Split the fare at checkoutStar Alliance member from 2009J.D. Power top network, 2007Continental Airlines Logo

Continental Airlines Merged Into United

Continental Airlines merged into United in 2012; book United on Laters.com, split the fare with no hidden fees, borrow responsibly.

Continental Airlines has stopped flying.

Search below for flights on its old routes with the airlines that fly them today.

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WhenOut – Back
Who1, Economy

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Edited by Adinda IrawanUpdated

Continental Airlines pay later

Can You Pay Later on Continental Airlines?

No — Continental Merged Into United in 2012

No. Continental Airlines stopped flying in 2012, when it merged into United Airlines, so there is no Continental fare left to split into a payment plan. Its network and fleet transferred to United, and you can book United Airlines on Laters.com, pick a pay-later plan inside the checkout, and get the e-ticket straight away, on every route and fare class.

Paying later is a payment method at the Laters.com checkout, not something an airline has to switch on, which is why it works on every route we ticket. Search the route, choose a provider on the payment screen, pick a plan, and the e-ticket arrives as soon as payment is approved. Which plans you see is set by the country you book from, not the airline, and checkout shows only the plans your fare qualifies for.

An instalment plan leaves the fare, the baggage allowance, the seat and what the fare earns in the airline's loyalty programme alone. You fly as United's own passenger on United's own fare rules, and only the paying is spread. Interest-free plans run a soft eligibility check that does not affect your credit score. Interest-bearing monthly financing runs a full credit check. Approval is never guaranteed on either, and you can pay in full by card or crypto instead.

  1. Search Continental Airlines and compare the fare
  2. Choose a pay-later plan at checkout
  3. Fly now, pay later: your e-ticket arrives once the flight is ticketed
Pay later at the Laters.com checkout

Pay later on Continental Airlines flights

Split the fare on Continental Airlines flights at the Laters.com checkout with the pay-later providers for North America. Plans and approval depend on the provider and your booking; Laters.com charges no booking fees or payment surcharges.

Pay later

Afterpay

Pay over time, subject to eligibility. Costs vary by product.

Book flights
with Afterpay
Pay later

Klarna

Pay in 4 or choose monthly financing.

Book flights
with Klarna
Pay later

Affirm

Pay in 4 or monthly payments, subject to eligibility.

Book flights
with Affirm
Pay later

FlexPay

Pay monthly for travel (formerly Uplift).

Book flights
with FlexPay
Pay later

Visa Installments

Split eligible purchases on your Visa card.

Book flights
with Visa Installments
AfterpayKlarnaAffirmZipPayPalSezzleSplititFlexPayVisa Installments

Affirm Rates from 0%-36% APR. Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check, may not be available in all states, and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. CA residents: Loans by Affirm Loan Services, LLC are made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law license.

Laters.com vs booking direct

Continental Merged Into United — Compare Flights Instead

Continental Airlines merged into United Airlines in 2012, so there is no Continental fare to book direct. 'Book direct' here means booking directly with United, the airline that now operates its former routes and fleet. One Laters.com search covers United alongside every other airline we sell, which United's own checkout does not. Laters.com also carries a choice of pay-later plans, which is credit, so borrow only what you can repay.

Continental Airlines Boeing 767-400ER taxiing at Newark at sunset
Booking Continental Airlines on Laters.com compared with booking direct with the airline
What you getLaters.comBook direct with Continental Airlines
Compare competing airlinesCompare United alongside every other airline on your route in one search, including carriers outside its partner network.Search United and its partner itineraries only.
Pay-later choice at checkoutAfterpay, Klarna, Affirm, Zip and Sezzle for US bookings when offered, and 40+ providers worldwide.Whatever United itself offers at its own checkout for the booking.
Fare rules and baggageThe selected fare determines change conditions, seats and baggage, same as booking direct.The selected fare determines change conditions, seats and baggage.
Financing approval and total costAny financing offer is subject to the provider's eligibility rules and the terms shown at checkout.Where financing is offered, approval and cost depend on United's own checkout terms.
Who handles a booked ticketContact Laters.com about a ticket purchased through Laters.com.Deal with United as the original ticket seller when booked direct.

