Continental Airlines to Launch Seasonal Service Between Cleveland and Paris
First-ever nonstop service between the two cities begins tomorrow
CLEVELAND, May 21 Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) tomorrow will launch the first-ever non-stop service between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris, France.
In addition to providing a link for the business communities on both sides of the Atlantic, the Cleveland to Paris route will provide convenient onward connections for travelers to points throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.
"Cleveland is important to Continental and we are pleased to add Paris to our portfolio of flights from this hub," said Continental Airlines President Jeff Smisek.
"Including the new service to Paris, we will have launched flights from Cleveland to 10 new destinations so far in 2008."
"Continental's new international service to Paris from Cleveland Hopkins will connect Cleveland to the global marketplace and open doors to new business opportunities and tourism," said Mayor Frank G. Jackson, Cleveland.
"I commend Continental for their commitment to this service and look forward to partnering with them in the future." The seasonal service will operate from May 22 through Sept. 1. Flights will depart Cleveland daily at 5:25 p.m. and arrive in Paris at 7:25 a.m. the next morning.
The return flights will depart Paris daily at 11:20 a.m. and arrive in Cleveland at 2:30 p.m. the same day. The service will be operated by Boeing 757 aircraft, seating 16 passengers in Continental's award-winning BusinessFirst cabin and 159 passengers in economy.
Paris will be the second European city served by Continental from Cleveland.
Continental's London/Gatwick-Cleveland service was launched in 1999. Continental has served Paris since 1987. The airline currently operates three daily flights to Paris from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as a daily flight to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The new flights feature Continental's renowned BusinessFirst service, which won the Best Executive/Business Class award in the OAG Airline of the Year Awards 2007 for the fifth year in a row, based on voting by frequent flyers worldwide.
This premium-class cabin features extra-wide electronic sleeper seats with 55-inch, adjustable winged headrests and personal video screens.
Other BusinessFirst amenities include gourmet menus and award-winning wines and champagnes. A specially selected and trained corps of more than 200 concierges provide individualized pre-flight and post-flight services for BusinessFirst customers at 26 key international airports worldwide.
All BusinessFirst seats feature Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD), allowing customers to choose from up to 25 movies, 25 short-subject programs and 50 compact discs.
Once the system is activated by the crew, customers may watch the programming whenever they choose, controlling the programs with easy-to-use touch-screens to stop, pause, rewind and fast forward.
The new entertainment system also has 20 video games and an interactive Berlitz World Traveler program that teaches foreign languages.
The AVOD system is currently being installed in the economy cabin. Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 145 domestic and 138 international destinations.
More than 550 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines. With more than 45,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 69 million passengers per year.
Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.
For the fifth consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 World's Most Admired Airline on its 2008 list of World's Most Admired Companies.
Additionally, Continental again won major awards at the OAG Airline of the Year Awards including "Best Airline Based in North America" for the fourth year in a row, and "Best Executive/Business Class" for the fifth consecutive year. For more company information, visit continental.com.
(From Continental Airlines)
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