The Rise and Fall and Rise and Fall of Continental Airlines: From Elevations to Devastations

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  • Опубліковано 11 лип 2024
  • Once a major player in the airline industry, Continental Airlines went through a series of ups and downs throughout its history. From its founding in 1934 to its merger with United Airlines in 2010, Continental Airlines faced numerous challenges, including financial struggles, bankruptcy, and intense competition. However, despite these challenges, the airline managed to innovate and adapt to changing market conditions, ultimately becoming one of the most successful airlines in the United States in the 1990s after suffering a brutal decade in the 1980s. But along the way, Continental also faced controversy and tragedy, but its stunning redemption is what can make it most notable. This is the story of the slow rise of Continental, its downfall, its unforeseen redemption, and finally its demise.
    Hey everyone! Sorry for not uploading for a while, this video was a lot of hard work and just a complex workload. But, this is one of the most brutal videos I've ever worked on so I hope you all enjoy this video. More vids like these will start appearing sooner than later (or not; depending on if I'm not lazy all day lol).
    Chapters: Intro: 0:00-0:49
    Takeoff: 0:50-3:26
    Ascent: 3:27-6:36
    Descent: 6:37-11:22
    The Unforeseen Redemption: 11:23-13:24
    The Not-So Drastic Impact: 13:25-16:16
    Epilogue: 16:17-17:07
    Enjoyed this video? Go check out my others!
    / @sideshowbob24
    Wanna chat? Here's my discord: Sideshowbob24#5370
    Music: Lakey Inspired - Blue Boi/Chill Day
    Hopeless - Myuu
    Information used:
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contine...
    hbr.org/1998/09/right-away-an...
    All information used in this video is for fair and educational use under section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.
    NOTE* All videos and photos used in this video are NOT MINE and belong to their respective owners.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 93

  • @rtturkish1734
    @rtturkish1734 6 місяців тому +11

    My dad worked for Continental in the uk. Had great memories and much admiration for this airline which took us to American many times throughout ny childhood.

  • @moreedcola6837
    @moreedcola6837 5 місяців тому +5

    I think it’s safe to say that Continental lives on considering most of United’s planes bear their livery.

    • @327Erich
      @327Erich 2 місяці тому

      That was an unfortunate choice by management. I loved Continental as an airline, but I'd very much prefer the UAL tulip to the boring Continental livery.

  • @nmaviation1
    @nmaviation1 10 місяців тому +4

    Very well made video man! New sub👍

  • @deathanoide3041
    @deathanoide3041 11 місяців тому +6

    Wow, nice! Welcome back man! 😊

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  11 місяців тому +2

      Thanks Deathanoide. It’s good to be back

  • @panam0027
    @panam0027 11 місяців тому +4

    Yay You are back My dad flo on contineltal Airlines In 1989 From mcallen to houston in 727 And then from Houston to Orlando In a Dc 10
    I Miss this airline

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  11 місяців тому +1

      well, some of them still lived on in united. Including their parent company

  • @user-pt8go4tc7n
    @user-pt8go4tc7n 10 місяців тому

    I like your video, I also wanted to look up their routes from Los Angeles to Taipei but couldn't find any sadly.

  • @AdamRazaAvia
    @AdamRazaAvia 11 місяців тому +5

    nice that you're getting better with these videos. Think I should consider myself using a new editor like yours.

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  11 місяців тому

      I think you should. Davinci Resolve has way more features than WMM but it's quite an adjustment.

  • @drugiedno1373
    @drugiedno1373 11 місяців тому +1

    good job 👍👍

  • @JEEHADMOTOVLOGS-tp7hg
    @JEEHADMOTOVLOGS-tp7hg 11 місяців тому +4

    Good video

  • @jetPower1960
    @jetPower1960 10 місяців тому +4

    In 1987 New York Air was also merged with Continental.

  • @jameswaters3939
    @jameswaters3939 7 місяців тому +4

    Al Feldman didn't auger in. His passing was ruled a suicide, but that's not what happened. Right Frank?

    • @stuartlee6622
      @stuartlee6622 6 місяців тому

      EXACTLY!!!!

    • @jameswaters3939
      @jameswaters3939 6 місяців тому

      @@stuartlee6622 Some kind of court mafia looks the other way as if nothing happened. Go figure. I did find out that Robert F. Six, his 1st wife was the daughter of the Pfizer CEO. They apparently financed the company purchase for him.

