Continental to launch service to New Zealand using 787s in 2011

Continental Airlines yesterday announced plans to serve Auckland from its Houston Intercontinental hub beginning Nov. 16, 2011, using a 787 to operate the 7,400-mi route.

CO said it is the first airline to "formally announce specific route plans for its 787 fleet." The carrier, which has agreed to merge with United Airlines, has 25 Dreamliners on order with deliveries beginning in August 2011. Subject to government approval, service will be operated daily, with five-times-weekly service during certain periods in the first year of operation, CO said.

Also yesterday, CO fully reopened Terminal C at IAH following completion of a $65 million redevelopment project begun in 2008. The renovations added 15,000 sq. ft. to its ticketing and check-in lobby and 56 new self-service kiosks to its existing 59 and upgraded security checkpoints, baggage claim and curbside areas.

"The Terminal C renovation represents the airport of the future," SVP-System Operations and Real Estate Holden Shannon said. Though the added kiosks place a larger emphasis on self-service in an effort to "make the check-in process more efficient," CO noted that it has "assigned customer service agents to work in the kiosk areas to guide and help travelers" and that "a full-service check-in counter is still available for those who favor traditional counter service."

Redevelopment began in September 2008 and was completed in three phases. CO managed the construction efforts while its partner, the City of Houston, funded the renovations. It is the first major overhaul to the terminal since it opened in 1981. The airline said the facility serves up to 12,000 customers daily.