Continental Airlines sent me the "spam" I reprint below. I call it spam, as it has nothing to do with MY BUSINESS relationship with Continental (which might include a flight to Costa Rica) which has absolutely nothing to do with China.Before I decided whether to support their plan or not I figured I'd check out their website and analyze how they do with foreign flights. For example, last time I checked, Delta wouldn't let me book a flight from South America to the USA on their website.
Continental seemed to do ok (but is severly restricted by the cities they serve), I also couldn't figure out if their +/- a couple day option did anything (when starting at a foreign destination).
What I did learn was amazing. Continental will fly a Boeing 767-400 from Rio de Janiro to Houston, Texas (a distance they show as 5,016 miles) in just 1 hour and 15 minutes! See below.
So, I asked their investor relations department for their response.
Why should I support flights to China... when you say a flight from Rio to Houston (over 5,000 miles) is just 1 hr 15 minutes in the air?
I think such assertations is a good reason NOT to support your flights to China or investment in your company!
From $1,187.00
Depart:
6:55 p.m.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG) Arrive:
5:20 a.m. +1 Day
Houston, TX (IAH - Intercontinental) Flight Time:
1 hr 15 mn OnePass Miles/
Elite Qualification:
5,016 /150% Flight: CO92
Aircraft: Boeing 767-400ER
Fare Class: Economy (H)
Meal: Dinner
No Special Meal Offered.
View Seats
Help Continental Secure New Shanghai Gateway
Let us be your carrier to Shanghai=2E=20
We're asking for your help in supporting our proposed new route from New Yo=
rk/Newark to Shanghai, China, beginning spring 2007=2E Competition is g with only one U=2ES=2E airline able to secure a daily flight to and from =
China next year=2E
Show your support for Continental by signing your name to our electronic pe=
tition* that will be submitted to the U=2ES=2E Department of Transportation=
=2E The DOT will base its decision on multiple factors including community =
support and the amount of business the new route will generate=2E
Plus, don't forget to tell your family, friends and colleagues about the
pr=
ospect for Continental's new flight to China=2E
Update 9/9/2006
Continental responds. It was nice to get a fairly quick response. However, it is a bit disappointing that they simply applogize about the incorrect information provided by their website and make no indication they want to correct the problem. Especially since it appears to be a problem not only with the length of the flight, but the route as well. It was not at all clear to me from their website that there was stop.
It should have also been extremely clear (since I cut and pasted from their website) that the problem was with their website and not an agent.
Thank you for letting us know how you feel about our proposal to serve these routes. I apologize if our agent or possibly our website showed that our flight from Houston to Rio, when it is actually approximately 12 hours and 25 minutes with a stop in San Paulo. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Sincerely,
Cheryl San Jose