United Continental Holdings, Inc.
says it is offering double MileagePlus miles to customers making
bookings on United's daily, non-stop service from Lagos, Nigeria to
Houston, Texas, US. The group notes that the flights will be
operated by Continental Airlines, and the offer is available till
February 1, 2012. United notes further that the Lagos-Houston
service, announced in June 2010, is the first scheduled, non-stop
passenger service between Africa and Texas. It adds that the
flights link Lagos with Houston's George Bush Intercontinental
Airport, the new United's largest hub.
According to the group, following
their merger in October 2010 to form the new United, United
Airlines and Continental Airlines continue to operate separately
pending the new company's receipt of a single operating certificate
from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is expected to
happen soon. United discloses that the approximately
6,500-mile flight will be operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft, with
a total of 276 seats - 50 in BusinessFirst (business class) and 226
in Economy. Flying times will be approximately 13 hours 20 minutes
westbound and 11 hours 35 minutes eastbound.
The new flight will reduce travel
time between the two cities by over three hours by eliminating any
connection en route.