United, Continental Airlines extend travel options for customers affected by disaster in Japan; offers include no fees for changing flights, itinerary cancellations, requests for refunds

Lorena Madrigal

CHICAGO , March 18, 2011 (press release) – United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UAL - News) has extended travel options for United and Continental customers whose flight plans may be affected by the earthquake and its aftermath in Japan. Although United's and Continental's flight operations in Japan and the Pacific are operating as scheduled, with the exception of flights from Guam to Sendai which are suspended due to the Sendai airport closure, the airlines recognize that customers may wish to change or cancel their travel plans.

Change Flights for No Fee at united.com or continental.com

Customers scheduled on flights through March 31, 2011, to, from or through certain Japanese airports may reschedule their itinerary with a one-time date or time change, and the change fees will be waived. Complete details and eligible travel dates are available at united.com and continental.com.

Option to Cancel Itinerary and Request Refund

In addition, customers scheduled on flights through March 31, 2011, to, from or through certain Japanese airports may cancel their itinerary entirely, regardless of whether their flight schedule has been affected. A refund in the original form of payment may be requested, and Mileage Plus and OnePass reward tickets may be cancelled with mileage redeposited for no fee. Customers wishing to cancel their itinerary should submit a refund request form that can be found on their respective carrier's website.

The fastest and most convenient way to change travel plans is via united.com or continental.com. Customers should continue to manage their reservations on the respective company's website from which their ticket was purchased. Customers may also book a new reservation, change an existing reservation or check flight status by calling United Reservations at 800-UNITED-1 or Continental Reservations at 800-525-0280 or their travel agent.

Customers scheduled to travel to the region are encouraged to check their flight status on their respective company's websites. Additional information about potential flight delays, cancellations and gate changes is available at United's EasyUpdate service or Continental's TripAlert service, which provide customers notifications via phone, text or e-mail.

Supporting Relief Efforts in Japan

United Continental Holdings is supporting efforts to provide aid to those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. United and Continental will provide a one-time mileage bonus to members of Mileage Plus and OnePass who contribute to American Red Cross. Individuals who wish to support the disaster relief efforts should visit the American Red Cross website to make a cash donation: http://american.redcross.org/unitedairlines-pub. Complete details on how to receive the mileage bonus are available on united.com and continental.com.

About United Continental Holdings, Inc.

United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UAL - News) is the holding company for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Together with United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection, these airlines operate a total of approximately 5,675 flights a day to 372 airports on six continents from their hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. United and Continental are members of Star Alliance, which offers 21,000 daily flights to 1,160 airports in 181 countries. United and Continental's more than 80,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. For more information about United Continental Holdings, Inc., go to UnitedContinentalHoldings.com. For more information about the airlines, see united.com and continental.com, and follow each company on Twitter and Facebook.

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