SCHEDULE 13D 
 
Amendment No. 15 
Continental Airlines Incorporated 
Class B Common Stock  
Cusip # 210795308 
 
 
Cusip # 210795308 
Item 1:	Reporting Person - FMR Corp. - (Tax ID:  04-2507163) 
Item 4:	PF 
Item 6:	Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
Item 7:	159,249 
Item 8:	None 
Item 9:	4,514,206 
Item 10:	None 
Item 11:	4,629,206 
Item 13:	9.33% 
Item 14:	HC 
 
 
PREAMBLE 
 
	The filing of this Schedule 13D is not, and should not be  
deemed to be, an admission that such Schedule 13D is required to  
be filed.  See the discussion under Item 2. 
 
Item 1.	Security and Issuer. 
 
	This statement relates to shares of the Class B Common  
Stock, $0.01 par value (the "Shares") of Continental Airlines  
Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company").  The  
principal executive offices of the Company are located at 2929  
Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019-2156. 
 
Item 2.	Identity and Background. 
 
	Item 2 is amended as follows: 
 
	This statement is being filed by FMR Corp., a Massachusetts  
Corporation ("FMR").  A separate Schedule 13D is being filed by  
Fidelity International Limited, a Bermuda joint stock company  
incorporated for an unlimited duration by private act of the  
Bermuda legislature ("FIL").  FMR is a holding company one of  
whose principal assets is the capital stock of a wholly-owned  
subsidiary, Fidelity Management & Research Company ("Fidelity"),  
which is also a Massachusetts corporation.  Fidelity is an  
investment advisor which is registered under Section 203 of the  
Investment Advisors Act of 1940 and which provides investment  
advisory services to more than 30 investment companies which are  
registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940  
and serves as investment advisor to certain other funds which are  
generally offered to limited groups of investors (the "Fidelity  
Funds").  Fidelity Management Trust Company ("FMTC"), a wholly- 
owned subsidiary of FMR Corp. and a bank as defined in Section  
3(a)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, serves as trustee  
or managing agent for various private investment accounts,  
primarily employee benefit plans and serves as investment adviser  
to certain other funds which are generally offered to limited  
groups of investors (the "Accounts").  Various directly or  
indirectly held subsidiaries of FMR are also engaged in  
investment management, venture capital asset management,  
securities brokerage, transfer and shareholder servicing and real  
estate development.  The principal offices of FMR, Fidelity, and  
FMTC are located at 82 Devonshire Street, Boston, Massachusetts  
02109. 
 
	FIL is an investment adviser which provides investment  
advisory and management services to a number of non-U.S.  
investment companies or instrument trusts (the "International  
Funds") and certain institutional investors.  Prior to June 30,  
1980, FIL was a majority-owned subsidiary of Fidelity.  On that  
date, the shares of FIL held by Fidelity were distributed, as a  
dividend, to the shareholders of FMR.  FIL currently operates as  
an entity independent of FMR and Fidelity, with certain common  
shareholders.  The International Funds and FIL's other clients,  
with the exception of Fidelity and an affiliate of Fidelity, are  
non-U.S. entities.  Various foreign-based subsidiaries of FIL are  
also engaged in investment management.  The principal office of  
FIL is located at Pembroke Hall, 42 Crow Lane, Hamilton, Bermuda. 
 
	Members of the Edward C. Johnson 3d family are the  
predominant owners of Class B shares of common stock of FMR  
representing approximately 49% of the voting power of FMR.  Mr.  
Johnson 3d owns 12.0% and Abigail Johnson owns 24.5% of the  
aggregate outstanding voting stock of FMR.  Mr. Johnson 3d is the  
Chairman of FMR.  The Johnson family group and all other Class B  
shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement  
under which all Class B shares will be voted in accordance with  
the majority vote of Class B shares.  Accordingly, through their  
ownership of voting common stock and the execution of the  
shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may  
be deemed, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to form a  
controlling group with respect to FMR.  The business address and  
principal occupation of Mr. Johnson 3d is set forth in Schedule A  
hereto. 
 
