United or Continental? If you had to repaint a bunch of airlines and airport hangars, which brand would you pick if the two airlines become one?
Various reports say a United-Continental merger may actually happen and that board meetings are imminent as the two airlines haggle over price and numerous other issues.
Is anyone else besides me scatching their heads over reports that United would be the brand to survive if the two airlines converge?
According to reports, Continental’s stock would be exchange for United shares, Continental CEO Jeff Smisek would retain his title at the merged airline and United CEO Glenn Tilton would become its chairman.
And United would be the surviving brand.
We all know about United Breaks Guitars, which is only a miniscule element of United’s brand-reputation problems.
United Airlines earns a 2.0 rating from its employees on Glassdoor.com while Continental garners a 3.9 rating.
The deal would kill an airline brand — Continental — with a fairly decent reputation, and create a much-larger airline with a widely acknowledged tarnished brand — United Airlines — leading the way.
Go figure.
Of course, the deal may never be and then the brand issue would be moot.
The *United* brand is more widely known outside the USA where the greatest revenue can be found. Continental is a great company name and I will miss it but that is the reality.
The airline (travel) industry is heavily dependent on good customer service (ie. labor). If you create a work environment that provides a RESPECTFUL relationship between management and employees, the airline will thrive because the customer will continue to come back for more. When you abuse your employees (like UAL’s management has historically done) and reaped millions in the process while eliminating any real motivation to work hard (ie, 40% paycuts, lost benefits and pension), the employees absolutely LOATHE their upper management! UAL employees want Tilton & co. out! They would eventually strike to get rid of him.
It is my guess that the re-branded airline will thrive with a management team comprised of mostly Continental executives who seem to have mastered the art of ethical business behavior.
Tom: Great comment. I didn’t realize that United’s brand is so much better-known than Continental’s internationally.
And I agree with the rest of your comments ie that United’s employees loathe management.
I would pine for the Continental brand.
I use to live in Chicago and was 1K with United. I moved to Houston four years ago and asked Continental what they would do to get my business, they gave me Platinum Status from day one. Continental is a great airline with excellent Crews, Reservations and gate agents. I am not looking forward to this merger if it means losing the Continental “Work Hard, Fly Right” attitude of its employees.
“work hard. fly right” everyone here in the pacific will miss Continental because it is our hometown airline. i will personally miss the great service overall because it was the only airline i use to travel. but now its just to late as we have to see a whole new brand if a merger happens..
I have worked for CO & i am very proud to say that CO was one of our clients…They are well known for their quality of service..(Especially @ EWR/LAX airports). It was the only airline i have travelled in the past few years & I can’t see CO fading away…
for those who are interested in how great an airline is or is not… my wife was pregnant with first child, and travelling through newark on continental… needless to say, even though she was 6 months pregnant, she received little or no assistance. was stuck in newark for approximately 8-10 hours (during which time, i spoke with her on the telephone several times listening to her escalating anxiety) when it should have only been 1 or 2… and when the ‘smoke cleared’ she asked whom she should speak with regarding her concerns about the lack of assistance, she was handed a complaint card and told “fill this out and we’ll give it to some one who cares!”