So you are off on holiday, and have booked your Continental Airline flight, but if you have never used Continental Airline before, and you are inquisitive about thing as much as me, you want to know more about, and what can you expect.

The first thing many think of is safety, what is the safety record of Continental Airlines? Well you will be very pleased to know it is above average. Now if you don’t know what the average is, remember this, flying very rarely kills anyone, it’s hitting the ground that does that!

Not unusual for an American airline they do not use any Airbus models, just Boeings and some smaller craft. They also have a number of the new 787’s on order, but as with the Airbus A380, Boeing are suffering from many delays, which is not unexpected with new technology. One downside to new models is lack of safety record stats!

Now I love flying on the 777 regardless of which airline, and Continental have a few of these, so try and get on one if you have the choice of aircraft, they are Boeings fly-by-wire and give a very comfortable flight with turbulence much lower than hydraulic aircraft. So when you do hit some, instead of the person behind you wearing your cup of coffee, it just washes your own hair instead!

The biggest subject for both passengers and airlines is the seat pitch, or leg room to you and me, especially when using Cattle Class (Economy if you want to use the posh name). Some airlines I have use have had less than 28”, just enough to squeeze in a midget. Continental are pretty good with 31”-32” depending on the type of craft. For the exact measurements on all classes visit the Continental Airline Fleet page.

One thing I like about most US airlines is the seating arrangements; many European airlines tend to have seats in clusters of 3, whereas US airlines usually have only 2, especially along the sides. Now 3 isn’t that bad on short haul, but on long haul flights it can be a pain asking other folk to move while you go for a pee, especially if it is a night flight and they are trying to sleep, and if you have a weak bladder they’ll probably try and kill you before you land!

I usually prefer to sit at the back of the plane, usually where it starts to bend at the tail as you can get a bit more room for your feet, although on some airlines they actually have the media control box under the window side seats. If you are booking with someone you can choose which seats you have, then first of all pay a visit to the Seat Guru as you can discover the best seats. It is usually best to avoid seats near doors as you are responsible for helping with opening them during a disaster, and on top of that it can be colder. Bulkheads usually attract babies, nothing against babies but they should be in the hold with other uncontrollable pets!! (Just kidding).

Now I move onto food, which on some airlines can be nothing short of dog food, in fact I’m pretty sure some dogs would probably just puke from sniffing it. However as with a good number of US companies, Continental Airline does some very good food, especially if your flight includes the main dinner, lunch or whatever word you use for being fed at midday. As usual the selection is chicken or beef in most cases, so if you do not like feathered meat or fat farting meat, then you may be stuck. However if you book direct, or even on some 3^rd party sites, you can request special meals. If you have already booked just call the airline, they will put you down for one.

And my last subject, baggage, and I’m not talking mother-in-law here. With airlines in 2009 short of cash, they have really tightened up on baggage allowances, although they are not as strict as some of the Asian carriers. As with a number of US airlines recently; Continental Airline now charges for checked in baggage, although if you are on long haul from say England to Los Angeles, you will not have to pay extra. Continental are pretty generous with a 23kg limit, any over and you will get charged. Some airlines I have been on allow only 18kg.

I am one of these people who think that weight allowance should include the person + baggage. Why should a 40kg little Filipina pay the same as a Sumo wrestler weighing a few 100kg? Due to the Human Rights Act in Europe this will never happen though.

So the facts and my own opinion is that Continental Airline is some way above average compared with the masses of airlines we have around the planet, and I have always found that paying a little more for a pleasant flight can add to a good holiday.

One last tip, if you are booking a flight that involves connections, always check the waiting time at the changeover airport, the cheaper the ticket the longer the wait. From England to Las Vegas changing at Philadelphia you can get a ticket for 320GBP or 380GBP, check the flight details and you discover the first one you have to wait 8 hours for a connection while the latter is only 2 hours. If you are so tight with money and will not pay for the latter, you may as well save the lot, buy a canoe and start paddling across the Atlantic!

Honest, last tip! Make sure you claim your air miles even if you think you will not use them, you are paying for them.

Hope I have been some help.