Going to Hook Up [Jaunted]
· Great Deals to Shanghai [Continental.com]

[Photo: marcusuke]

Airlines Play Hopscotch at Chicago's O'Hare Airport

February 17, 2009 at 12:58 PM | 0 Comments

There is possibly nothing more annoying than having to get all the way out to Chicago's O'Hare Airport early in the morning for a domestic flight, and then trudging out to the furthest gates while whiffs of McDonald's McGriddles come at your nostrils from every angle. If the carriers soon get their wishes to shuffle down a few gates, then this may be a problem of the past as you'll be at the gate in no time.

According to the Chicago Tribune, falling passenger counts and airline alliances are about to cause an earthquake amongst the gates at O'Hare as airlines give up a few jetways and shuffle in closer to their comrades. Among those most affected are Delta and Continental, whose future vacant gates are already drawing greedy glances from American Airlines and (finally!) Virgin America, who had abandoned Chicago as a destination because of gate occupancy issues in the past.

Look O'Hare, all we ask of you is a little space for Virgin America and perhaps some closer gates for JetBlue, whose two current jetways are practically way out in Minnesota. Perhaps maybe then we'll stop ditching you for Midway...perhaps.

Related Stories:
· Gate crashers: O'Hare Terminal Moves Expected [Chicago Tribune]
· Carriers poised for major moves at O'Hare [SmartBrief]
· Airport News coverage [Jaunted]

[O'Hare from the air: caribb]

More Info, More Mysteries For Buffalo Crash

February 16, 2009 at 9:21 AM | 0 Comments

As investigators rush to recover information about Continental Connection Flight 3407, which took the lives of 50 last Thursday night when it crashed outside of Buffalo, the pieces still don't add up. But here's what we learned about the flight from this weekend:

Flight 3407 did not nosedive, but rather crashed flat. This pattern may explain why the plane only landed on one house, killing Douglas Wielinski, a man who lived there (and sending his family to the hospital with minor injuries), but sparing his neighbors.

The plane did, in fact, have major ice build-up. The theory floated early Friday that icing may have hastened 3407's descent is given grounding by the black boxes, which demonstrate that the flight crew both noticed the ice and had the plane de-icer on at the time of the crash.

The plane may have been on auto-pilot, violating airline regulations. It's the policy of Colgan Air, which operated Flight 3407, that pilots manually operate the plane in cases of "severe" icing, which may not have been present that night. Still, it's chilling to think that anything might have kept the captain and crew from righting the plane in case conditions in the air suddenly changed.

Related Stories:
· Flight 3407 Plummeted Straight Down, Killing 50 [ABC News]
· Stunned N.Y. town mourns amid questions about Flight 3407 procedures [LA Times]
· Unease Over Weather’s Role in a City Known for Snow [NY Times]
· Friday: 49 Dead In Upstate N.Y. Continental Crash [Jaunted]

[Photo of Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Flight 3407's final destination: darkwater]