Continental says encouraged by strength in bookings = = = = Thursday June 5, 2:02 PM EDT = (Adds details from SEC filing, stock activity) CHICAGO, June 5 (Reuters) - Continental Airlines Inc. (CAL) said on Thurs= day that summer bookings looked relatively good and it expected more seat= s to be filled on its aircraft compared with a year earlier. The No. 5 U.S. air carrier also said in a filing with the U.S. Securities= and Exchange Commission that it expected to end the second quarter with = a cash balance of more than $1.5 billion, of which about $125 million is = restricted. "Most of the transatlantic capacity will be restored in June and July to = year-ago levels and we are encouraged by the recent strength in bookings,= " the carrier said. Several airlines have reported anecdotally that advance bookings are pick= ing up now that the war in Iraq, which bruised travel demand, is over. = Houston-based Continental said it expected systemwide capacity to be down= 7 percent for the second quarter and off 2.5 percent for the full year. The airline estimated its load factor, or the percentage of seats filled = on its aircraft, to be between 75 percent and 76 percent for the second q= uarter and between 73 percent and 74 percent for 2003. Continental also expected unit costs including special items to be betwee= n 8.65 cents and 8.75 cents for the second quarter and between 9.35 cents= and 9.45 cents for the full year. Analysts, on average, expect Continental to post a loss of $1.17 per shar= e for the second quarter, with loss estimates ranging from 75 cents to $1= =2E75 a share, according to Thomson First Call. Continental shares were up 51 cents at $14.57 after hitting an 11-month h= igh of $14.68 on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. Airlines stocks= have surged in recent sessions on analyst forecasts that shares could be= nefit from even a moderate economic recovery. = =A92003 Reuters Limited. = Roger EWROPS