HOUSTON, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) has completed installation of 864 new BusinessFirst sleeper seats throughout its fleet of 18 Boeing 777 aircraft.

The new BusinessFirst seats feature several significant design improvements that provide more comfort for customers. The new seat, measuring 22 inches between the armrests, is wider than business class seats on any competing airline. It offers a 170-degree recline from seat cushion to seat back and 6 1/2 feet (2 meters) of sleeping space in the fully extended position. The seats also have privacy hoods, individual dual-level reading lights, adjustable winged headrests, power ports for laptop personal computers and personal multi-channel entertainment systems and satellite telephones.

The seats were installed by technicians at Continental`s hangar at Newark Liberty International Airport beginning in April.

The new seats are the centerpiece of Continental`s premium BusinessFirst cabin service that provides the extra space and fine amenities of traditional international first class service at a business class price. The award winning BusinessFirst service also features extensive gourmet menu selections created by Continental`s Congress of Chefs, premium wines and champagne, and International Concierge Service that provides individualized pre- and post- flight services for BusinessFirst customers at 21 key international airports. Customers traveling in BusinessFirst may also access any of Continental`s 27 President Clubs and more than 50 airline affiliated lounges worldwide.

The investment in new seats further distances Continental Airlines award- winning BusinessFirst product from other carriers in the industry. For five consecutive years, readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine have rated BusinessFirst as the best business class service offered by any U.S. carrier on transatlantic and transpacific routes.

For more information about BusinessFirst and the new seat, visit www.continental.com/travel/inflight/businessfirst/default.asp .

Continental currently operates the Boeing 777 on flights between Newark Liberty and London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong and Tokyo; and on flights between Houston and London, Paris, Tokyo and Honolulu.

Continental Airlines is the world`s sixth-largest airline and has more than 2,000 daily departures. With 121 domestic and 90 international destinations, Continental has the broadest global route network of any U.S. airline, including extensive service throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and carries approximately 45 million passengers per year on the newest jet fleet among major U.S. airlines. With 48,000 employees, Continental is one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For in America.” Fortune ranked Continental the No. 2 Most Admired Global Airline and No. 30 Most Admired Global Company in March 2002. For more company information, visit continental.com .

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