Flying Continental from Phoenix to Houston

In January I flew from Phoenix (PHX) to Geneva (GVA) via Houston (IAH) and Amsterdam (AMS).

I used Northwest miles for a business class award ticket.

When you book international business class tickets you typically get to fly in first class on domestic segments of the same ticket in the USA.  Don't let the first class name trick you though.  International business class is better than domestic first class.  Domestic first class usually just means a bigger seat, no middle seat, more drink refills, and the chance for a meal.

The first flight of my trip was in first class on Continental Airlines from Phoenix to Houston.

Continental doesn't have a lounge in Phoenix.  They operate out of Terminal 2.  The only lounge in Terminal 2 is a United Red Carpet Club.  I don't have a membership.  So I got to wait with everyone else in the overcrowded terminal:

Phoenix airport provides free wifi.  So I spent most of the time waiting for my flight on the internet.  Boarding started on-time with first class and elites boarding first.  I boarded third.

The seat pitch provided enough legroom to be comfortable for the short flight:

The flight attendant quickly offered a pre-departure beverage of my choice.  On United you usually need to ask specifically for a pre-departure Diet Coke as you are usually offered just water or orange juice.  I don't know if this is the norm for Continental or not, but I appreciated it.  The flight attendant even offered a pre-departure refill as I finished the first cup quickly:

Besides the seat, one of the main differences between first class and coach is the meals.  But meals aren't served on every flight.  Only flights during narrow hour ranges are considered meal flights. 

The only flight that worked with my schedule and made my connection in Houston was not a meal flight.

But Continental still served food on this flight because it was during their designated snack time.  For a snack Continental did a good job:

After an uneventful flight I made my way through Houston to the KLM and Air France lounges.

I found the Continental flight attendants professional.  So were the pilots and ground staff.  The only problem I encountered was the crowded gate area at Phoenix. 

Tomorrow, I will continue telling about this trip when I post about the PrivatAir flight from Houston to Amsterdam on a Boeing Business Jet.

Comments

[Jaun]

continental airline is awsome their coach is simpally alwsome so their fisit class must be to die for i think that thier service is great and people who dislike must hate them seleve because their airline rocks and i have fly about 30 with their airline and we had no problems but we tryed once with jetblue and they lost our luggage

[Air Tickets]

I must say that Continental Airlines provides a good service to its passengers.