	In addition, a partnership controlled by Mr. Johnson and  
members of his family own shares of FIL voting stock with the  
right to cast approximately 47.22% of the total votes which may  
be cast by all holders of FIL voting stock.  Mr. Johnson 3d is  
Chairman of FMR and FIL.  FMR and FIL are separate and  
independent corporate entities.  FMR and FIL are managed  
independently and their boards of Directors are generally  
composed of different individuals.  Their investment decisions  
are made independently, and clients are different organizations.   
The business address and principal occupation of Mr. Johnson 3d  
is set forth in Schedule A hereto. 
 
	Effective July 1, 1993, Fidelity became sub-advisor to  
Fidelity American Special Situations Trust ("FASST"). 
 
	FASST is a unit trust established and authorized by the  
Department of Trade and Industry under the laws of England.  The  
investment advisor of FASST is Fidelity Investment Services  
Limited, an English company and a subsidiary of FIL. 
 
	The Shares to which this statement relates are owned  
directly by seventeen of the Fidelity Funds, twenty-one of the  
Accounts, and by Fidelity International Limited, through its  
subsidiaries and affiliates. 
 
	FMR and FIL are of the view that they are not acting as a  
"group" for purposes of Section 13(d) under the Securities  
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act") and that they are not  
otherwise required to attribute to each other the "beneficial  
ownership" of securities "beneficially owned" by the other  
corporation within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under  
the 1934 Act.  Therefore, they are of the view that the Shares  
held by the other corporations need not be aggregated for  
purposes of Section 13(d).  However, FMR is making this filing on  
a voluntary basis as if all of the Shares are beneficially owned  
by FMR and FIL on a joint basis. 
 
	The name, residence or business address, principal  
occupation or employment and citizenship of each of the executive  
officers and directors of FMR are set forth in Schedule A hereto. 
 
	Within the past five years, none of the persons named in  
this Item 2 or listed on Schedule A has been convicted in any  
criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar  
misdemeanors) or has been a party to any civil proceeding and as  
a result thereof was or is subject to any judgment, decree or  
final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or  
mandating activities subject to federal or state securities laws  
or finding any violations with respect to such laws. 
 
Item 3.	Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration. 
 
	Item 3 is amended as follows: 
 
	The Fidelity Funds which own or owned Shares purchased in  
the aggregate 6,361,658 Shares for cash in the amount of  
approximately $202,233,424, including brokerage commissions.  The  
Fidelity Funds used their own assets in making such purchase and  
no part of the purchase price is represented by borrowed funds.   
Proceeds from 2,768,605 Shares sold aggregated approximately  
$86,674,285.  The attached Schedule B sets forth Shares purchased  
and/or sold since February 15, 1997. 
 
	The Accounts of FMTC which own or owned Shares purchased in  
the aggregate 3,561,363 Shares for cash in the amount of  
approximately 50,963,139, including brokerage commissions.  The  
Accounts used their own assets in making such purchase and no  
part of the purchase price is represented by borrowed funds.   
Proceeds from 5,366,108 Shares sold aggregated approximately  
$167,210,394.  The attached Schedule B sets forth Shares  
purchased and/or sold since February 15, 1997. 
 
	FASST and FIL which own or owned Shares purchased in the  
aggregate 211,000 Shares for cash in the amount of approximately  
$5,260,041, including brokerage commissions.  FASST and FIL used  
their own assets in making such purchase and no part of the  
purchase price is represented by borrowed funds.  Proceeds from  
125,500 Shares sold aggregated approximately $3,145,130. The  
attached Schedule B sets forth Shares purchased and/or sold since  
February 15, 1997. 
 
 
	On March 1, 1996, the Shares beneficially owned by the  
Fidelity Funds and the Accounts decreased by 330,200 Shares as a  
result of the event described in Item 5(c) below. 
 
Item 4.	Purpose of Transaction. 
 
	Item 4 is amended as follows: 
 
	The purpose of Fidelity and FMTC in having the Fidelity  
Funds and the Accounts purchase Shares (see Item 5 below) is to  
acquire an equity interest in the Company in pursuit of specified  
investment objectives established by the Board of Trustees of the  
Fidelity Funds and by the investors in the Accounts. 
 