Continental Airlines merged into United Airlines on March 3, 2012; there is no Continental fare to book, so 'book direct' here means booking directly with United, the successor airline. Checked October 2026. Sources: Laters.com payment options, United published information and AirlineGeeks, 12 Years Ago: A Look Back at the United-Continental Merger.

Independently scored, no paid placement

The Laters.com Airline Quality Score - Continental Airlines

Cyan cartoon hand making a peace sign with black outline sticker style illustration

What is the Laters.com Airline Quality Score?

Our editorial rating, out of 10, for what an airline is actually like to fly once you have booked it.

  1. 1Reliability & operations
  2. 2Comfort & experience
  3. 3Value & network
  4. 4Professional airline rating

Every airline we ticket is scored on the same 4 measures, so you can compare them like for like before you book. See the full methodology See all airline scores →

Scored by the Laters.com editorial team from the airline’s own published specifications and named third-party measurements. No airline pays to be rated, no placement is sold, and this page contains no affiliate links.

Continental Airlines scores 5.0 out of 10: the plain average of the measures below, rounded to one decimal. Each measure is an editorial assessment of the published facts.

What to watch

  • Ceased operations March 3, 2012, merged into United Airlines
  • No on-time figure from a named body
  • Seat pitch and width unpublished in every cabin
  • No baggage allowance or fee data confirmed

The editorial take

Strongest on
Professional rating: J.D. Power 2007 and Zagat 2008, 2009 awards
Held back by
No on-time figure or seat pitch published; airline ceased in 2012
Which cabin
BusinessFirst on transatlantic or transpacific, First on domestic; no seat pitch published.

4 measures, scored the same way for every airline we ticket.

Reliability & operations5/10

No on-time figure from a named measurement body was found, so punctuality cannot score higher. Continental ceased operations on March 3, 2012, and its fleet was absorbed into United's. For a booking today, check United's own punctuality record instead.

Professional airline rating6/10

J.D. Power and Associates named it Highest-Ranked Network Airline in 2007, and the Zagat Airline Survey gave it Best Large Domestic Airline (Premium Seating) in 2008. No star rating from a named body is on file, and the newest ranking listed dates from 2009, so it stays below 8.

The published ratings and awards behind this score, each from the body that issued it.

Awards

Highest-Ranked Network Airline
J.D. Power and Associates, 2007
Best Large Domestic Airline (Premium Seating)
Zagat Airline Survey, 2008
Best Value for the Money (International)
Zagat Airline Survey, 2009
No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline
Fortune, 2005
Best Airline Based in North America
OAG Airline of the Year Awards, 2007
Business Leadership Recycling Award
American Forest & Paper Association, 2010

How the score is built

  • 4 measures, each scored out of 10
  • The headline is the plain average of those measures, computed in the open
  • Each measure is an editorial assessment based on the published facts and sources in the breakdown
  • No airline pays to be rated, and no placement is sold

What we deliberately left out

  1. Safety. It is not a marketing metric and we will not rank carriers on it.
  2. Cancellation rate and fleet age. Omitted rather than estimated, until a sourced field exists for every airline.
  3. Any sub-metric we cannot attribute. An unsourced measure is dropped, not guessed.
  4. Blended third-party scores that mix in inputs we have already rejected elsewhere on this page.

The full method, measure by measure, is on how we score airlines.

Everyairline we scoreAirline Quality ScoresCompare Laters.com Airline Quality Scores across the airlines we ticket, every one of them scored on the same measures as Continental Airlines.See all airline scores
Baggage, check-in, cabins and miles

Continental Airlines baggage, check-in and cabin guide

Compare the cabin, included baggage and onboard services before you choose a fare, then use the check-in, connection and assistance details to prepare for your trip.