    • @ecoRfan
      @ecoRfan 5 місяців тому

      He was s**cided

  • @stevemclean9411
    @stevemclean9411 9 місяців тому +3

    They had great customer service in the 90s. Long gone now.

  • @ReneBuret
    @ReneBuret 8 місяців тому +4

    Continental had DC-9s in the '80s. Flight 1713 Denver Colorado crash was on 11/15/87.

    • @alanmiller9681
      @alanmiller9681 3 місяці тому

      Yes. I flew out of Stapleton airport a day before the snowstorm that took down CO1713. They used the small version of the DC-9 for flights to a few smaller places like Boise.

  • @alanmiller9681
    @alanmiller9681 3 місяці тому

    Yes. Bethune was a great CEO. I was flying CO regularly in those days and loved it. Customer Service was great!

    • @Blank00
      @Blank00 Місяць тому

      I hope he comes back to United after stepping down from Boeing

  • @hmodalamari4056
    @hmodalamari4056 9 місяців тому +1

    Request: Do South African Airways Retired fleets

  • @TheBigChief
    @TheBigChief 10 місяців тому +1

    found this interesting even though im not really into planes

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  10 місяців тому +1

      well, there will definitely be more so stick around :D!

  • @sosaix3545
    @sosaix3545 9 місяців тому +11

    Demise? CO was the surviving carrier (on paper) with United - theirs was the surviving operating certificate and the surviving leadership team. CO still lives, they're just known by another name.

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  9 місяців тому +1

      Listen to what I said at the end

    • @sosaix3545
      @sosaix3545 9 місяців тому +1

      @@Sideshowbob24 and yet your title says "...and fall of Continental.."

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  9 місяців тому

      @@sosaix3545 True. But what if I were to put a question mark next to the second fall that would sort of connect with the thumbnail's title "Downfall or not?"

    • @sosaix3545
      @sosaix3545 9 місяців тому +2

      @@Sideshowbob24 you are ultimately able to do what you want with your videos, of course, but from my position it would at least validate that they did not "fall," as they were truly the surviving entity of the CO/UA merger.

    • @Blank00
      @Blank00 8 місяців тому +3

      Since the Munoz takeover in 2015, UA has been trying to make a new identity that has nothing to do with Tulip UA or CO. The only remnants of the past are the Globe logo from CO and Rhapsody in Blue from UA, but everything else is all new. United’s current leadership such as Scott Kirby was not from Continental. Munoz also wanted to distance United from CO, so much so that he said he did not want Bethune on the board if Bethune wanted to come back. the latest cabin design is very different than CO’s cabin for example, and CO used to have touches of gold in their livery, which UA is retiring.

  • @forty94u
    @forty94u 9 місяців тому

    Do continental’s retired fleet

  • @Nicks_Memepage
    @Nicks_Memepage 7 місяців тому

    What’s up Gavin? How’ve you been doing?

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  7 місяців тому

      not bad man. It's been some time

  • @gregs1965
    @gregs1965 Місяць тому

    left out a big chunk of history. shutting down Texas International, taking their jets and bringing them to NYC and forming NYAir. NYAir went head to head with Eastern on the BOS/DC shuttle and dominated it. NYAir was already part of Texas Air Corp and was folded into the merger of CAL, PE, Frontier.

  • @Hfonua
    @Hfonua 7 місяців тому +3

    Flew Continental multiple times from LAX to HNL in the early 2000s. 767-400ER.. It was a hidden gem. It was always wide open and only wide body at the time to Hawaii that had tvs on every seat. Most up to date ife!
    Before delta rolled out with their IFE on every seat, Continental was already on the road to that.
    Worked for United for 9 years starting back in 2011 in SFO (United dominate hub) .. You can tell the difference of work styles of employees with UA and CO because EX- CO would ALWAYS go above and beyond to help the passengers vs SUB- UA’s strict policies. Everything UA today that’s good is branched from CO as their culture did eventually bleed into UAs over time. Also UA aircrafts were way dated compared to CO and passengers would complain all the time of how one has TV and chargers and one doesn’t. From UAs Airbus 320 family to their 747s it was very out dated, compared to CO’s Boeing planes that had tvs and more modern. Loyal CO passengers would connect from EWR and IAH and go to Asia/pacific on UA - Metal, would complain all the time. Lol
    Also UA was a perfect Merger with CO as their routes in the South Pacific/Asia was strong as well. Now they have the strongest international network out here of any airline in the USA and probably around the world! With new aircrafts in the process and new livery. It’s was a game changer in the waiting for sure.