	Fidelity and FMTC, respectively, may continue to have the  
Fidelity Funds and the Accounts purchase Shares subject to a  
number of factors, including, among others, the availability of  
Shares of sale at what they consider to be reasonable prices and  
other investment opportunities that may be available to the  
Fidelity Funds and Accounts. 
 
	Fidelity and FMTC, respectively, intend to review  
continuously the equity position of the Fidelity Funds and  
Accounts in the Company.  Depending upon future evaluations of  
the business prospects of the Company and upon other  
developments, including, but not limited to, general economic and  
business conditions and money market and stock market conditions,  
Fidelity may determine to cease making additional purchases of  
Shares or to increase or decrease the equity interest in the  
Company by acquiring additional Shares, or by disposing of all or  
a portion of the Shares. 
 
	Neither Fidelity nor FMTC has any present plan or proposal  
which relates to or would result in (i) an extraordinary  
corporate transaction, such as a merger, reorganization,  
liquidation, or sale of transfer of a material amount of assets  
involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) any change  
in the Company's present Board of Directors or management, (iii)  
any material changes in the Company's present capitalization or  
dividend policy or any other material change in the Company's  
business or corporate structure, (iv) any change in the Company's  
charter or by-laws, or (v) the Company's common stock becoming  
eligible for termination of its registration pursuant to Section  
12(g)(4) of the 1934 Act. 
 
Item 5.	Interest in Securities of Issuer. 
 
	Item 5 is amended as follows: 
 
	Although Item 5 assumes that FMR, Fidelity, FMTC, FASST, and  
FIL beneficially own all 4,629,206 Shares, reference is made to  
Item 2 for a disclaimer of beneficial ownership with respect to  
the securities which are "beneficially owned" by the other  
corporations. 
 
	(a)	FMR beneficially owns, through Fidelity, as investment  
advisor to the Fidelity Funds, 4,326,057 Shares, or approximately  
8.71% of the outstanding Shares of the Company, and through FMTC,  
the managing agent for the Accounts, 188,149 Shares, or  
approximately 0.38% of the outstanding Shares of the Company.  In  
addition the Fidelity Funds received 1,063,204 Shares of common  
stock and FMTC received 4,630,111 Shares of common stock as a  
result of a 2 for 1 stock split on July 16, 1996.  FMTC's  
position decreased by 159,442 shares due to a transfer out of  
shares.  The number of Shares held by the Fidelity Funds and  
Accounts includes 331,180 Shares of common stock resulting from  
the assumed conversion of $10,000,000 principal amount of the  
6.75% Convertible Subordinated Debentures (33.118 shares of  
common stock for each $1000 principal amount of the debenture),  
and 508,728 Shares of common stock resulting from the assumed  
conversion of 246,000 shares of the $4.25 Convertible Preferred  
(2.068 shares of common stock for each convertible preferred).   
FIL beneficially owns, as investment advisor to the International  
Funds, 115,000 Shares, or approximately 0.23% of the outstanding  
Shares of the Company.  In addition, FIL received 29,500 Shares  
of common stock as a result of a 2 for 1 stock split on July 16,  
1996.  Neither FMR, Fidelity, FMTC, nor any of its affiliates  
nor, to the best knowledge of FMR, any of the persons named in  
Schedule A hereto, beneficially owns any other Shares.  The  
combined holdings of FMR, Fidelity, FMTC, and FIL are 4,629,206  
Shares, or approximately 9.33% of the outstanding Shares of the  
Company. 
 
	(b)	FMR, through is control of Fidelity, investment advisor  
to the Fidelity Funds, and the Funds each has sole power to  
dispose of the Shares.  Neither FMR nor Mr. Johnson has the sole  
power to vote or direct the voting of the 4,326,057 Shares owned  
directly by the Fidelity Funds, which power resides with the  
Funds' Boards of Trustees.  Fidelity carries out the voting of  
the Shares under written guidelines established by the Funds'  
Board of Trustees.  FMR, through its control of FMTC, investment  
manager to the Accounts, and the Accounts each has sole  
dispositive power over 188,149 Shares and sole power to vote or  
to direct the voting of 159,249 Shares, and no power to vote or  
to direct the voting of 28,900 Shares owned by the Accounts.     
 
