Like the sun setting over Continental's former home town, the sun also sets on the Continental name and its callsign tomorrow, November 30, 2011. A single certificate will be issued at 1200 zulu time, (7:00AM eastern time) , at which point Continental will effectively cease to exist. Photo: Brian McQueen - OPShots Contributor
United and Continental airlines will get clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday to operate as a single airline, the union for Continental pilots said.
The so-called single operating certificate means that, as far as the FAA is concerned, United and Continental are one airline.
For passengers, it’s a different story. The company will continue to sell tickets on United and Continental flights, and passengers will still check in and fly with two separate airlines. The parts of the airline that passengers see, such as check-in and frequent-flier programs, are expected to be merged early next year.
