On the Ground: The growing do-it-yourself trend has reached even premium airport services. At LAX, Continental Airlines routed both economy and EliteAccess passengers to the same self-service kiosks; several kiosks required maintenance the morning I departed. After two failed attempts and waiting while three agents assisted another traveler, I finally received a boarding pass with just enough time to dash into the President’s Club Lounge for a quick coffee and a few mini muffins before boarding. The President’s Club Lounges at both LAX and Honolulu (HNL) offered a good selection of beverages and snacks, entertainment options, and reliable high-speed WiFi. (26/30)
Pre-flight: Once on board I was promptly offered a second cup of coffee and an extra orange juice. Seated in the desirable 1A, I appreciated the extra privacy and space compared with the already roomy BusinessFirst seats on Continental’s Boeing 767s. These seats measure 21 inches in width and recline to 156 degrees, with electronic controls for the back, lumbar support, and footrest. (28/30)
In-flight: Although Continental advertises a 1-to-8 cabin-crew-to-passenger ratio in BusinessFirst, service felt somewhat slow at times. When attendants were available, service was competent and attentive. The inflight entertainment system was disappointing relative to competitors’ economy-class setups: the selection was decent — about 16 video channels and 20 audio channels — but content played on a fixed loop rather than on demand, and several channels suffered audio distortion that made viewing difficult. One of my movies was interrupted 25 minutes from the end so the entire cabin had to watch a generic Hawaii tourism video. These annoyances faded on the Honolulu-to-Guam leg, where service improved from solid to exceptional. The entertainment system worked better, food and beverages were continuously offered (to the point where I had to ask attendants to stop serving me Grand Marnier), and the crew did not interrupt programming with promotional videos. (36/40)
The Experience: I’ve taken many long-haul flights, but flying to Guam from the U.S. West Coast can feel like traveling to another world. Despite the distance, I ate well, slept comfortably, and seldom lacked anything I needed.
On the return, the Honolulu-to-L.A. flight was delayed three hours due to a mechanical issue, which caused me to miss my connecting Northwest Airlines flight to Minneapolis. Although Continental staff promised to notify Northwest, I ended up explaining the situation repeatedly to different Continental agents who insisted they could not assist. The speed with which my “Elite” status was dismissed once the delay occurred was particularly disappointing.
Overall, while Continental’s BusinessFirst product is less overtly flashy than some competitors’ premium cabins, its inflight service and attention to passenger needs largely lived up to expectations. The frustrating delayed-flight experience, however, reflects a wider decline in U.S. carriers’ reliability and customer service.
Total Score: (90/100)