Continental Airlines is no longer. The airline took it’s last flight last night from Phoenix, AZ to Cleveland, OH. The airline is now going to be totally under United Airlines after the biggest merger in airline history. United Airlines is also now the world’s largest airline. Even Continental’s website has been taken down causing some minor glitches. Read more below.
United Airlines will finally shutter Continental Saturday, two years after the merger that created the world’s largest airline.
As part of the merger agreement, United kept its name and the headquarters (Chicago), Continental kept the CEO (Jeffery Smisek) and globe livery.
The final Continental flight takes off Friday night. Flight 1267 is scheduled to depart from Phoenix at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time), and arrive in Cleveland as a United flight Saturday morning, the Associated Press reports.
Come Saturday, all reservation data will lay in one system (when Virgin America switched over in the fall, it created a big headache for the airline). The company will run one frequent-flier program and tickets, counters and signage will all say United.
United Airlines has spent months training former Continental employees on the system, Reuters reported earlier this week.
Continental’s website will go dark at 2 a.m. EST Saturday. The AP reports that United will have the switch completed in time for check-in for 6 a.m. flights Saturday.
In honor of the momentous occasion, we decided to cull the Continental archives for photos from throughout the airline’s history. United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson told The Huffington Post, “It will be tough for many of us to see the Continental name go away, but this is an important step in offering travelers the simpler, easier experience that they’ve asked for since the United and Continental merger.â€
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