    • @williamerazo3921
      @williamerazo3921 5 місяців тому

      Yup

    • @alanmiller9681
      @alanmiller9681 Місяць тому

      I like your opinions about Continental, but I will likely never fly United again. I also quit flying domestically, but continue to fly internationally. My favorite airline is Singapore Air. It’s as good as it gets these days especially in Business Class, but also Economy Plus.

  • @TheRealMrMoonlight
    @TheRealMrMoonlight 9 місяців тому

    Enjoyed the video, but you spelled "Epilogue" wrong.

  • @Blank00
    @Blank00 3 місяці тому

    For those that say Continental was the bad airline just because Smisek messed up the merger, let’s make an analogy. When Dennis Muilenberg was at Boeing, he maintained the culture that Boeing inherited from MD. But that does not mean he came from MD since he has been at Boeing since before the MD merger. MD is to United as Boeing is to Continental as Smisek is to Muilenberg.

  • @johannesbols57
    @johannesbols57 2 місяці тому

    Bethune wanted more from his employees and reduced their benefits. Fuck that.

  • @savagecub
    @savagecub 5 місяців тому +1

    United Airlines had put their entire spare parts inventory up for hock to Chase Bank. Continental was happy to stay on the sidelines and watch United fail. Buying up only the pieces that made sense. Chase bank (also Continental’s bank) did not want to be left holding a bunch of airplane parts so a merger was ordered. At the time of the merger Continental pilots were being paid considerably higher hourly wages than United pilots - FACT !

  • @prussiandudeidk
    @prussiandudeidk 11 місяців тому +2

    will you do any rise of falls of any defunct international airlines, low cost carriers and etc?

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  11 місяців тому +1

      Yes that’s what I’m doing currently

    • @prussiandudeidk
      @prussiandudeidk 11 місяців тому

      @@Sideshowbob24Oh ok.

    • @prussiandudeidk
      @prussiandudeidk 11 місяців тому

      @@Sideshowbob24When you are done uploading the rise and fall of jas video, can you do a rise and fall of any european airline like sabena or malev?

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  11 місяців тому

      @@prussiandudeidk I have an entire list of airlines I want to do videos just like this one on. All I'll say is Sabena and Malev are in there ;)

    • @prussiandudeidk
      @prussiandudeidk 11 місяців тому

      @@Sideshowbob24cool!

  • @andrewohare8550
    @andrewohare8550 9 місяців тому

    No business can be conducted on Continental Flights, least pay heavy consequences

  • @sosaix3545
    @sosaix3545 9 місяців тому

    It's International Association of MACHINISTS and Aerospace Workers, not Mechanics. The mechanics were represented by the IAM, but it's the machinists' union, not mechanics.

  • @nascarmad
    @nascarmad 5 місяців тому

    Air mail was the root of the airlines in the late 20s, 30s and early 40s. At one point, three airlines were awarded serious east-west routes. United was north, TWA central and American south. This is reflected in their hub structure into the 90's - United and Chicago; TWA and St Louis; AA and Dallas. If there wasn't anyone that was going to fly from point A to point B, then the station manager at point A would write a letter to the station manager at point B so they could get the BIG BUCKS that the mail paid vs what the few passengers of the day paid.
    The proud bird with the golden tail. Or as we reworded it, the rotten bird with the golden tail or the proud bird with the rotten tail.

    • @Blank00
      @Blank00 4 місяці тому

      To be fair, it wasn’t rotten during the 1990s and 2000s. They were one of the better US carriers during those decades

    • @nascarmadman
      @nascarmadman 4 місяці тому

      @@Blank00 True. We were too young to understand the airline business - it was just us mocking the slogan. Come to think of it, after spending 26 years in the industry, I'm not sure how much of it I understand now!

  • @chrisdidonna7371
    @chrisdidonna7371 3 місяці тому

    Didn't Feldman start frontier

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  3 місяці тому

      he was President of the airline from 1971-1980. He became CEO of Continental in 1980 until he k!lled himself.

  • @piedmontatl
    @piedmontatl 4 місяці тому

    How many times can you say "however"? LOL

  • @stevemclean9411
    @stevemclean9411 9 місяців тому +2

    I miss express jet. Continental has been " Unitedised" , very sad.

  • @bromeliad11
    @bromeliad11 9 місяців тому +5

    United was trapped in the 1970's there interiors were. So out
    dated. United had the rudest employees.

