Exhibit 99.1

UNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGS REPORTS

DECEMBER 2011 OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

FOR UNITED AND CONTINENTAL

CHICAGO, Jan. 9, 2012 – United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) today reported December 2011 operational results for its United Airlines and Continental Airlines units.

United and Continental’s combined consolidated traffic (revenue passenger miles) in December 2011 decreased 0.7 percent versus December 2010 results on a combined consolidated capacity (available seat miles) decrease of 0.1 percent. The carriers’ combined consolidated load factor in December 2011 decreased 0.5 points compared to the same period in 2010.

United and Continental’s December 2011 combined consolidated and mainline passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) increased an estimated 4.0 to 5.0 percent and 3.5 to 4.5 percent, respectively, as compared to December 2010.

About United Continental Holdings, Inc.

United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) is the holding company for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Together with United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection, these airlines operate an average of 5,717 flights a day to 376 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 more than 21,200 daily flights to 1,185 airports in 185 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 or follow United on Twitter and Facebook.

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UAL REPORTS DECEMBER 2011 OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE/Page 2

Preliminary Operational Results

	December									Full Year
	2011			2010			Change			2011			2010			Change
REVENUE PASSENGER MILES (000)
Domestic		7,752,603			7,858,291			(1.3	)%		95,069,896			97,507,989			(2.5	)%
International		6,982,065			7,069,016			(1.2	)%		86,693,558			87,071,855			(0.4	)%
Atlantic		2,890,038			2,922,123			(1.1	)%		39,280,149			39,677,715			(1.0	)%
Pacific		2,616,274			2,735,219			(4.3	)%		31,350,439			31,875,964			(1.6	)%
Latin		1,475,753			1,411,674			4.5	%		16,062,970			15,518,176			3.5	%
Mainline		14,734,668			14,927,307			(1.3	)%		181,763,454			184,579,844			(1.5	)%
Regional		2,148,219			2,069,155			3.8	%		25,768,002			25,960,762			(0.7	)%
Consolidated		16,882,887			16,996,462			(0.7	)%		207,531,456			210,540,606			(1.4	)%
AVAILABLE SEAT MILES (000)
Domestic		9,311,662			9,496,043			(1.9	)%		111,734,624			114,894,643			(2.8	)%
International		8,707,176			8,591,234			1.3	%		107,702,131			105,165,407			2.4	%
Atlantic		3,698,344			3,587,004			3.1	%		49,189,706			48,045,291			2.4	%
Pacific		3,160,691			3,222,436			(1.9	)%		38,207,995			37,829,729			1.0	%
Latin		1,848,141			1,781,794			3.7	%		20,304,430			19,290,387			5.3	%
Mainline		18,018,838			18,087,277			(0.4	)%		219,436,755			220,060,050			(0.3	)%
Regional		2,777,392			2,721,244			2.1	%		33,091,282			33,034,277			0.2	%
Consolidated		20,796,230			20,808,521			(0.1	)%		252,528,037			253,094,327			(0.2	)%
PASSENGER LOAD FACTOR
Domestic		83.3	%		82.8	%		0.5	pts		85.1	%		84.9	%		0.2	pt
International		80.2	%		82.3	%		(2.1	)pts		80.5	%		82.8	%		(2.3	)pts
Atlantic		78.1	%		81.5	%		(3.4	)pts		79.9	%		82.6	%		(2.7	)pts
Pacific		82.8	%		84.9	%		(2.1	)pts		82.1	%		84.3	%		(2.2	)pts
Latin		79.9	%		79.2	%		0.7	pts		79.1	%		80.4	%		(1.3	)pts
Mainline		81.8	%		82.5	%		(0.7	)pts		82.8	%		83.9	%		(1.1	)pts
Regional		77.3	%		76.0	%		1.3	pts		77.9	%		78.6	%		(0.7	)pts
Consolidated		81.2	%		81.7	%		(0.5	)pts		82.2	%		83.2	%		(1.0	)pts
ONBOARD PASSENGERS (000)
Mainline		7,780			8,055			(3.4	)%		96,360			99,456			(3.1	)%
Regional		3,778			3,661			3.2	%		45,439			46,098			(1.4	)%
Consolidated		11,558			11,716			(1.3	)%		141,799			145,554			(2.6	)%
CARGO REVENUE TON MILES (000)
Total		223,892			244,714			(8.5	)%		2,645,600			3,003,871			(11.9	)%

