Continental Airlines Reviews in Houston, TX Area

Pros

Great traveling perks, great communication between management and a laid back corparate atmosphere. Overall, I would recommend working at this company to any of my friends and family.

Cons

The pay is lower here than what yuo can make at other companies. Raises and promotions are based on open positions rather than if you deserve a raise.

Advice to Senior Management

The management is great at communicating with the employees however there may be too many managers. There's really no need for employees to have 4-5 managers to report to.

Pros

People are great; encourage thinking outside the box and bringing new ideas. Upper management communicates very well for better or worse, they at least talk to us. Open door policy.

Cons

Merger with UA, Low pay compared to other airlines. Hard to keep talent with the move to Chicago not because Chicago is a great city but the airlines generally do not pay very well and the cost of living in Chicago vs. Houston, Dallas, Atlanta or Phoenix.

Advice to Senior Management

Make sure we bring the culture of CO to the new UA.

Pros

It looks like it really depends on your immediate boss what your experience will be in the company. If the boss is great, you'll love the job, if not, not so much.... I'm lucky with a great boss, but speaking to other people in other groups I understand how lucky I really am. Great things in the company is the ability to work from home one day a week if you don't have direct reports, travel benefits are great, but if you don't have enough vacation time to use them they are not of much value.

Cons

Sometimes it seems to me that to move along the career ladder in this company you really need to know the people, not so much prove how good your job is... but this seems to be the case pretty much everywhere else in this country, so it's Ok I guess.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't let the unions with their weight of thousands of members make the smallest group in the company - management employees - misearable. Unfortunately it feels like our voices are not heard since we're so few compared to the rest of the company. This will result in the best and the brightest leaving the company the first, which is already happening... and Chicgo HQ was the worst idea ever if CO management is expected to take over!

Pros

To be largest airline in the world
Good business sense to merge but not to move to Chicago.
Good flight benefits, till they last

Cons

Got sold too cheaply
Moving to a more expensive city. Doesnt make business sense
Culture wont be the same
Will loose friends in the process of merger

Advice to Senior Management

Doesnt matter. Executive management wont listen. They didnt listen to employees in IAH or ORD when they just decided to move to ORD without offering any legitimate reasoning.

Pros

Great benefits; extremely motivated people to work with. Very progressive company with great benefits. Management cares about employees and wants to see them succeed

Cons

Very difficult industry to compete in; very low employee turnover, so hard to get promoted. Flight benefits are difficult to take advantage of with reduced capacity

Advice to Senior Management

It would be great to provide more flexibility in working hours, especially for positions that do not need to be conducted during a 9-5 workday.

Pros

The people who I work with are great individuals
The flexibility of my position is great

Cons

I am in the lower bracket compared to my peers

Advice to Senior Management

Advancement opportunities is critical to the foundation of the company

Pros

The people are great. So are the benefits. It is great being able to travel the world and get paid for it!

Cons

The pay is not that great.

Advice to Senior Management

Increase pay!

Pros

Continental has some of the best incentive programs in the industry from on time performance to attendance incentives including giving away a new car or truck every six months for perfect attendance.

Cons

It is a very rocky enviroment with the airlines losing billions of dollars since 911 and the cost of operations keep increasing provide very little monetary advancement.

Advice to Senior Management

With the merger of Continental and United and the negotiations of the Continental technicians going on, it is a good oportunity to settle the contracts and show the industry that with the merger you plan on being the best in all fields including the welfare of your employee's. With good faith leadership you can end an important steping stone leading the technicians into the new era.

Pros

A truly magnificently flexible job. Great benefits. Interesting work environment. The opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. The protection of seniority and the benefit of allowing you to change shifts, hours, days off, and travel as your years with the company grows.

Cons

Unstable industry environment makes for ulcers at an early age. Prospect of furloughs and pay cuts very real if you lack many years with the company.

Advice to Senior Management

Offer a better management pay scale to attract better people. Almost no one with extensive CS experience wants a mgmt job at the airport. You have managers with few years managing experienced staff. After top out pay in ten years, institute a merit program; paying those with superior job knowledge or work ethic with a merit pay increase. Those who do not qualify, get better shifts and bidding lines but unchanged top out pay.

Pros

People are very friendly and job schedule was very relaxed.

Cons

There is limited opportunity for growth.

Advice to Senior Management

They can be more dynamic