Continental AirlinesCOA/ CO

Continental Airlines was a major U.S. carrier headquartered in Houston, Texas, that operated extensive domestic and international passenger services from 1934 until its merger with United Airlines in 2012. As a full-service legacy carrier, Continental maintained significant hub operations at Newark, Houston, and Cleveland, serving destinations across North America, Europe, and Asia, and was a founding member of the Star Alliance. The airline offered multiple cabin classes including first, business, and economy, with its frequent flyer program known as OnePass (later merged into United's MileagePlus upon consolidation). Continental was known for industry-leading operational reliability and customer service during its later years, and the merger created one of the world's largest airlines by combining two major carriers into a single unified operation. The airline's history included periods of bankruptcy and restructuring in the 1980s before achieving a strong recovery that made it one of the most profitable U.S. carriers in the 2000s.