Continental Airlines Boeing 767-400ER economy cabin with seatback screens
Compare the carrier, keep the payment plan

Continental Airlines or another carrier? Compare before you split

The carriers most often compared with Continental Airlines, on the facts we hold for both. Every one of them can be booked on Laters.com with the same payment plans.

Compare carriers

650+AirlinesEvery other airline we ticketCompare available flights across the airlines on Laters.com, then review the payment options for your selected booking.Compare all airlines

Baggage, fees, miles, refunds and eligibility

FAQs: Booking Continental Airlines and Paying Later

Everything about booking Continental Airlines flights on Laters.com and splitting the fare, plus the airline’s own rules that decide what you get.

Continental Airlines Boeing 777-200ER in flight with landing gear down

Can I book Continental Airlines flights on Laters and pay later?

No. Continental Airlines ceased operations on March 3, 2012, when it merged into United Airlines, so there are no Continental flights to book or split into instalments. Laters lists 650+ airlines, and United Airlines is the carrier that took over Continental's network and fleet.

Is Continental Airlines still flying?

No. Continental Airlines stopped flying on March 3, 2012, when it merged into United Airlines. Its fleet was absorbed into United's, with aircraft later redeployed, sold or retired over time.

Which airline should I search for instead of Continental to pay later?

Search United Airlines. Continental merged into United in 2012, and its network and fleet transferred to United. Laters compares prices from multiple providers in one search, and you can pay later at checkout on United. The e-ticket is delivered instantly after approval.

Who can use pay later on a flight that used to be Continental's?

Eligibility for Continental cannot be tested, because the airline has not operated since March 3, 2012. For the United flights that replaced its routes, approval comes first and the e-ticket is delivered instantly after approval. Paying later is credit, so only accept a plan you are confident you can repay.

Is there a credit check when I pay later for a former Continental route?

Paying later is credit, and the e-ticket is issued only after approval. This page has no confirmed credit check details for Continental, which ceased operations in 2012 and has no pay-later options on record. Read the terms shown at checkout before you accept any plan on United or another airline.

What happens if I miss an instalment on a United flight that replaced a Continental route?

No missed-payment terms are confirmed for Continental, because it merged into United in 2012 and nothing can be booked under its name. The terms for any plan appear at checkout, so read them before you accept. Pay later is credit, so borrow only what you can repay on schedule.

Do I get a refund if Continental Airlines cancels my flight?

No. Continental Airlines stopped flying on March 3, 2012, after merging into United Airlines. Its fleet was absorbed into United's, with aircraft later redeployed, sold or retired over time.

What is Continental Airlines' baggage allowance?

No Continental baggage allowance is confirmed, carry-on or checked. The airline stopped flying in 2012 and its own site no longer exists to check against. Look up the allowance for the United fare you actually book.

What were Continental's check-in times?

Continental's check-in windows are not confirmed, because its website no longer exists. One related fact is on record: through check-in to other Star Alliance carriers was available from October 27, 2009. For a flight you book on Laters now, use the check-in times of the operating airline.

How do I choose a plan for a bigger Continental-style fare, such as a premium cabin?

Continental sold BusinessFirst on transatlantic and transpacific flights and First on domestic flights, and premium cabins are usually the biggest fares. When you book a comparable ticket on United, pick the plan with instalments you can cover comfortably, and compare the total repayable across plans. Laters charges no hidden booking fees, so the plan terms are where any cost shows up.

Is pay later on Laters available in my country for Continental Airlines?

Continental was a US airline founded in 1934, and it no longer operates, so no country can book it. No country list for Continental is confirmed here. Availability for the 650+ airlines you can book on Laters, including United, is shown at checkout for your location.

Does paying later for a United flight affect my credit score?

Continental itself cannot affect your score, because it ceased operations in 2012 and has no bookings. This page has no confirmed credit reporting details for Laters plans. Pay later is credit, so check the plan terms at checkout and keep up with payments.

Was Continental part of an airline alliance, and does that matter for paying later?

