[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Based on the Continental-United merger, and the third-world quality of United service, I suspect you saw what will be an example of typical Continental-United service in the future. If you purchased the first class tickets with Continental miles then you were obviously stuck with Continental. Otherwise, Alaska Air operates two non-stop flights, both offering first class cabins, Newark - Seattle. However the Alaska check-in staff, at Newark, may work for Continental. So, even on Alaska, you might be dealing with ticket counter Nazis in the case of a Newark departure.