At Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the old United Airlines logo has been replaced by one featuring Continental Airlines’ globe symbol. The two airlines are merging but will operate separately until mid-2012.
It will be another year before United and Continental are really one airline. For now, they’re trying to make it easier for travelers to navigate them separately.
On Wednesday, kiosks at 83 airports began allowing travelers to check in for flights on either airline. And at Chicago O’Hare, signs with United’s old logo came down, replaced by United’s name with Continental’s globe symbol.
United Continental Holdings Inc. has owned both airlines since October. It’s merging them into a single airline flying under the United name. The airline will be the biggest in the world.
The two will operate separately until mid-2012, selling their own tickets primarily for flights on their own planes.
United’s “Economy Plus” seating — coach seats with more legroom, for an extra charge — won’t show up on Continental planes until early 2012. And the airline has said it expects to keep a mix of United’s three-class service for international flights and Continental’s two-class service for several years.
Most of the changes so far are cosmetic. The upgraded kiosks allow travelers to access either reservation system, even though none of the company’s major computer systems have been integrated. The airline expects to have a combined reservations system — Continental’s — by March 2012.
No frequent-flier program for the combined airline has been announced, but frequent fliers can link their United and Continental accounts and combine miles.
Customers are now able to shop for flights, get seat assignments and check flight status on either United or Continental’s website regardless of what airline they’re flying. But travelers who are checking in are still redirected to the website of the airline on which they’re flying. And Continental’s website will be around until mid-2012.
On May 1 both airlines got the same menu for on-board food purchases in coach, although the menus for business class are still different.
Policies on baggage charges, flight changes, standby requests, and handling of unaccompanied minors are now the same.
United is up against Delta, which has finished absorbing Northwest Airlines after its 2008 purchase and is now operating across six continents.
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