by Lufthansa Flyer | Jun 7, 2012 | Airlines |
On May 31, Lufthansa opened it’s A380 hangar to members of the media and invited us to tour the 747-8i. Suffice to say that it was a fantastic opportunity to get close to the new aircraft and learn more about what Lufthansa has in store for passenger experience. In this post, I’ll focus on the 747-8i. In upcoming posts I’ll talk about new technology and other developments that Lufthansa is introducing.
This was the first time that I saw the 747-8i live and in person, so it was an absolute thrill. You sometimes forget just how large aircraft can be until you stand next the landing gear or in front of the engine. This event gave full access to really get up close to the aircraft as I’m sure my pictures will demonstrate.
As the start of the event, Lufthansa hosted a Cocktail and Hors d’oeuvre session that included opening comments from Lufthansa Airlines’ CEO Carsten Spohr. Afterwards, the curtain lifted and the tours began.
The A380 Hangar Welcomes Us:
The session began with the introduction of Lufthansa’s Cabin Crew PR Team:
Lufthansa's Carsten Spohr Welcomes Media
After Herr Spohr’s comments, the curtain was raised on the aircraft:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsvYC5G8Oi4[/youtube]
This session included stops at “stations” that Lufthansa had established in the Hangar to present us Lufthansa’s other initiatives for passengers. These include new lounge furniture, social media enhancements, Frankfurt’s new A+ Terminal (opening in October)and Passenger Airport Technology. I’ll have more on these topics in a future post.
Here are images of the 747-8i from inside and outside the aircraft. Enjoy!
Business Class Cabin (Lower Level)
Business Class Seat Amenities
Economy Cabin
View From Front Of Economy Cabin
One Of The Galley Areas:
First Class Cabin:
First Class Seat Configured In Sleep Mode
Outside The Aircraft:
The Center Of Attention
View From Top Of Staircase
by Lufthansa Flyer | Jun 6, 2012 | Airlines, Points/Miles |
Now through June 30, buy miles for your Miles&More account and you’ll immediately receive a 20% miles bonus. Plan rules allow for 12,000 miles to be purchased per year, so a 12,000 mile purchase would result in 14,400 miles that would credit your account. Keep in mind that these are award miles and do not apply as Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs).
Here’s a chart showing the bonus miles and cost:
For more information and the terms/conditions of the offer, please visit the Miles&More Website.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Jun 6, 2012 | Airlines |
On Tuesday June 5, the new “Star Alliance” Terminal opened successfully to aircraft and passengers alike.
The first flight to arrive at the new terminal was Austrian Airlines’ flight 9542 which arrived from Hurghada at approximately 4:30a. The new terminal is dedicated solely to serving passengers traveling on Austrian, Lufthansa, Swiss and other Star Alliance carriers.
One of the greatest attributes of the new terminal is it’s ability to allow passengers to transfer between flights in as little as 25 minutes, setting a new benchmark for European airports. The main reason behind this new efficiency is the fact that the terminal is “vertical” in that it has 3 stories so instead of passengers having to walk great distances between terminals or gates, they simply need to go upstairs or downstairs in order to reach their gates or to process through passport controls and customs. This is similar in concept as Munich’s airport.
With the new terminal comes a variety of new lounges for Star Alliance passengers travelling in First or Business class or otherwise having elite statuses that allow for lounge access. Six new lounges combine to exceed 21,000 square feet.
Passengers using the new terminal have 69 staffed check-in counters and 38 self check-in counters. Additionally, HON and Senator level members of Miles&More along with business class and first class travelers have their own exclusive check-in areas.
One of the new and most welcome attributes of the Star Alliance Terminal is the centralized security screening. For those of you familiar with the airport, you’ll recall that each gate has its own security and x-ray facility. This leads to susbstantial congestion and clutter at each gate thanks to the equipment and staff stationed at each gate. The new terminal eliminates this and passengers only need to show their boarding pass to board their flight. Additionally, each gate is also equipped with scanning equipment so that passengers can use their electronic boarding passes stored on their smart-phones devices.
I flew in and out of Vienna this past weekend and was able to see the new terminal from my airplane. From the outside, it looks like a fantastic facility. I’m hoping to see it from the inside in the next couple of months!
Here are a few photos while I was taxiing to the old terminal:
For more great coverage, including photos from the opening and a flash-mob video, visit Austrian’s Facebook page.
