| | Exhibit 99.1 |
| News Release |  |
| United Continental Holdings, Inc. | |
| Worldwide Media Relations | |
| 312.997.8640 | 713.324.5080 | |
| media.relations@united.com | media.relations@coair.com | |
UNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGS REPORTS SEPTEMBER 2010
OPERATIONAL RESULTS FOR CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2010 – United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) today reported September 2010 and year-to-date 2010 operational results for Continental Airlines. Earlier today, United Continental Holdings, Inc., formerly UAL Corporation, announced that a wholly owned subsidiary merged with Continental Airlines, Inc., and that Continental Airlines and United Air Lines, Inc. are now wholly owned subsidiaries of United Continental Holdings, Inc. Stand-alone operational results for United Air Lines will be reported on Oct. 7.
Beginning with the release of October’s operational results in November, United Continental Holdings, Inc. will issue one news release on the fifth business day following the end of the prior month.
Continental’s consolidated traffic in September 2010 increased 3.1 percent versus September 2009 on a consolidated capacity increase of 1.4 percent. Continental’s consolidated load factor increased 1.4 points compared to the same period last year.
For September 2010, consolidated passenger revenue per available seat mile (RASM) for Continental is estimated to have increased between 19.0 and 20.0 percent compared to September 2009, while Continental’s mainline RASM is estimated to have increased between 21.0 to 22.0 percent compared to the same period last year.
Continental ended the third quarter of 2010 with an unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments balance of approximately $4.20 billion.
About United Continental Holdings, Inc.
United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) is the holding company for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Together with United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection, these airlines operate a total of approximately 5,800 flights a day to 371 airports throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia from their hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. United and Continental are members of Star Alliance, which offers more than 21,200 daily flights to 1,172 airports in 181 countries worldwide through its 28 member airlines. United’s and Continental’s more than 80,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. For more information about United Continental Holdings, Inc., go to UnitedContinentalHo ldings.com. For more information about the airlines, see united.com and continental.com, and follow each company on Twitter and Facebook.
-tables attached-
Continental Preliminary Operational Results |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | September | | Year-to-Date |
| | | 2010 | 2009 | Change | | 2010 | 2009 | Change |
| REVENUE PASSENGER MILES (000) | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Domestic | 3,113,877 | 3,173,371 | -1.9 | | % | | 30,175,706 | 30,522,134 | -1.1 | | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | International | 3,323,961 | 3,048,654 | 9.0 | | % | | 32,101,106 | 30,066,409 | 6.8 | | % |
| | Transatlantic | 1,904,904 | 1,727,480 | 10.3 | | % | | 16,039,894 | 15,426,106 | 4.0 | | % |
| | Latin America | 671,099 | 635,693 | 5.6 | | % | | 9,469,247 | 8,999,186 | 5.2 | | % |
| | Pacific | 747,958 | 685,481 | 9.1 | | % | | 6,591,965 | 5,641,117 | 16.9 | | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mainline | 6,437,838 | 6,222,025 | 3.5 | | % | | 62,276,812 | 60,588,543 | 2.8 | | % |
| | Regional | 724,711 | 724,977 | 0.0 | | % | | 7,286,564 | 6,984,255 | 4.3 | | % |
| | Consolidated | 7,162,549 | 6,947,002 | 3.1 | | % | | 69,563,376 | 67,572,798 | 2.9 | | % |
| AVAILABLE SEAT MILES (000) | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Domestic | 3,759,886 | 3,778,821 | -0.5 | | % | | 35,422,270 | 35,966,166 | -1.5 | | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | International | 3,947,029 | 3,791,178 | 4.1 | | % | | 38,723,703 | 38,151,937 | 1.5 | | % |
| | Transatlantic | 2,200,485 | 2,079,010 | 5.8 | | % | | 19,137,394 | 19,582,526 | -2.3 | | % |
| | Latin America | 856,419 | 819,389 | 4.5 | | % | | 11,651,234 | 11,061,249 | 5.3 | | % |
| | Pacific | 890,125 | 892,779 | -0.3 | | % | | 7,935,075 | 7,508,162 | 5.7 | | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mainline | 7,706,915 | 7,569,999 | 1.8 | | % | | 74,145,973 | 74,118,103 | 0.0 | | % |
| | Regional | 936,311 | 956,913 | -2.2 | | % | | 9,218,374 | 9,144,698 | 0.8 | | % |
| | Consolidated | 8,643,226 | 8,526,912 | 1.4 | | % | | 83,364,347 | 83,262,801 | 0.1 | | % |
| PASSENGER LOAD FACTOR | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Domestic | 82.8 Percent | 84.0 Percent | -1.2 | | pts | 85.2 Percent | 84.9 Percent | 0.3 | | pts |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | International | 84.2 Percent | 80.4 Percent | 3.8 | | pts | 82.9 Percent | 78.8 Percent | 4.1 | | pts |
| | Transatlantic | 86.6 Percent | 83.1 Percent | 3.5 | | pts | | 83.8 Percent | 78.8 Percent | 5.0 | | pts |
| | Latin America | 78.4 Percent | 77.6 Percent | 0.8 | | pts | | 81.3 Percent | 81.4 Percent | -0.1 | | pts |
| | Pacific | 84.0 Percent | 76.8 Percent | 7.2 | | pts | | 83.1 Percent | 75.1 Percent | 8.0 | | pts |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mainline | 83.5 Percent | 82.2 Percent | 1.3 | | pts | 84.0 Percent | 81.7 Percent | 2.3 | | pts |
| | Regional | 77.4 Percent | 75.8 Percent | 1.6 | | pts | 79.0 Percent | 76.4 Percent | 2.6 | | pts |
| | Consolidated | 82.9 Percent | 81.5 Percent | 1.4 | | pts | 83.4 Percent | 81.2 Percent | 2.2 | | pts |
| ONBOARD PASSENGERS | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mainline | 3,391,332 | 3,330,332 | 1.8 | | % | | 34,086,874 | 34,618,306 | -1.5 | | % |
| | Regional | 1,354,004 | 1,350,709 | 0.2 | | % | | 13,335,304 | 12,932,311 | 3.1 | | % |
| | Consolidated | 4,745,336 | 4,681,041 | 1.4 | | % | | 47,422,178 | 47,550,617 | -0.3 | | % |
| CARGO REVENUE TON MILES (000) | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Total | 91,319 | 84,370 | 8.2 | | % | | 822,955 | 664,768 | 23.8 | | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Preliminary Operational and Financial Results |
| | | | | | Change |
| August 2010 year-over-year consolidated RASM change | | 19.1 | Percent |
| August 2010 year-over-year mainline RASM change | | 19.3 | Percent |
| September 2010 estimated year-over-year consolidated RASM change | 19.0 - 20.0 | Percent |
| September 2010 estimated year-over-year mainline RASM change | 21.0 - 22.0 | Percent |
| September 2010 estimated average price per gallon of fuel, including fuel taxes | 2.22 | Dollars |
| Third Quarter 2010 estimated average price per gallon of fuel, including fuel taxes | 2.21 | Dollars |
| | | | | | | |
| September | 2010 | 2009 | Change |
On-Time Performance 1 | 86.9% | 88.4% | (1.5) | Points |
Completion Factor 2 | 99.7% | 99.8% | (0.1) | Points |
| | | | | | | |
1 Department of Transportation Arrivals within 14 minutes | | | |
2 Mainline Segment Completion Percentage | | | |
| | | | | | | |
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