Continental Airlines Offers Cheap Flights to Texas

Continental Airlines is offering discounted fares to the Lone Star State, which means in this particular instance, you should mess with Texas.

Flights are available to Houston and El Paso and start at $97 round-trip (exclusive of taxes and fees). So, visit Houston and see what the fourth largest U.S. city has to offer. Or, head to El Paso and check out the Rio Grande and experience TexMex.

In a search for flights between Dallas and Houston, the cheapest fare ($98 round-trip) could be found on Thursdays in December. In January, the same fare is available Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for the entire month.  On the other days, fares increase about $26.

Air China and Continental Merge Frequent Flier Programs

Good news for travelers who regularly fly to and from the United States and China: Now, large airlines from each country have bridged to combine frequent flier benefits, making it easier to gain points. The announcement comes in the wake of Continental switching alliances recently.

As of last week, both Continental and Air China have agreed to share frequent flier points so that travelers may earn miles easier.

Airline News: Continental Officially Joins Star Alliance

Continental Airlines officially switched teams on Tuesday, leaving SkyTeam and joining Star Alliance.

SkyTeam is led by Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM, and Star Alliance includes United, US Airways and Lufthansa. Continental started the switch last year when Delta bought Northwest. The move to Star Alliance means Continental and United Airlines are closer, which some analysts speculate means the resurface of merger discussions.

What's this mean for Continental fliers? Now that Continental is part of the Star Alliance, customers will have more flights to choose from, including a new list of international airlines that Continental frequent fliers can earn miles on.

Continental Adds More Flights to Hawaii

It may be an island, but Hawaii is certainly not out of reach. Continental Airlines announced new flights to Hawaii from California starting next spring.

Continental will launch flights to Maui from Los Angeles, an additional flight to Honolulu from Los Angeles, and flights to Honolulu from Orange County, starting March 7, 2010.

The new daily flights to Hawaii are as follows:

From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) -- Depart at 5:05 p.m. and arrive at 7:45 p.m. The return flight will depart Maui at 9:15 p.m. and arrive at Los Angeles at 5:45 a.m. 

Continental Sale: Fall Flights from $96

Fall has many joys: Leaf-peeping, football games and of course, Thanksgiving. The season also brings plenty of flight sales.

Continental Airlines is promoting discounted fares to select cities, such as Houston and New York/Newark, for autumn travel.  While there is no book-by date, it’s best to book as soon as possible to secure the lowest fare.

We searched for flights between Chicago and Cleveland and found plenty of availability in early and mid-November. Prices jump to $138 round-trip for most of December. Flying in October is actually cheaper on two days – Oct. 8 and Oct. 10 – when fares are $91 round-trip. There are several days this month, however, when $96 flights are available.

Another One Bites the Dust: Continental Adds $10 Holiday Fare

First came United and American. Then came Delta. Now Continental is joining the game of adding $10 to holiday fares. Happy holidays, travelers.

The fares are tacked on to some of the busiest travel days of the year – Nov. 29, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and Jan. 2 and 3, the days after New Years. It’s easy for them to add cost to high-demand days, since the demand for flights is so high during the peak times.

Checking bags can also add weight to your fees – so pack light and be flexible with your dates to find the cheapest flight.

Discount Airfare: Continental Asia Fares from $678 RT

Asia is a traveler’s dream, thanks to the centuries of history, exotic cuisine and hip cities. And we’ve got another great reason to visit: cheap flights to China and Japan.

Continental Airlines is offering discounted fares to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Beijing from select U.S. cities. There are no book-by or travel dates listed, but we were able to find the advertised fares in October, November and a few days in December. Most of the flights were available between Sunday and Wednesday.

In a search from Newark to Shanghai, we found the advertised sale fare and with taxes, it totals $748 round-trip. In a wider search, Continental had the cheapest fares, with Northwest Airlines following behind with $762 round-trip and American Airlines with $766.

Continental Airlines Makes Changes to Frequent Flier Program

Continental Airlines announced changes to its OnePass frequent flier program, including a $75 change fee on reward ticket flights.

Effective  Oct. 27, when it joins the Star Alliance, OnePass members will see the following changes:

• $75 fee to book a reward ticket within 21 days of travel, beginning Dec. 15. Reward tickets booked more than 21 days in advance will continue to be free.
• Reward travel will no longer require a Saturday night stay;
• Travelers will earn 100 percent Elite Qualification Miles and Elite Qualification Points on discounted fares regardless of where the ticket is purchased or issued;
• Elite bonuses will be based on the minimum mileage earned instead of the actual flight miles flown.

Discount Airfare: Continental Flights to Mexico From $99 OW

Fall is looming. The days are getting shorter and the temperature a little cooler. Why not extend summer with a trip to Mexico’s hottest beach locations, like Cancun and Acapulco?

Book a flight with Continental Airlines and travel to this fall. There is no specified book-by or travel dates, but we did find plenty of sale fares through the remainder of 2009 and into early January. In many instances, discounted fares are available both mid-week and on weekends.

We tested Cleveland to Cancun and found the $200 fare. With taxes, the flight increases to $307.

Continental Issues Paperless Check-In at SFO

San Francisco flights just got greener, and Continental’s newest feature at San Francisco International Airport is doing two good things for humanity: limiting waste, and limiting loss. Whether you’re trying your eco-best to keep green travel a priority, or you’re just simply the kind of traveler that happens to lose your boarding pass at the coffee shop after check-in, you’ll be happy with Continental’s new paperless option.

What it is: An electronic version of your boarding pass to keep on your cell phone or PDA.

How it works: Have Continental email your boarding pass to your phone. At the airport, just pull up the screen with the pass, and scan it at a special kiosk. The scanner checks the authenticity of the bar code, and makes sure all security criteria are met.