	(c)	On March 1, 1996, the reporting person's beneficial  
ownership of Shares decreased by 330,200 Shares as a result of  
(i) the termination of the reporting person's interest in a  
Fidelity Fund (a private investment partnership) and (ii) the  
termination of investment management agreements Fidelity had with  
such Fidelity Fund. 
 
	(d)	Except as set forth in Schedule B, neither FMR, or any  
of its affiliates, nor, to the best knowledge of FMR, any of the  
persons named in Schedule A hereto has effected any transaction  
in Shares during the past sixty (60) days. 
 
Item 6.	Contract, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships  
With Respect to Securities of the Issuer. 
 
	DDJ Capital Management, LLC or an affiliate of such Company  
("DDJ"), provides investment advisory consulting services for  
FMTC's use in connection with FMTC's investment management of two  
Accounts.  DDJ is not a direct or indirect subsidiary or  
affiliate of FMR or FMTC; DDJ has no shared or sole voting power  
or any other investment discretion with respect to such  
securities or any other securities owned by Accounts managed by  
FMTC. 
 
	Except as may otherwise be described herein, neither FMR nor  
any of its affiliates nor, to the best knowledge of FMR, any of  
the persons named in Schedule A hereto has any joint venture,  
finder's fee, or other contract or arrangement with any person  
with respect to any securities of the Company. 
 
	The Funds and Accounts may from time to time own debt  
securities issued by the Company or its direct or indirect  
subsidiaries, and may from time to time purchase and/or sell such  
debt securities. 
 
 
 
Item 7.	Material to be Filed as Exhibits. 
 
	Not Applicable. 
 
	This statement speaks as of its date, and no inference  
should be drawn that no change has occurred in the facts set  
forth herein after the date hereof. 
 
Signature 
 
	After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and  
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this  
statement is true, complete and correct. 
 
						FMR Corp. 
 
 
 
DATE:	April 23, 1997	By:	/s/Arthur  
Loring			 
	Arthur Loring 
	Vice President-Legal 
 
 
 
SCHEDULE A 
 
	The name and present principal occupation or employment of  
each executive officer and director of FMR Corp. are set forth  
below.  The business address of each person is 82 Devonshire  
Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, and the address of the  
corporation or organization in which such employment is conducted  
is the same as his business address.  All of the persons listed  
below are U.S. citizens. 
 
POSITION WITH 
									PRINCIPAL 
NAME	FMR CORP.	OCCUPATION 
 
Edward C. Johnson 3d	President, 
	Chairman of the 
Director, CEO	Board and CEO, FMR 
Chairman & 
Mng. Director 
 
J. Gary Burkhead	Director	President-Fidelity 
 
Caleb Loring, Jr.	Director,	Director, FMR 
	Mng. Director 
 
James C. Curvey	Director, 	Sr. V.P., FMR 
	Sr. V.P. 
 
William L. Byrnes	Vice Chairman	Vice Chairman, FIL 
Director & Mng. 
Director 
 
Abigail P. Johnson	Director	Portfolio Mgr -  
Fidelity 
		Management &  
Research 
		Company 
 
Robert C. Pozen	Sr. V.P. & Gen'l	Sr. V.P. & Gen'l 
	Counsel	Counsel, FMR 
 
David C. Weinstein	Sr. Vice President	Sr. Vice President 
Administration	Administration 
 
Gerald M. Lieberman	Sr. Vice Pres. - 	Sr. Vice Pres. - 
Chief Financial	Chief Financial  
Officer	Officer 
 
 
 
SCHEDULE B 
 
Continental Airlines Incorporated 
 
Fourteen Fidelity Fund(s) purchased Shares since February 15,  
1997 at the dates and at the prices set forth below.  The  
transactions were made for cash in open market transactions or  
with other investment companies with the same or an affiliated  
investment advisor. 
 
