Continental Airlines Outperforms U.S. Carriers in Conde Nast Traveler 2003 Business Traveler Awards Wednesday October 1, 1:47 PM EDT HOUSTON, Oct 1, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Continental Airlines (CAL) outranked its U.S. competition in premium class comfort and value on trans- Atlantic, trans-Pacific and U.S. domestic flights, according to Conde Nast Traveler magazine's annual survey of business travelers. Continental's BusinessFirst service has outranked other U.S. airlines for each of the six years that Conde Nast Traveler readers have completed the annual survey. The award measurements rank in-flight service, seat comfort and legroom, food and beverages, onboard amenities and technology, airport lounge clubs, frequent flyer privileges and value for cost. More than 2,100 Conde Nast Traveler readers responded to the survey, the magazine said. The respondents traveled more than six weeks in the previous 12 months, on average. "Continental's employees continue to give customers the basics -- clean, safe and reliable transportation -- and continue to do it better than anyone else," said Continental Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gordon Bethune. "Day after day, our employees show that they are the best in the business, and that they value every customer's business." Continental offers trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific BusinessFirst service from New York to 16 cities in Europe, as well as to Tel Aviv, Tokyo and Hong Kong; from Houston to London, Paris, Amsterdam and Tokyo; and from Cleveland to London. Continental's BusinessFirst, offering first class amenities at a business class price, is standard on 777 and 767 widebody aircraft and on international 757 narrowbody jets. The airline's 777 aircraft feature BusinessFirst seats that are the widest business class seats in the world, offering deeper 170-degree recline, more than 6-and-a-half feet of sleeping space, privacy hoods, individual reading lights and more personal storage space. Traditional BusinessFirst passenger amenities include custom-crafted sleeper seats with 55 inches of pitch, adjustable headrest, electronic leg- rest, footrest and lumbar support; delicious menu selections featuring premium wines and champagne; personal entertainment system built into the armrest console; and more. Conde Nast Traveler readers ranked Continental's domestic first class service highest among premium class service offered by major U.S. carriers. In addition, Continental outranked the global U.S. airlines for best "value for cost" for its domestic first class service. First class is standard on all 777, 767, 757, 737 and MD-80 aircraft flying in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean. The complete 2003 Conde Nast Traveler Business Traveler Awards are published in the October 2003 edition of the magazine. Roger EWROPS