Continental joined Star Alliance as its 25th member on October 27, 2009, after being a SkyTeam member from 2004 to 2009. The alliance does not change how you pay. Laters works on every airline, route and fare class at checkout.

What Continental routes can I still price on Laters?

Continental's own flights are gone, but its network included New York to London and trans-Pacific services to mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan. Those routes were part of the network that moved to United in 2012. Compare current prices for them in one Laters search, then choose whether to pay later at checkout.

Are there fees to pay later on a Continental route?

Continental's ancillary fees are not confirmed, since the airline ceased operations in 2012. Laters itself charges no hidden booking fees. Any cost of a pay-later plan is stated in its terms at checkout, so read them before you agree.

What destinations did Continental Airlines fly to?

Continental operated from North American hubs at Newark (1987-2012), Houston Intercontinental (1982-2012) and Cleveland (1992-2012), plus Guam for Continental Micronesia, with routes across Latin America and the Caribbean, the North Atlantic (including New York to London) and trans-Pacific service to mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan.

When was the last Continental Airlines flight in the air?

Continental's final flight landed in Cleveland at 5:46 a.m. on March 3, 2012, completing the merger into United Airlines, and the Continental brand and flight codes stopped being used from that date.

What airlines are no longer flying?

Continental Airlines is one example: founded in 1934, it stopped flying on March 3, 2012 when it merged into United Airlines. Airlines cease operating for many different reasons, such as a merger, bankruptcy or licence withdrawal, and each airline page on Laters.com states its own current operating status where we have verified it.

What old airline is coming back?

Not Continental. Once an airline's operating certificate is surrendered in a full merger, as Continental's was on March 3, 2012, the brand does not return: its routes, fleet and loyalty programme were absorbed into United Airlines, which still operates them today.

About Continental Airlines and Laters.com

About Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 in 1980s red and gold livery at London Gatwick, 1985
Founded
1934

Wikipedia: Continental Airlines (history, hubs, cabins, fleet at merger, awards)

Who is Continental Airlines?

Continental Airlines was a US airline, founded in 1934 as Varney Speed Lines. It stopped flying on March 3, 2012, when it merged into United Airlines. J.D. Power and Associates named it Highest-Ranked Network Airline in 2007, and the Zagat Airline Survey gave it Best Large Domestic Airline (Premium Seating) in 2008. It sold First on domestic flights, BusinessFirst on transatlantic and transpacific ones, and Economy.

When it joined Star Alliance in October 2009, its North American hubs were Newark, Houston and Cleveland. The alliance added through check-in to other member carriers. Its OnePass members could earn and redeem miles across the alliance.

You cannot book a Continental flight on Laters.com, because the airline no longer exists. Its network and fleet passed to United Airlines, so search that airline instead. Paying later changes little there. The fare matches paying by card, the baggage is what the fare carries, loyalty earning follows the fare class, and the ticket is issued on the airline's own rules. You fly as its passenger and spread the cost.

Paying later is credit. Some plans carry interest, a credit check may apply, and a missed instalment has consequences with the provider, including a possible late fee. Split only a fare you can repay.

Fleet and on-time performance

Continental has no aircraft in service. It stopped flying in 2012, and its whole fleet transferred to United Airlines, with some aircraft sold or retired later. No aircraft types or fleet count appear here because none is confirmed for the airline today, and deliveries and retirements change any list. The network it flew was wide: Newark, Houston and Cleveland as North American hubs, Guam for Continental Micronesia, trans-Pacific flights to mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the North Atlantic, including New York to London. Punctuality, cancellation rate and fleet age are left out rather than estimated, because none of them has a confirmed figure.

Laters.com is operated by Fly Fairly Pte. Ltd., a travel agent licensed by the Singapore Tourism Board under licence TA04059. Contact Laters.com about a booking, including changes and cancellations; contact your payment provider about your repayment account.

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Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources between and ; figures are re-checked when their sources publish new data.