Lufthansa will ask Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria for a bailout as it seeks to stabilize itself and its subsidiary carriers in a time of uncertainty. Speaking to staff, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said: “I am optimistic that the...
Pessimistic Lufthansa Will Retire Some 747s, A340s, A380s
Lufthansa does not see demand bouncing back for years and has responded by announcing the retirement of several longhaul and shorthaul aircraft. When I accuse my German wife of being pessimistic, she corrects me and says she is just...
Germany Backs Lufthansa Effort To Stop Issuing Refunds
The German government has endorsed Lufthansa’s argument that it cannot survive if it must issue refunds for cancelled tickets. Just last week the European Commission re-affirmed regulation that mandates airlines to promptly refund tickets for flight cancellations. Lufthansa, among...
How Lufthansa Is Fleecing Customers…Again
Lufthansa, the German airline known for strictly enforcing rules to its advantage and flouting those to its detriment, has a new way to avoid issuing refunds: leave passenger in limbo. Limbo is an uncertain period of awaiting a decision...
Lufthansa Converts Passenger Aircraft Into Cargo Plane For “Special Mission”
A very unique Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 landed in Frankfurt yesterday afternoon, not so much because of the aircraft itself, but because of what was inside. Lufthansa, like most airlines around the world, is facing dramatically reduced customer demand for...
Lufthansa Battles LOT Polish Over Condor Acquisition, Climate
Lufthansa has condemned LOT Polish Airlines’ proposed acquisition of Condor, stating that it represents “dubious, competition-distorting” state interference by Poland. In a combative charge that takes a page out of Delta’s longstanding playbook against Qatar Airways, Lufthansa labeled LOT...
Lufthansa Grounds Entire A380 Fleet. Is Air France Next?
Last week, I reported that Lufthansa was considering grounding its entire Airbus A380 fleet. It’s now official: all 14 Lufthansa A380s will soon be grounded. Who’s next? Air France? British Airways? Aero Telegraph (via OMAAT) reports it viewed an...
Lufthansa May Ground A380 Fleet, Slash Capacity By 50%
Citing unprecedented cancellations and anemic new bookings, Lufthansa is considering grounding its entire A380 fleet as it explores a massive cutback in flights. Coronavirus concerns have prompted thousands of passengers to cancel or postpone travel. The problem is so...
The “Lufthansa Diet” Looks Promising
Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago. This Meal...
Lufthansa Has Really Hit Rock Bottom In Economy Class
Hey, it’s time for another Lufthansa Economy Class trip report from Los Angeles to Frankfurt. It just gets worse and worse… I flew from LAX-FRA aboard the A380 last Friday and did economy class again because…well, we’re tightening our...
Lufthansa Aggressively Hawks Upgrades
Lufthansa has fully embraced the upgrade monetization game with its upgrade bidding system and more aggressive fixed-price upgrade offers. A client is traveling from Paris to Frankfurt this week. We just booked an “Economy Classic” ticket for her, the...
Will Lufthansa Replace First Class With “Premium” Business Class?
Lufthansa is (finally) introducing a new business class product onboard its incoming Boeing 777X jets. But first class remains an open question and Lufthansa appears to be considering eliminating it altogether in favor of a “premium” business class product....
Vintage Review: Lufthansa A340-300 First Class Frankfurt To New York
This week we are taking a walk down memory lane with a vintage first class trip report. I’m sharing photos and brief commentary from a trip I took in the final days of 2010 and first days of 2011...
Vintage Review: Lufthansa A340-300 First Class Chicago To Munich
This week we are taking a walk down memory lane with a vintage first class trip report. I’m sharing photos and brief commentary from a trip I took in the final days of 2010 and first days of 2011...
Air France + Lufthansa Strike Updates
It’s 2020 and strikes are in the air at both Air France and Lufthansa. What is the current status of strikes at both carriers? Air France Strike Update France is trying to change its national pension system, which has...
The 8-Hour, 85-Mile Lufthansa Flight
I don’t know how I missed this, but we have another chronicle in the “flights to nowhere” book, only this Lufthansa flight added insult to injury. On December 9th, LH404, an A340-600, took off on-time from Frankfurt (FRA) bound...
Italy’s Plan For Alitalia Centers On Lufthansa
In trying to save ailing flag carrier Alitalia, Italy has one objective in mind: get Lufthansa onboard. I’ve written often about the struggles at Alitalia. As the struggling carrier continues to lose money, the Italian government is looking for...
Qatar Airways Would Ditch Oneworld For Lufthansa Partnership
When it comes his relationship with oneworld, Qatar Airways’ Chief Akbar Al-Baker acts like a victim. He’s quick to cry foul and threaten to leave, but never follows through on his threat. And yet his charges are largely delusional and...
The Innocuous Pasta Dish On Lufthansa
Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago. What’s the...
Man Impersonates Lufthansa Pilot For Free First Class Upgrades
Catch me if you can? The man has been caught…and wait till you hear his defense. Man Arrested For Impersonating Lufthansa Pilot Rajan Mahbubani is a self-identified frequent flyer. The 48-year-old acquired a Lufthansa’s pilot uniform and fake ID...
