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The real growth of Continental Airlines began only after Robert F. Six took over the operations of the airline. Now, there were many aviation pioneers in the American skies but none of them were as fiercely driven as he was. The competitive businessman single handedly carried the airline to wider skies in the decade of the 50s.The first long haul flight came in the form of a Chicago to Los Angeles and a Denver to Los Angeles to Kansas City flight in the year 1957. The DC-7 aircraft took care of these long routes for a while and then came in the amazing Boeing 707 aircraft. The growth of the airline during this period was phenomenal. In fact, Continental Airlines went on a shopping spree that saw it place orders to the tune of USD 64 million while its own net worth was a comparatively measly USD 5.5 million! Such was the faith that the airline had in its own success even in its early years. The shopping list included Viscounts, Boeings, as well as DC-7Bs.Another first for not only Continental Airlines, but also the aviation industry was the introduction of lower fares. Six was always voicing his opinion that the route to success demanded a higher number of passengers, something that could only be made possible by lowering fares. The Chicago Los Angeles flight was the first to reflect his thoughts and soon fares on the economy class seats were cut by 25% and more. The inclusion of the Boeing 707 aircraft heralded a new era in aviation and made serious changes to its maintenance program to accommodate the regular servicing of the aircraft. Nonstop flights and perfect synchronization of service schedules and flight timings enabled Continental Airlines to make the maximum possible use of every aircraft in its fleet. Several changes were made in the interior of the aircraft, and along with enhanced meals, the service of these flights of the 707s came to be the best in the industry. The year 1968 saw the airline adapt to a new livery which gave it a refreshing look. With slogans such as ‘The Airline That Pride Built’ and ‘The Proud Bird With The Golden Tail’, Continental Airlines continued to promote itself like no other. The year 1969 saw a great leap as far as routes were concerned with the addition of the destinations like San Jose, Seattle, Portland, Hollywood-Burbank Airport, and Ontario. The same year also saw the airline flying without any stops to Albuquerque and Dallas from San Francisco.True to its spirit of nonstop growth, Continental Airlines was now a major player in the commercial airlines market! Travelling to USA? Avail cheap fares from India on Continental Airlines.Travelling solo or in a group? Get discounts on published fares for Continental Airlines - Best rates guaranteed.
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