by Lufthansa Flyer | Mar 7, 2012 | Trip Reports |
In an on going effort to expand my passport’s horizon (It hasn’t had a visa in it since the good ol’ days of Trabants, the CSSR and Iron Curtains) my wife and I will be traveling to Istanbul in the near future. This will be her first visit to a country that is not on the european continent and since we depart on her birthday, it dovestails nicely as a birthday present as well.
The flight plan is entered and has us flying from Grand Rapids to Chicago (30 minute long haul), connecting to a Lufthansa flight to Dusseldorf (this surprises you?), then onward to Frankfurt (Need to take care of my DUCK fix and add the Olympic Edition to my collection) and then finally onto another Lufthansa flight to Istanbul. It’s easier than it sounds.
On the return, it’s Istanbul to Munich and onward to London for a few days(guess what airline). From London, we head to Frankfurt (Guess Why…) and then from Frankurt back home (Yes, on THAT airline again).
We’ve both been to London several times, so it will be as if we are visiting an uncle we haven’t seen in a few years. Maybe a bit older, but we are still very familiar with the place.
Istanbul is the wildcard for us. Having never been there I am open to all and any suggestions for things to do and see. So far, I have the Bazaar and Spice Market on the list and thats about it. For you Anthony Bourdain Fans, we have hired the same cab driver that he used during his Istanbul episode, and are really looking forward to that experience. We’ll have a day with him to show us things not found on the tourist menu. To that end, I am looking for ideas from anyone who has been there. I would love to have a list of places to see ourselves, or to provide to our guide and let him work his magic from there.
Since the trip is a few weeks away, I’ll start a contest that will have a weekly winner. Each week, I’ll pick my favorite idea and that person will receive a souvenir from Istanbul as a token of thanks. I had hosted a similar contest for my trips to Hong Kong and that resulted in some great things for me to see and do that otherwise I would not have been aware of! You can win multiple times throughout the contest period (4 weeks ending Sunday April 7).
This week’s Idea Contest deadline will be Midnight (Eastern Time) on Sunday, March 11. Each subsequent week’s contest deadline will also me on Sundays at Midnight.
Thanks And Keep The Ideas Coming!
by Lufthansa Flyer | Mar 7, 2012 | Industry News |
Lufthansa reported on Wednesday evening a loss for Fiscal year 2011.
The primary reason for the loss was the cost associated with the sale of their BMI unit to IAG (Parent of British Airways and Iberia). The loss incurred for discontinued operations was reported at 285 million Euros.
The net loss attributable to shareholders came to 13 million Euros compared to a 1.1 billion Euro profit for 2010.
Not withstanding the losses from the BMI transaction, Lufthansa reported an operating profit of 820 million Euros, down from 967 million Euro for 2010, but beat analyst estimates by 9 million Euro for 2011.
On a positive note, Revenues did improve to 28.7 billion Euro as compared to 26.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2010.
Lufthansa’s board of directors has also proposed to pay a special dividend of .25 cents/Euro to shareholders inspite of the loss due to the positive operating profit.
Lufthansa shares trade in Europe and in the US. They are listed as an ADR on US markets (DLAKY).
by Lufthansa Flyer | Mar 6, 2012 | Airlines |
This week, Lufthansa has chosen a phenomenal city that is off the beaten path for most travelers, however is a hidden gem in Eastern Europe. Though I have never been there, I have many relatives in Slovakia that visit Riga the way most Americans visit cities such as London, Paris or Rome. Each time I speak with a cousin, aunt or uncle about their travel, they always rave about 2 cities, Vienna and Riga.
Click here to be taken to Latvia’s tourism website
Lufthansa is currently offering attractive fares that are available for booking until March 8, 2012. Departures need to take place between April 2 and May 17, 2012 and the maximum stay on the ticket is 1 month. You also need to buy your tickets at least 7 days prior to departure.
Click here to be taken to offer’s page on Lufthansa.com .
Here is a quick snapshot of the offer from Lufthansa.com:
* Terms & Conditions:
Fares are shown in U.S. dollars for Economy Class travel on Air Canada, Continental, Lufthansa or United. Saturday night stay required and maximum stay is 3 months. Fares are round-trip including all taxes and fees. Weekend surcharges up to $60 and additional baggage fees may apply. Fares are subject to change without notice and are based on the most direct routing to each destination. Additional transfers will increase the fare. Fares include applicable fees, taxes and airport charges, including the September 11th Security Fee of a maximum of $10 per round-trip. Additional baggage fees may apply. Seats are limited and may not be available on all days/flights. Tickets are non-refundable, non-endorsable, non-transferable and other restrictions may apply.
