Lufthansa Unveils Premium Economy Amenity Kits And Introduces New First Class Kit….

Lufthansa Unveils Premium Economy Amenity Kits And Introduces New First Class Kit….

Lufthansa finally went public with new enhancements to their amenity kits after first unveiling them internally a few months ago in Frankfurt.    I had been asked to not talk about them until they were ready for introduction, and that time has arrived.

First off, LH has introduced an amenity kit specifically for Premium Economy passengers.   The kit is basically a durable plastic shopping bag that can be used for a variety of purposes after a flight.    Lufthansa felt the kit needed to be something that can be used by passengers even after their travel to make it that much more effective.

The uniqueness of this kit is that the bags will be a collection of 5 unique designs each focusing on a Lufthansa destination.    For the first batch of collectable bags,  Paris, Berlin, New York, Frankfurt, and San Francisco are featured.   Each of these bags will carry a unique symbol of the city such as the Statue of Liberty for NY, the Golden Gate Bridge for ‘SFO’, etc.

The plan for the Premium Eco kit is to introduce additional designs with more cities when future kits are released.    LH hopes this also creates interaction among passengers who might want to trade with each other as they collect the various bags.

Look for the bags to be on board by July.

 

several blue and white bags

Courtesy: Lufthansa

 

FIRST CLASS KIT:

a group of travel bags

Courtesy: Lufthansa

The First Class kit also gets a serious upgrade.   The new kits are provided by ‘Windsor’ and feature an attractive Leather case which can be used for other purposes once it is no longer used as an amenity kit.

The lady’s case is designed to be carried as purse thanks to the leather shoulder strap that comes with it.   The men’s kit does not come with the strap but can serve nicely as a shaving kit case or to hold cables and charges.

The initial kit colors are a light creme for the female kit and a dark brown for the men and will be given to passengers during the summer.  In the fall and winter the kits will get a color revamp and as far as my understanding goes, the female kit will be brown, while the men’s kit will be a dark green.

Here is a look at the Ladies kit coming for the fall/winter season:

a brown leather bag on a seat

The Ladies kit for the Fall/Winter season. I had gotten a glimpse of it earlier this year while the kit was undergoing development.

 
The new First Class kits are available now on most LH long haul flights.

 


a close-up of a plane

 

AUSTRIAN Opens Premium Economy Booking & Begins Fleet Retrofit

AUSTRIAN Opens Premium Economy Booking & Begins Fleet Retrofit

Austrian has announced that their first 767 slated for the upgrade to a Premium Economy cabin is now in the shop and the update has begun.    At the same time, Austrian has now opened Premium Economy booking for all of their long haul flights scheduled for March 6, 2018 and onward.

The seat is identical to the one found aboard Lufthansa long haul birds except that the seat colors match the Austrian cabin decor.

As with the current product found aboard LH, the Austrian Premium Economy experience will be nearly identical as far as seat pitch, baggage allowance, and dining is concerned:

  • Increased seat ‘pitch’ as compare to Economy
  • Foot rests
  • Amenity Kit
  • Fold old tables with dedicated arm-rests
  • 12 inch IFE screen
  • One standard and one USB power port
  • Checked baggage allowance of 2 pieces at 23kg (50 lbs) each
  • Enhanced dining options
  • Welcome aboard drink

a diagram of a flight seat

 

In all, 12 aircraft will be retrofitted between now and March 2018.    Once the €15 million retrofit is complete, Austrian will offer a total of 252 Premium Economy seats on their long haul 767 and 777 aircraft.

I suspect during the next few months (until March 2018) while the upgrades are taking place, Economy Class passengers will be offered low-cost or free upgrades to Premium Economy seats.   Miles & More Senators & HON Circle members may receive complimentary upgrades as well.    This will be take place on a flight by flight basis while the fleet is being upgraded.  At least this is what happened while LH was going through the process of upgrading their fleet.

 

a screenshot of a computer

 

LUFTHANSA:  Premium Economy Sale Ex-Germany

LUFTHANSA: Premium Economy Sale Ex-Germany

Lufthansa has launched a Premium Economy sale for early summer travel for flights departing Germany.

Delhi and Dubai lead the way with Prem-Eco fares as low as €820.   Most of Lufthansa’s US and Canadian destinations can be booked between €1000 and €1300, however New York can be booked for about €850 .

Beijing, Tokyo, and most of Asia is also attractive with fares ranging between €1100 and €1300.

African destinations can be reached for as little as  €800 for Nairobi,  €1200 for Johannesburg, or €1400 for Capetown.   South American fares range between €1200 and €1500.

The fares are valid for travel between now and June 30, 2017.

a close-up of a plane

LUFTHANSA Premium Economy Steal:  FRA/MUC To New YORK For €650 R/T

LUFTHANSA Premium Economy Steal: FRA/MUC To New YORK For €650 R/T

Lufthansa is running a deal until midnight tomorrow that allows you to book a Premium Economy seat from Munich or Frankfurt to New York (JFK or EWR) for approximately €650.

Unfortunately the deal does not work ex-NYC but Prem Eco fares are only $1200-1300 from this side of the pond for the same travel period.

The deal has a narrow travel window.   Travel must take place between January 30 and March 31, 2017 and a Saturday night stay is required.


a close-up of a plane

AUSTRIAN Opens Premium Economy Booking & Begins Fleet Retrofit

AUSTRIAN Unveils Premium Economy and WiFi!

AUSTRIAN announced several major initiatives under yet another new plan, this time referred to as ‘Next Level Austrian’……

Beginning with the Summer 2018 timetable, Austrian will offer Premium Economy seating aboard their 777 and 767 long-haul aircraft.   The retrofits will begin in the Winter of 2017 and should be completed by the end of Summer 2018.   The seats will be similar to what we already see in Lufthansa’s Premium Economy.    With the new seat will come improved leg room, better recline angles, and enhanced dining as compared to Economy.   The 767 will have 18 Premium Economy seats installed and the 777 will have 24 Premium Economy Seats on board.

This comes at the expense of both Business and Economy seats:  To make room for the Premium Economy cabin, Business and Economy class will both have a reduction in the number of overall seats.   According to Austrian, the pricing will fall in between Economy and Business fares.    I expect this to be very much like the Lufthansa Premium Economy product which has been very successful for the airline.

WiFi!

As part of the same announcement, OS has also indicated that their aircraft will begin an upgrade process that will see the installation of WiFi throughout the entire fleet.   The first aircraft will be have Wifi available for passengers by mid-December of this year and the entire fleet will have connectivity by Summer 2017.

With the broadband system, passengers will be able to use their smart devices for any internet-based purpose including live streaming, email, etc.   Per the existing policy using the service for phone calls will still not be allowed.    Pricing is yet to be determined.


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