Departure City:

Newark, NJ, USA

Destination:

New Delhi, India

Flight Duration:

14 Hours

Seating:

Business Class

Check-In:

A little sketchy. My origin flight came from Minneapolis with a brief layover in Newark. The airport was under construction forcing me to leave the secure gate area I flew into and making a fresh pass through Newark security. This was not an issue so much as confusing; most airports allow you to fly into one gate and walk directly to your departing gate.

Lounge:

Passed on this as my layover was short and I preferred to stretch my legs.

Gate:

As the departing time grew closer, I made my way to the gate. An overhead announcement to have my passport, visa and boarding pass checked by the gate attendants was made. I checked in with at the desk, had my boarding pass signed off and told to re-queue. As the plane was open for seating, my boarding pass was rejected by the gate attendant. My only choice was to go back to the gate desk. The attendant quickly changed my boarding pass out for a Continental branded ticket from my original Northwest/Delta. This time it worked.

Flight:

This was my first time flying Continental to India. The plane was a newer 777, very spacious and clean. The usual amenities were waiting for me as I found my seat; blanket, pillow, headset and toiletry bag. Continental’s toiletry bag is hands down the best of any airline I have flown in Business Class. The bag unzipped to an open face position and included a hook on one end to allow the user to hang the bag against a bathroom door. Very nice touch. The bag itself was packed with the usual goodies but the personal care products were especially nice.

In-flight meals were particularly good for airline food. There was never a chance to become truly hungry as the meals were constantly being offered and snacks were available at all times.

With this being my longest flight to date, I was concerned I might find myself a little stir crazy mid-way through. When the in-flight entertainment monitors stopped working right after take off, things were not looking good. For several hours the monitors were reset until finally in hour 4 they become operational.

The cabin crew was friendly and attentive, more so than my usual Northwest experiences. Cleanliness was apparent in both the cabin and bathrooms.

Overall Impressions:

Continental is definitely the way to travel into Delhi in the future. Unfortunately they recently opted out (November 2009) of the Sky Team Alliance and joined the Star Alliance. Due to the fact my Airline Miles are with Northwest/Delta (Sky Team), my experience in October 2009 will most likely be my only using Continental for international travel. With clean, comfortable seats and a direct non-stop from the US into Delhi, you can’t beat it. Plus, the flight arrives 2 hours before the competitors start clogging up IGI. After arriving, clearing customs and collecting my baggage, I arrived at my hotel by 10:30 P.M. Normally this is closer to 2 or 3 A.M. the following morning.