Continental Airlines completes Boeing 777 fleet installation of new BusinessFirst sleeper seats

Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL) has completed installation of 864 new BusinessFirst sleeper seats throughout its fleet of 18 Boeing 777 aircraft.

The new BusinessFirst seats feature several significant design improvements that provide more comfort for customers. The new seat, measuring 22 inches between the armrests, is wider than business class seats on any competing airline. It offers a 170-degree recline from seat cushion to seat back and 6 1/2 feet (2 meters) of sleeping space in the fully extended position. The seats also have privacy hoods, individual dual-level reading lights, adjustable winged headrests, power ports for laptop personal computers and personal multi-channel entertainment systems and satellite telephones.

The seats were installed by technicians at Continental's hangar at Newark Liberty International Airport beginning in April.

The new seats are the centerpiece of Continental's premium BusinessFirst cabin service that provides the extra space and fine amenities of traditional international first class service at a business class price. The award winning BusinessFirst service also features extensive gourmet menu selections created by Continental's Congress of Chefs, premium wines and champagne, and International Concierge Service that provides individualized pre- and post- flight services for BusinessFirst customers at 21 key international airports. Customers traveling in BusinessFirst may also access any of Continental's 27 President Clubs and more than 50 airline affiliated lounges worldwide.

The investment in new seats further distances Continental Airlines award-winning BusinessFirst product from other carriers in the industry. For five consecutive years, readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine have rated BusinessFirst as the best business class service offered by any U.S. carrier on transatlantic and transpacific routes.