Continental Airlines Reviews in Houston, TX Area

Pros

open, relaxed environment, good camaraderie

Cons

With UAL on the riegns, things are never going to be same...lack of transparancy in my opinion.

Advice to Senior Management

gotta keep your labor force in the loop guys

Pros

Company tenets of Working Together and Dignity and Respect made for one of the best corporate culture environments I have ever worked in. It worked because it was followed by everyone, from top management to every level throughout the company.

Cons

Remains to be seen whether the merging of legacy Continental culture with the more aggressive United corporate culture will work in the end.

Advice to Senior Management

Dignity, respect and working together go a long way towards making the average employee feel vested in their work and the company goals - try to maintain as much of that culture as you can as the merger proceeds.

Pros

The benefits were great at Continental Airlines. We got to see a lot of the world.

Cons

Advancement is based on who you know, not what you know. The merger will dampen it even further.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't lose the original Continental Airlines company culture.

Pros

-Work-Life balance was incredible. Time off is very flexible, whenever needed. The first manager I had would let us go early sometimes for happy hour! (too bad things didnt' stay that way)
-Travel benefits are unmatched.
-Lot of good people to work with (depending on group)

Cons

-Salary was mediocre compared to industry average. Lot of "new hires" fresh out of college.
-Difficult to move up the ladder.
-A lot depends on the group you are in. My first team was incredible, I loved it. Then they had cutbacks and I moved into a group that was horrible. Can be "clickish".

Advice to Senior Management

Don't get caught up in the corporate madness. Remember your employees are what run your company.

Pros

The people are terrific and when mananger is lacking others step up to the plate to assist you in doing an excellent job for your co-workers and customers. The opportunity to work for an organization that expects you to work with the same dignity and respect we all should have learned as a child and a must in the house.

Cons

The workload is extremely heavy do to continuous cut-backs. Doing the work of 2-3 people without additional compensation.

Advice to Senior Management

Trust is a two way street.

Pros

The health and flight benefits are great.

Cons

The manner in which they are integrating UA/CO is creating a hostile workplace. It also truly shows UA is definitely in control.

Advice to Senior Management

Remember why UA wanted the CO corporate climate and adhere to the philosophy.

Pros

people are great - the team I was on was enjoyable. depends on the controller group though

Cons

pay could be better for a finance job.

Pros

help customers get thru the mess of trying to fly

Cons

bad customer policy bad handling of employees

Advice to Senior Management

honesty would be a refreshing change

Pros

Pre-merger: The flight benefits are the draw for 99% of the employees. It can be difficult to fly as a passrider but once you figure it out, your set. This is especially true if you don't have small kids or have the flexibility to travel without them. Depending on your work-group, the management can be fair, balanced, driven, inspiring, and all the other things you want from a management team. Typically, if you put in the effort, you are rewarded with an enriching career experience and expanded knowledge of both the Travel Industry and your particular field. So much so, you don't care that the average seniority is 15+ years, making advancement difficult.

Cons

The salary scale, compared to industry standards (in your field of expertise, not the airline industry) is nowhere near competitive, so if you can't take advantage of the flight benefits, don't bother.
Post-merger: Employees generally feel as though they are completely left in the dark. From what we have been told so far, the flight benefits will no longer have the drawing power they once had and flying as a passrider will be next to impossible. The vaunted Continental Culture is being slaughtered. The degree of politicking, lying, and outright unethical treatment of a vast majority of employees is astounding, from the average employee's point of view. It seems clear so far that a majority of the management team selected from Continental to join the 'new' United were NOT the folks that made the Continental Culture a premier employment opportunity. Additionally, the management 'grunts' that made Continental the success it was, fostering the camaraderie and productive environment, are in most cases being treated as expendable fodder. It is difficult to see past all the jockeying for the few positions in the merged company to believe it will be an environment worth working in or a company you want to be involved with. The attitude and the culture trickle down from the top, and right now the wrong decisions are being made about who should be in those top spots.

Advice to Senior Management

Unfortunately, the merger puts everyone in a difficult position. So far the trend seems to be selecting business oriented managers with no people skills at all. This is potentially great for the share holders in the short term. However, the key talent is noticing and it may be too late to stop the exodus. 'Dignity and Respect' appears to be a philosophy of the past.

Pros

Travel benfits, great pay, nice people, good place to make friends and make career go a long way. I was very happy with it.

Cons

Travel benefits were sometimes very difficult to take full advantage of because flight were full with lots of other pass riders.

Advice to Senior Management

Open more flights to pass riders to take advantage of there pass flight benefits and so they can enjoy there vacation