[Job] Continental Airlines

They may own the industry but Southwest doesn't fly International or fly into major airports like IAH, EWR, LAX. So that's why I don't really fly them.

 

Count me in as someone who prefers to fly Southwest. I fly a decent amount, and whenever possible, I take Southwest. It's not the cost (I don't pay for it), but the service. I actually really like the boarding system, I think the employees are usually friendly, they are usually on-time (here in CHI they fly out of Midway, which is a big plus for me), and the rewards system is great. I've always wanted to go work for them one day. I just feel that they put a lot more emphasis on being people-oriented than other airlines. Whenever I fly AA or United or any of the others, I just feel like they've lost the human element. Most of them don't even do the safety demonstration with people, it's just a video now. It feels so mass-produced to me. Southwest feels more personal, IMO.

 

Southwest flies to lax, i went there a few weeks ago. Southwest is pretty good. They are pretty much like a bus, but they tend to not nickle and dime you. They also have a good staff.

 

I agree on all points. I'm also glad they came up with the new boarding system. It beats the old system of queing up at the gate as soon as you got there.

Now if only they'd sort out flights to NY and Boston.
Rocket Rich NYC, if you gotta fly international then you can fly on a foreign carrier. More than likely they'll provide better service than any of the American legacy carriers-BA, Virgin, KLM, Lufthansa etc. They aren't perfect but they are better than the homegrown carriers in the States.

I like the fact Southwest flies out of smaller airports. I just got back from Chicago and I am grateful Southwest flies to Midway and not O'hare cos it would have been a bit more expensive getting to my hotel from O'hare than Midway.

Hooray for Southwest.

 

With airlines cutting back on everything, including flights and routes, I would expect Southwest to pick up some of the slack. They do fly into LAX by the way.

 

THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT WHICH CARRIER YOU LIKE!

The OP asked if you had any idea of he should work in technology for an airline. Quite trying to thread jack him.

 

HAHA, well said, my apologies for playing my part in turning the thread around.

OP, go work for continental brotha.

 

Well, it happens to us all.

 

The reason why I brought up the International route is that if he works for Continental, he will get to fly International as an employee for pass travel. I wasn't trying to veer off the topic. I think the IT department will be safe from cuts at Continental especially if he has good credentials. To me working for Continental has some more benefits than working for SW.

 

Nothing will be safe from cuts. They cut IT people when I worked there.

One thing for the OP to consider: If this is a major career decision, DO NOT base it on the flight benefits. You will severely regret it. They are great to have and in my time I flew all over the world (every continent except Africa), but that was on company business. Personal pass travel won't make up for a low salary (or lack of salary increases) that make it hard for you to afford going anywhere worth visiting. The great places around the world are expensive even without paying the airfare, especially when you factor in the low U.S dollar.

 

I worked at CO downtown and left a couple years ago. The pay low, so before you accept, make sure you are comfortable with how you're paid. Oh, and try to get more vacation time, too.

Those buddy pass prices posted earlier are not what employees pay (or their immediately family), so don't be thrown by that, that's what you're friends would pay - - I seem to recall just paying the fees or taxes, which was like $25 round trip. With flight loads ever increasing, do not expect to fly standby on just any flight... especially during the holidays. And because of standby boarding priority, the buddies are low man on the totem pole.

My immediate family used the flight benefits a lot, but I never used the buddy passes because they were not really worth it. Oh, and if you have little kids, they can't fly first class standby.

And I thought IT was outsourced at CO?? Could be wrong, I wan't in IT. And for any of the negatives, I have to say I loved working there. The airline industry is not for the faint of heart, but now that the merger talks have quieted down, maybe it's a little less risky. I basically left only for two reasons: (1) more money and (2) working closer to home.

 

Great! Good luck with the new venture, I hope it works out for the best for you. If I ever need any plane tickets, hook me up.

 

I think they outsource in IAH and other airports, the HQ building has its own dedicated Continental IT guys. So it's not like they'll have an IT problem in Miami or Las Vegas and send a Continental IT guy to fix it, those guys are pretty much stuck in the HQ building.

 

Congratulations on the job and the pay increase! (can I use your buddy pass opportunities so I can fly incredibly cheap? I need to go to England in the fall )

 

Congrats. Most IT folks don't last too long in a specific job, so I think this was a good move to get your skill set progressed and also the pay raise. Going in the right direction.

 

I got dibs. BACK OFF!

 

Good luck. I hope this works out well for you. Relative to the other legacy airlines (NW, DL, AA, UA, US), CO has a much brighter future through the current turmoil.