Business as usual for Irish flyers after United Continental merger

EXECUTIVES FROM US airline United Continental Holdings were in town this week to reinforce the message that it is business as usual for Irish customers following the mega-merger that has created the world’s biggest carrier.

While Continental is well known to Irish travellers for its transatlantic services from Dublin, Shannon and Belfast to Newark, United had no operations here, save for a codeshare with Aer Lingus.

This makes it potentially tricky for the new airline, given the United brand will be the sole one used come the end of this year.

Charles Duncan, the airline’s transatlantic, Middle East and India vice-president, told me this week that “Nothing really changes, except we will have a bigger network.

“But United has zero brand recognition here, so we’ll have to work hard to get our message across.”

One change that will be introduced is an economy-plus cabin, offering more legroom for those willing to spend a few extra bucks. This has previously been offered on United flights, but not with Continental.

Continental recently added four flights a week to its summer schedule from Shannon.

“Shannon works for us,” Duncan said. “There’s certainly a market there.”

Duncan said Continental carried 124,996 passengers in the first five months of this year on its Dublin and Shannon routes.

The load factors on its 175-seat Boeing 757 aircraft average out at more than 80 per cent.

And he indicated that Shannon is a profitable route. “We wouldn’t be increasing our services from there if it wasn’t.”

But demand from Belfast has softened, not helped by the British government levying £60 in departure taxes on US flights.

Many Northerners are now flying from Dublin, especially as Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar is preparing to scrap the travel tax. “It’s a very real difference,” Duncan said.

“We applaud the Irish Government’s decision on the departure tax. To me, it signals that the Government gets it.”