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UAL REPORTS DECEMBER 2011 OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE/Page 3

Preliminary Financial Results

November 2011 year-over-year consolidated PRASM change	11.1	%
November 2011 year-over-year mainline PRASM change	9.8	%
December 2011 estimated year-over-year consolidated PRASM change	4.0 – 5.0	%
December 2011 estimated year-over-year mainline PRASM change	3.5 – 4.5	%
December 2011 estimated consolidated average price per gallon of fuel, including fuel taxes	3.23 Dollars
Fourth Quarter 2011 estimated consolidated average price per gallon of fuel, including fuel taxes	3.21 Dollars

Preliminary December Operational Results for United and Continental

	2011			2010			Change
United Airlines
On-Time Performance1		84.0	%		83.1	%		0.9 pts
Completion Factor2		99.4	%		97.9	%		1.5 pts

	2011			2010			Change
Continental Airlines
On-Time Performance1		79.8	%		72.1	%		7.7 pts
Completion Factor2		99.5	%		96.5	%		3.0 pts

¹  Based on domestic mainline scheduled flights arriving within 14 minutes of scheduled arrival time, according to data published in the DOT Air Travel Consumer Report.

²  Mainline Completion Percentage

Safe Harbor Statement

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements included in this release are forward-looking and thus reflect our current expectations and beliefs with respect to certain current and future events and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are and will be subject to many risks and uncertainties relating to our operations and business environment that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Words such as “expects,” “will,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “indicates,” “believes,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “outlook” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Additionally, forward-looking statements include statements which do not relate solely to historical facts, such as statements which identify uncertainties or trends, discuss the possible future effects of current known trends or uncertainties, or which indicate that the future effects of known trends or uncertainties cannot be predicted, guaranteed or assured. All forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to us on the date of this release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Our actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including, without limitation, the following: our ability to comply with the terms of our various financing arrangements; the costs and availability of financing; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity; our ability to execute our operational plans; our ability to control our costs, including realizing benefits from our resource optimization efforts, cost reduction initiatives and fleet replacement programs; our ability to utilize our net operating losses; our ability to attract and retain customers; demand for transportation in the markets in which we operate; an outbreak of a disease that affects travel demand or travel behavior; demand for travel and the impact that global economic conditions have on customer travel patterns; excessive taxation and the inability to offset future taxable income; general economic conditions (including interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, investment or credit market conditions, crude oil prices, costs of aviation fuel and energy refining capacity in relevant markets); our ability to cost-effectively hedge against increases in the price of aviation fuel; any potential realized or unrealized gains or losses related to fuel or currency hedging programs; the effects of any hostilities, act of war or terrorist attack; the ability of other air carriers with whom we have alliances or partnerships to provide the services contemplated by the respective arrangements with such carriers; the costs and availability of aviation and other insurance; the costs associated with security measures and practices; industry consolidation or changes in airline alliances; competitive pressures on pricing and on demand; our capacity decisions and the capacity decisions of our competitors; U.S. or foreign governmental legislation, regulation and other actions (including open skies agreements and environmental regulations); labor costs; our ability to maintain satisfactory labor relations and the results of the collective bargaining agreement process with our union groups; any disruptions to operations due to any potential actions by our labor groups; weather conditions; the possibility that expected merger synergies will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; and other risks and uncertainties set forth under Item 1A., Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as other risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in the reports we file with the SEC. Consequently, forward-looking statements should not be regarded as representations or warranties by us that such matters will be realized.

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