Continental's service has indeed been on the decline since the merger with United. There will continue to be issues until they combine everything "under one roof" so to speak. Coming soon: the changeover to one reservation system. Judging by how well that went with the America West/US Airways and Delta/Northwest merrgeres it will probably be a nightmare.
Is Sea-Tac a regular destination for you? Alaska now has non-stop service from IAH to SEA and one of the best track record for baggage handling. What's more if your bag arrives late they give you miles or a discount voucher and not just lip service. You can also get status on Alaska with just 20,000 miles while United/Continental's first tier is 25K. Keep in mind that next year will bring big changes to OnePass when it is merged into Mileage Plus. The elite qualification will be based not only on miles but dollars spent. Also, miles will expire when they did not under OnePass. Maybe this experience will have you looking elsewhere and Alaska is a gret airline overall.
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