Continental Joins Star Alliance, Better Positions Airline To Deliver A Broader Network (CAL)

10/27/2009 - Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL) officially joined the Star Alliance on Tuesday. The move will give passengers more options and the airline more places to expand. The Star Alliance has 25 members, which includes United, US Airways, Lufthansa and Air Canada. Continental left the SkyTeam alliance over a year ago after Delta and Northwest announced they would merge, reducing Continental to "junior partner status" and preventing the airline from having the kind of input it wanted, according to COO Jeff Smisek. Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner said, "Continental's transition to Star Alliance is one of the most important strategic moves we have accomplished in my career at Continental. Our membership in Star Alliance positions us to deliver a broader network to our customers, and to achieve better business results and a stronger future for my co-workers, our customers and communities as a result of the benefits from participating in the world's largest airline alliance."

Write to Chip Brian at cbrian@tradethetrend.com

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