Ten questions for Continental Airlines’ boss

By Joachim Fisher l eTN Germany

Continental Airlines' chief executive chats with eTN Germany bureau's editor-in-chief.

During a recent trip to Europe, the chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Airlines, Lawrence W. Kellner, sat down with eTurboNews in Berlin to discuss his airline’s expansion plans for Europe and the rest of the world. He was accompanied by Jim Summerford, Continental Airlines’ vice-president for Europe, Middle East and India; and Luc Geerts, Continental Airlines’ director for Germany and Belgium.

Joachim Fischer: What are your airline’s plans for Germany?
Lawrence W. Kellner: With the Berlin flights, I am happy with the load factor. The flights from the German capital to the US have very contentedly developed, and I am very serious about developing a leading role for Berlin take in Europe within the next 10 to 15 years.

Fischer: Will Continental expand in Germany?
Kellner: We will further expand not only in Germany but in Europe and Asia. We serve 30 markets in 16 different countries at the moment and we are looking to develop or extend successful new routes.

Fischer: How about Asia?
Kellner: We didn't have any non-stop flight to Asia in 1995. In 2007, we serve the cities of Beijing, Tokyo and, today, Hong Kong. We are extending the Chinese market striving for progress at the moment. For all our planned new flights we also need more planes, we have ordered 20 Dreamliner aircraft from Boeing and hold 35 options and another 20 of the 777 version.

Fischer: What about alliances with other airlines?
Kellner: With our partners in the combine SkyTeam we cooperate closely in many areas. We put 75 markets through to New York through this, for example. By SkyTeam our airline passengers have a fully developed worldwide network, reaching almost all airports in the world.

Fischer: There is talk about an overpriced ticket prices for the Honolulu to Guam route, any comments?
Kellner: Within the last few years, we have always paid attention to all single air routes … to safeguard the result of the entire enterprise. All air routes are checked again and again to adjust the prices to the market.

Fischer: How do you compare US full service airlines to their Asian and European counterparts?
Kellner: Cost-push is a great challenge the emerged after 9/11. We have, for example, our own caterer and kitchens, therefore improved and introduced permanent quality and cost control into different piston stroke. We get together every month and … this brought us more efficiency.

Fischer: You think the service must be checked or we will have to pay to the toilet soon like at the moment in American media karrikiert for soft drinks or the walk?
Kellner: There are many experiments in the USA, every enterprise and every airline must try to save. We are trying at Continental to present better products and improve the quality of our customer service.

Fischer: Do you take into consideration what your customers tell you
Kellner: Yes, sure. Each of our airline passengers is very important to us. Therefore, the customer service also is for us very important. We receive approximately 15,000 letters every month from around the world. Every suggestion is processed in a timely manner. The top 10 suggestions for every month are immediately discussed at the executive level.

Fischer: Your thoughts on the new "open sky contract" between the USA and Europe.
Kellner: This agreement is fair. We believe at Continental that this will bring new opportunities for both US and European airlines as well as passengers.

Fischer: What does Continental think of the new Airbus 380?
Kellner: I have great respect for the technicians and engineers who have built and developed this new airplane. It will bring a better connection hub-to-hub. But, the A380 and also the 747 are too big for our network and our different markets. However, I believe there is a market for it.

Printable Version | published Jun 06, 2007

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