The United States Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the nod for a single
operating certificate to be issued to the duo of Continental
Airlines and United Airlines, which will enable the two airlines
function as one carrier. According to United Continental
Holdings, the holding company for both airlines, this does not
change how customers interact with the airline. Customers of United
and Continental will continue to shop for flights, obtain seat
assignments and check flight status on each carrier's respective
website until the company migrates to a single passenger service
system in the first quarter of 2012. At that point, from a
customer's perspective, the two carriers will function as one
airline.
The group notes that with effect
from November 2011, air traffic control communications now refer to
all United and Continental flights as "United". United and
Continental made public their merger in May 2010 and sealed the
deal on Oct. 1, 2010, United says.