	DATE	SHARES	PRICE 
	02-19-97	49,700	$29.4941 
	02-19-97	400	29.4941 
	02-19-97	5,300	29.4941 
	02-21-97	200	29.6250 
	02-25-97	1,900	29.7500 
	02-26-97	500	29.5000 
	02-26-97	4,000	29.2500 
	02-26-97	1,200	29.2500 
	02-28-97	5,000	28.6250 
	03-04-97	49,700	29.5636 
	03-04-97	4,000	28.6250 
	03-04-97	5,300	29.5636 
	03-04-97	4,000	29.5636 
	03-05-97	8,000	29.9381 
	03-05-97	200	29.9381 
	03-05-97	49,700	29.9381 
	03-05-97	5,300	29.9381 
	03-05-97	400	29.9381 
	03-06-97	49,700	30.2750 
	03-06-97	5,300	30.2750 
	03-10-97	49,700	30.0970 
	03-10-97	5,300	30.0970 
	03-11-97	18,100	30.9985 
	03-11-97	5,000	30.9985 
	03-11-97	1,900	30.9985 
	03-11-97	200	31.0000 
	03-12-97	5,000	31.0000 
	03-13-97	49,500	31.3364 
	03-13-97	5,300	31.3364 
	03-13-97	200	31.3364 
	03-17-97	22,600	32.2450 
	03-17-97	2,400	32.2450 
	03-18-97	200	33.5000 
	03-18-97	200	33.5000 
	03-19-97	20,000	32.0313 
	03-25-97	300	32.6250 
	03-26-97	22,600	32.7019 
	03-26-97	40,000	32.7019 
	03-26-97	2,400	32.7019 
	04-02-97	49,600	31.0209 
	04-02-97	49,600	31.0209 
	04-03-97	5,400	30.7500 
	04-03-97	5,400	30.7500 
	04-07-97	100	33.0000 
	04-08-97	100	32.8433 
	DATE	SHARES	PRICE 
	04-08-97	20,000	32.8433 
	04-09-97	100	32.1250 
	04-10-97	7,600	32.0000 
	04-15-97	100,000	31.1594 
	04-16-97	100,000	31.9017 
	04-16-97	17,000	31.9017 
	04-16-97	5,400	32.2500 
	04-16-97	49,600	32.2500 
 
 
SCHEDULE B 
 
 
Continental Airlines Incorporated 
 
Five Fidelity Fund(s) sold Shares since February 15, 1997, the  
dates and at the prices set forth below.  The transactions were  
made for cash in open market transactions or with other  
investment companies with the same or an affiliated investment  
advisor. 
 
	DATE	SHARES	PRICE 
 
	02-18-97	2,100	$29.1250 
	02-25-97	2,900	29.6250 
	02-18-97	300	29.1250 
	02-26-97	700	29.5000 
	02-26-97	900	29.5000 
	02-28-97	19,100	28.6250 
	03-03-97	37,800	28.7118 
	03-04-97	23500	29.4370 
	03-11-97	300	31.0000 
	03-24-97	1,000	31.7500 
	04-08-97	69,000	32.8514 
	04-09-97	31,000	32.2641 
	04-16-97	100	31.6250 
 
 
 
 
SCHEDULE B 
 
 
Continental Airlines Incorporated 
 
Five Account(s) sold Shares since February 15, 1997 at the dates  
and at the prices set forth below.  The transactions were made  
for cash in open market transactions or with other investment  
companies with the same or an affiliated investment advisor. 
 
	DATE	SHARES	PRICE 
 
	02-28-97	26,500	$28.6250 
	02-28-97	1,600	28.6250 
	02-28-97	1,600	28.6250 
	03-03-97	52,300	28.7118 
	03-03-97	3,000	28.7118 
	03-03-97	3,100	28.7118 
	03-04-97	24,700	29.4370 
	03-04-97	32,600	29.4370 
	03-04-97	1,900	29.4370 
	03-04-97	24,700	29.4370 
	03-04-97	1,900	29.4370 
	03-07-97	18,000	29.6875 
	03-18-97	1,800	33.0000 
 
 
 
 SCHEDULE B 
 
 
Continental Airlines Incorporated 
 
FASST sold Shares since February 15, 1997 at the dates and at the  
prices set forth below.  The transactions were made for cash in  
open market transactions or with other investment companies with  
the same or an affiliated investment advisor. 
 
	DATE	SHARES	PRICE 
 
	02-28-97	1,200	$28.6250 
	03-03-97	3,800	28.7118 
	03-04-97	2,200	29.4370