Bad News! Continential will stop flying to Santiago, DR

With the state of the airline industry, Continental has just announced capacity reductions and discontinuation of flights to some domestic and international cities. Flights into Santiago will soon history, they're dropping the destination entirely! Another route of interest to some ISOC members is Houston to Cali, Colombia, that's going by the way side too. Sad sad sad.

The Airline industry is in a state of flux, probably the worst in several decades. Unless Oil prices fall below $80 - $90 we're in for a rough ride. If oil hits $200 +, many carriers will simply collapse unless the Government intervenes or re-introduces industry regulations to keep costs under control.

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June 12, 2008, 11:49AM
Continental cuts 8% of capacity out of Houston

By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle



Continental Airlines will cut capacity by almost 8 percent in Houston and eliminate 12 destinations out of Bush Intercontinental Airport, including Washington-Dulles and Reno, Nev.

The carrier is also stopping service from Houston to Chattanooga, Tenn.; Hartford, Conn.; Montgomery, Ala.; Oakland, Calif.; Palm Springs, Calif.; Sarasota, Fla. and Tallahassee, Fla. International destinations that will no longer be available from Houston are Cali, Colombia; Guayaquil, Ecuador and Monclova, Mexico.

The airline will continue to serve Washington from Houston through Reagan National Airport.

Continental is reducing capacity out of its Cleveland hub by 13 percent, but only trimming service out of its Newark, N.J., hub by 3 percent.

Houston-based Continental recently announced it will shed 3,000 jobs as it fights to combat skyrocketing fuel prices. The service cuts announced today represent an 11 percent decline in domestic mainline capacity.

The changes take effect Sept. 3.

"These actions are among the many difficult steps Continental is taking to respond to record-high fuel prices that are creating unprecedented challenges for the airline industry," the carrier said in a memo to employees.

Continental also is pulling out of 15 destinations entirely: Oakland, Palm Springs, Chattanooga, Reno, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Montgomery, Toledo, Ohio; and Green Bay, Wisc. domestically, and Bali, Indonesia; Cologne, Germany; Santiago, Dominican Republic, Guayaquil and Monclova internationally.

The Continental release didn't specify capacity reductions on routes that are not being eliminated.

Customers who are currently booked on flights that no longer will exist after Sept. 3 will be contacted by Continental so they can make new arrangements.


(LINK - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5833286.html)

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YUP........

Newark to Santiago is a wrap!!!! NO MAS after that last returning flight on September 1st. 2008.

To Santo Domingo will continue daily.

To POP will continue on a limited basis with some months flying wed/sat only and other months 3 or 4 different days a week.

What will be interesting is i have frequent flyer reservations to STI in September. However, POP and SDQ are not available on my dates. And those 2 destinations would be my alternatives.

So does Continental just refund me my miles or will they squeeze me aboard one of those unavailable flights as a courtesy??

(there are regular fare seats available; just not frequent flyer seats)

I will be on this exact flight on 7/28 . Dont understand why they cant fill the seats , AA out of JFK books that same early AM timeslot with no problem.

Since the major Airlines AA, Delta, and Continental have cut back flights to DR from the Tri-State area that means tickets are going to be more expensive now big time with less flights going to the DR :thumbsdown2:.

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Originally Posted by jd426

I will be on this exact flight on 7/28 . Dont understand why they cant fill the seats , AA out of JFK books that same early AM timeslot with no problem.

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I'm not sure i understand your statement. They're not discontinuing because they can't fill seats. It's because they're cutting personal and flights that are not cost effective. With daily flights to SDQ and a few flights a week to POP, they don't need those heavy luggage/high fuel flights to STI. It's just a matter of, if you have to cut one, cut the lesser of the bunch. But they fill the seats just fine.

It's probably more about the fuel, or so they say!!

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Originally Posted by psriches

I'm not sure i understand your statement. They're not discontinuing because they can't fill seats. It's because they're cutting personal and flights that are not cost effective. With daily flights to SDQ and a few flights a week to POP, they don't need those heavy luggage/high fuel flights to STI. It's just a matter of, if you have to cut one, cut the lesser of the bunch. But they fill the seats just fine.

It's probably more about the fuel, or so they say!!

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I guess I will never understand the complicated economics of the Airline Business. If the seats are filled, why would you discontinue a flight ?
Years ago, planes flew with barely 75% and still made a profit. Now with fule costs I understand they have to be at or near 100%, but you are saying that even at 100% capacity its still not profitable for them ?Plus the fact that the fares have gone up dramatically.
Dont they also Lose that route ? cause routes are not created nor destroyed, they are either used or sold to another carrier, no? Why are STI flights heavier with luggage than SDQ. I was not aware of that.

As an after thought ,there is alot of dominicans on the flight to santiago.Everytime I travel there the plane is full of dual citizens.They look at me with a glare usually but I don't give a fuck.they know i come to fuck their bitches.when the plane was close they magically change back to their island personalities the wall of Ice melts........I'm sure gonna miss that flight.........

aint that the truth!!! :wink: i notice the same thing!

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Originally Posted by Cman

As an after thought ,there is alot of dominicans on the flight to santiago.Everytime I travel there the plane is full of dual citizens.They look at me with a glare usually but I don't give a fuck.they know i come to fuck their bitches.when the plane was close they magically change back to their island personalities the wall of Ice melts........I'm sure gonna miss that flight.........

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Originally Posted by Cman

As an after thought ,there is alot of dominicans on the flight to santiago.Everytime I travel there the plane is full of dual citizens.They look at me with a glare usually but I don't give a fuck.they know i come to fuck their bitches.when the plane was close they magically change back to their island personalities the wall of Ice melts........I'm sure gonna miss that flight.........

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Haha, that's hilarious... yeah, there's a lot of haters... Especially Dominican dudes-- But can you blame them???

In a male dominated society we're making all their bitches rich....

For all you need to get there fast flyers out there ....
http://www.flyclear.com/
http://www.yahoo.com/s/901182

THREAD BUMP

Just a reminder for anyone planning a trip on Continental, you have exactly one month left to be able to fly direct to Santiago.

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf...eductions.html

DOUBLE THREAD BUMP

You have exactly one week left to be able to fly direct to Santiago.

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Originally Posted by Dick Dawson

DOUBLE THREAD BUMP

You have exactly one week left to be able to fly direct to Santiago.

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And those remaining flights are all booked up!!

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Originally Posted by psriches

And those remaining flights are all booked up!!

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Both AA and Jetblue still fly nonstop from JFK several times daily to Santiago

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Originally Posted by ChicaSeeka

Both AA and Jetblue still fly nonstop from JFK several times daily to Santiago

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This is true.... Don't forget about Delta! :wink:

Let's get Jimmy to set up a petition and all decent upstanding american citazens(sic)speak out against this travesty !How will we make Santiago what sosua is today?

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Originally Posted by psriches

This is true.... Don't forget about Delta! :wink:

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As of next month there will be no more non-stop flights via JFK-STI or JFK-SDQ, on Delta out of NYC.

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Originally Posted by Pana

As of next month there will be no more non-stop flights via JFK-STI or JFK-SDQ, on Delta out of NYC.

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They may be cancelling daily service but they still have a Saturday non-stop. I have one for February.