Try Flapping your Arms and Jumping off a Roof (Continental Airlines)

Member Name: Essexgirl2006

Product:	Continental Airlines
Date:	23/09/07 (1237 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Efficient staff, good choice of routes, I didn't die

Disadvantages: Starvation and Hypothermia

For my trip to Central America I booked with a small group tour company and they used Continental Airlines, whom I had not flown with before. Most similar UK companies also used this airline for such destination. A quick search on the web showed why - it was the only major airline that flew to the necessary airports with only one stop over, as there were no direct flights.

To fly to Merida in the Yucatan region of Mexico, you had to fly via Houston, Texas. Most other airlines including Air France, American Airlines and Mexican Aviacsa Airlines took two stops, some involving a change of airline. I initially assumed it was because Merida was a more obscure airport, with most airlines flying to Cancun or Mexico City, but a quick check showed that this still meant two stops with any other company. My flight was included in the price, but flight checking websites also showed Continental's prices to be as cheap as the two-stop airlines. With my flight home was from Guatemala City there were more choice of airlines running one-stop routes (but no direct flights) including British Airways, but most of these flights involved travel with more than one airline. Thus, I was convinced that Continental is the only choice as far as Central American destinations are concerned.

Continental Airlines was founded in El Paso Texas in the 1930s, and has experienced mergers, take-overs and near bankruptcy to become one of the largest airlines in the world. It flies to more UK destinations that any other US airline making it a viable choice for those not wishing to trek to London to fly to the USA.

I requested of my travel company an aisle seat and a vegetarian meal, and this was confirmed by them and all went well on that front.

You can book tickets on their website as well as through specialist comparison sites, and it seems that flights booked direct are cheaper, but it is always worth doing a comparison if you are free to book your own flights. The website gives information about baggage restrictions, and in flight entertainment. From this I gathered I was not going to be watching movies on demand as I have when flying Virgin for example, but I would get a seat back screen and personal console for games etc.

Check in at Gatwick had a bit of a queue but as you join one queue and the front person moves to the next free desk it saves on the frustration of watching every other queue move faster. After ten/twelve minutes I was seen to and was dealt with in an efficient and friendly manner. So far, so good. Security checks caused some delays so I headed virtually straight to the gate where they boarded promptly. Unfortunately there was a chap who apparently had been chucked of a Virgin Atlantic flight for being intoxicated, somehow he was now on ours and his hangover kicked in and we had to wait an hour for him (or rather his luggage) to be offloaded. The pilot kept us informed throughout.

The plane I was to fly my first leg on was a 777-200ER which has seats in economy in a 3 x 3 x 3 formation. Overall including Business/First class the plane seated up to 256 passengers. The plane was clean although there was a chemical smell coming from the toilets which either evaporated or I got used to. There are no goody bags on this flight (at least not in economy) so I just had a small pillow and thin blanket on my seat. Leg room for my petite frame was adequate, I had a strapping Texan chap next to me and he had slightly less room. Definitely something to worry about if you top the six foot mark.

Checking the website before I left I was a bit worried that the meal was confirmed as a 'snack', for a ten hour flight! I guess most airline meals are little more than snacks anyway. For my main meal (lunchtime), about an hour after take off, I had a vegetarian curry which was brought directly to my seat as I had pre-ordered it, before anyone else was served. Half the small tray was taken up of an unappetising salad that consisted of a dish of shredded lettuce and a quarter of a tomato. This didn't just accompany the veggie meal but all meals, it didn't seem to go down well with my fellow passengers either. My curry was delicious and was also served with a small roll with sunflower spread (vegetarian meals tend to be lumped together with vegan meals by airlines for their convenience). For dessert there was a fruit salad containing chunks of mango that were so large I had to cut them with the plastic knife I'd used for my curry. The salad also contained blood orange segments and a sliver of kiwi fruit. I also discovered that alcoholic beverages cost US$5.00 or £3.00 in Economy (complimentary in Business/First Class). All soft drinks, teas and coffees are free. They staff do come round regularly with cups of water or other drinks.

Hot drinks were good business as the air con was turned up to the max in our part of the plane (wandering about the temperature was more pleasant in other parts) with even the strapping Texan chap next to me huddling under his blanket. Some people sat with their coats on for the whole flight.

The films on offer what not well known ones, after watching some new episodes of CSI (the series that has just started in the UK); I watched an Anthony Hopkins film called The Fastest Indian. I didn't play any of the games but they had a good mix of music channels and a map showing the plane's progress which I seem to be able to stare at for hours.

A little while later we got a small tub of ice cream which I thought was a nice touch, and then that was it. Apart from drinks and water there was no food in the offing until an hour before we were due to land. Apart from the ice cream we ate nothing for 8 hours and were starving. The stewardesses said this was normal, as they brought me a salad sandwich containing a piece of lettuce and two slices of tomato (no cheese because for their convenience I am classed as a vegan), a plum and a bag of crisps. Meat eaters got a turkey sandwich, but I don't think they were any more impressed than I was.

Landing was OK and we had a rush to collect our bags for our connecting flight to Merida. Even though we were flying with the same airline we had to collect our bags, put any new liquid duty frees in them and then load them up on a different conveyor belt to be put onto our next flight. This flight left about 45 mins late but we had no explanation. The second flight lasted two hours. Seat formation was 3x3 and there was a small shared TV screen that wasn't operational. We were served a snack, and mine was a soya sandwich with plastic vegan cheese. I was only marginally more impressed with this than the salad one.

Our return flight from Guatemala City to Houston was slightly longer and they did show a film. Lunch consisted of a fruit salad and a tiny piece of potato salad garnished with onion that was all a bit strange. The landing was awful, we had quite a bit of turbulence and the pilot came in far to fast and the plane was juddering and weaving all over the place once it hit the tarmac. People screamed. I might have made a small, girlie squeaking noise, but I was concentrating on not throwing up my strange lunch with all the turbulence.

Bearing in mind our experiences on the way over, Houston became a meal stop before boarding our final leg. With a tail wind this cut the flying time down, thus the risk of starvation was minimalised (not least because I was armed with crisps and nuts for emergencies). I had a curry again; it was pleasant and spicy but was also served with the same insult of a salad. Other options included beef lasagne and grilled chicken. Ignoring the poor choices for films (most of which were the same as the way over) I chose to try and sleep and ignore the person in the row in front who sniffed for nine hours solid. At least the plane was warmer this time (I'd brought my fleece on with me just in case). Before landing in London a cold breakfast was served of fruit and a roll. Landing was uneventful this time, thankfully.

Overall I wasn't really impressed with them. The staff were courteous but not exceptional and the flights represented good value for money. I hesitate to recommend them but for certain destinations they are the most convenient airline to use. Just remember to carry an extra sweater and take a packed lunch.

Summary: Wrap up warm and take emergency supplies