We recently flew Continental Airlines' first-class service to Cancun as part of Travel Agent's trip to the Riviera Maya.
And we can say the service is comparable to most top-of-the-line carriers. Now, it was only a roughly four-hour flight and not the 13-to-15-hour journeys we’ve taken aboard first class before, so there was less pressure on our friends at Continental.
Nonetheless, the service was top notch and we wouldn’t have been disappointed if our flight was longer than it was. There were roughly 20 seats or so in First Class, all spread out adequately from each other, giving you enough space to store some carry-on bags in front of your seat, still without enough room to stretch your legs. This is something I keep an eye on since I hate stowing my smaller bags up top and then fighting for them as soon as the seat belt light goes off when the plane lands.
The food was also very good. It was a morning flight, so I ordered the sausage and eggs, which were delicious. Now, there was no champagne on the flight so my First Class ritual of making a Mimosa my first beverage of the journey was foiled. Instead, I opted for a Bloody Mary. The drink service was perfect. A flight attendance circled our seats like a shark at all times, waiting for an empty glass or a request for another.
The movie selection couldn’t have been better either. Each chair gets its own separate television, which unfolds from the armrest, much like the food tray. The screen can be rotated from the left or right, making it easier to escape the glare if someone nearby chose to leave the window shade up. I went with the “The Informant,” a drama/comedy starring Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre, vice president turned informant who prompts the U.S. government to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation. The movie is pretty simple and not much really happens, but I think Damon should be nominated for an Oscar. He was that good.
The trip was part of a Continental Airlines Vacations (managed by MLT Vacations) promotion of its new Select Escapes packages. Select Escapes is a custom, user-friendly luxury package in which clients can put together their own luxury getaway to Mexico, choosing everything from resorts to excursions with the click of a mouse. Look for an in-depth story on MLT Vacation’s Mexico offerings, our stay at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita and our full trip to Mexico in upcoming issues of Travel Agent magazine.
Visit www.continental.com.