    • @ecoRfan
      @ecoRfan 5 місяців тому +1

      Employees were hit or miss. Had some great pre merger UA employees both before and after the merger. Airplanes themselves were very dated. After the merger I flew on two UA 757s still wearing the Tulip scheme, and the interiors were stuck in the early 1990s with tube TV’s over the aisles, dark wallpaper lavatories, and even airfones. They (N530UA and N523UA) were built in 1991 and 1990, respectively. Flew nicely as they were 757s, but bad interiors.
      Ex-Continental airplanes on the other hand, including the 757s, were a lot more modern than the pre merger United units.

  • @LSchaeffer2010
    @LSchaeffer2010 Місяць тому

    Miss continental airlines still. Was such a great airline to fly on

  • @clausstimpfig3803
    @clausstimpfig3803 9 місяців тому +2

    they took away their international first class cabin. and thats when the downfall came. just like on TWA. Both bankrupt.
    An international FIRST CLASS CABIN IS NECESSARY NOT ONLY BUSINESSCLASS. Air France LA PREMIERE, Swiss FIRST, BA FIRST, LH FIRST ALEGRIS. Not to mention SQ, CX, Japan airlines brand new FIRST CLASS. I felt so ashamed when we at TWA did discontinue our First class cabin

    • @Blank00
      @Blank00 8 місяців тому +1

      What do you have to say about Delta, which is nowadays America’s most reputable airline?

    • @clausstimpfig3803
      @clausstimpfig3803 8 місяців тому +1

      They do not have an INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS CABIN anymore. They are nothing compared to other FIRST CLASS carriers. Mean staff, below standard food, NO LUXURY, No nothing oh yeah and cheap champagne. No vintage champagne. The U.S. carrier do not count anymore. Wish you would have had the opportunity to fly T.W.A. Royal Ambassador First class..I was a part of the fame.@@Blank00

  • @cameron.t
    @cameron.t 9 днів тому

    Downfall? Continental bought United. Similarly, America West saw no downfall... it acquired US Airways, which itself merged with American. I kid you not, it is the management team from America West that oversaw much of the US-AA merger...

  • @bracedgod4505
    @bracedgod4505 11 місяців тому +3

    Losing the Continental name kinda sucked, but at least the globe stayed and they went out on a more positive note. Cant say the same about so many others.
    Many memories in Houston, and going transatlantic EWR to Barcelona in a 757 was quite a way to get into Europe.

    • @GiordanDiodato
      @GiordanDiodato 10 місяців тому +1

      after that Colgan Air crash, I'm glad they're gone

    • @capt.jessiedemore2884
      @capt.jessiedemore2884 10 місяців тому +3

      @@GiordanDiodato Thats a whole seprate Compnay

    • @christopherwaits7852
      @christopherwaits7852 10 місяців тому +4

      The globe is awful. Bring back the Tulip

    • @Blank00
      @Blank00 8 місяців тому

      @@GiordanDiodatothis crash was not the fault of Continental. It was the fault of Colgan Air, who also operated flights for UA and US Airways

    • @ecoRfan
      @ecoRfan 5 місяців тому

      @@Blank00I’ll never forget my flight on a Colgan Air Saab 340 prop plane from Dulles to Allentown. It was operated for United Express. Total trip back in time. Felt like a movie from the 1960s.

  • @joebarker4211
    @joebarker4211 6 місяців тому

    A few erroneous comments in this video - clearly you did not research your topic very well

    • @Sideshowbob24
      @Sideshowbob24  6 місяців тому

      What were these erroneous comments?

  • @texgaming3504
    @texgaming3504 Місяць тому

    United ruined a good thing.

  • @christopherwaits7852
    @christopherwaits7852 10 місяців тому +22

    continental ruined United. Bring back the Tulip

    • @sosaix3545
      @sosaix3545 9 місяців тому +12

      Scratch that, reverse it. And the tulip needs to stay dead.

    • @christopherwaits7852
      @christopherwaits7852 9 місяців тому +1

      @@sosaix3545 continental needs to stay dead and their turd ball. Long live the Tulip! Death to continental

    • @pamdancey482
      @pamdancey482 9 місяців тому +20

      United destroyed Continental.

    • @savagecub
      @savagecub 5 місяців тому +3

      Don’t ever say United “bought” Continental !…………That’s like saying a homeless guy bought a Cadillac ! Let me tell you what you can do with your two lips 👄!!!!!

    • @christopherwaits7852
      @christopherwaits7852 5 місяців тому +3

      @@savagecub United bought continental. Cope