As the strike contagion spreads through Germany, the union representing Aircraft handlers and other employees at most of Germany’s airports on Thursday which is intended to cripple air travel throughout the country and Europe.
Specifically, Frankfurt’s aircraft handlers, maintenance, freight handlers etc. will all walk off the job between 3:30a and 2:30p local time.
Munich, Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Hannover, Hamburg and Stuttgart will also be part of the walk-out this Thursday.
Expect major delays and cancelations throughout Lufthansa’s network for Thursday as the airline is fairly defenseless against this ridiculous union tactic. I say ridiculous because in essence, this strike is a sympathy strike as Child Care workers battle to get better salaries and benefits. So why not cripple the country’s airports as a result, right?
LH has announced that it will rebook passengers traveling to or from affected airports on the 27th at no cost. You can take care of your booking yourself by visiting this Lufthansa webpage.
We’ve also set up a dedicated WIKI thread on FlyerTalk that will try to gather the latest information as it becomes available. Check there often if you travels take you to or through Germany this week.
A relatively light week for Star Alliance member announcements. Austrian led the way with the announcement of 4 new flights to Antalya from various Austrian cities. I expect the pace to pick up as carriers begin to focus on their winter 2014/15 schedules in the next few weeks.
AIR CANADA:
Toronto – Caracas effective March 18 has been canceled indefinitely.
Toronto – Cleveland effective June 15 increases from 3x/day to 5x/day (EXCEPT Saturday which stays at 3x/Day).
ASIANA:
Seoul Incheon – Ningbo effective between April 2 and June 25 will operate 2x/week (as a charter).
AUSTRIAN:
Graz – Antalya effective June 4 will begin 1x/week service (Wednesday).
Innsbruck – Antalya effective April 26 will begin 1x/week service (Saturday).
Klagenfurt -Antalya effective June 14 will begin 1x/week service (Saturday).
Linz – Antalya effective March 25 will begin 1x/week service (Sunday).
EGYPTAIR:
Cairo – N’Djamena has been canceled. Originally it was planned as a 3x/week service beginning April 1.
SINGAPORE :
Singapore – Milan effective between June 17 and August 29 will be increased from 5x/week to 7x/week.
SOUTH AFRICAN (SA Airlink):
Cape Town – George effective June 2 will increase from 3x/day to 4x/day (Weekdays ONLY!). Weekend service remains unchanged.
TAM:
Buenos Aires Ezeiza – Asuncion effective March 30 will begin 1x/day service.
THAI:
Bangkok – Sydney effective April 29 will be reduced from 12x/week to 10x/week.
Bangkok – Dubai effective July 1 to July 22 will be reduced from 7x/week to 6x/week (No Tuesday flight).
TURKISH:
Istanbul(IST) – Bordeaux effective June 28 will begin 4x/week service.
As part of an LSG Sky Chef event in New York last week, Lufthansa has unveiled an entirely revamp Menu strategy specifically designed for flights departing US Gateways. For those of you not familiar with LSG Sky Chefs, it is a Lufthansa Group subsidiary and the largest provider of inflight meals in the world. In fact, 1 in 4 meals served by any airline, on any flight is sourced from LSG Sky Chefs.
The new ‘Taste Of America’ program is designed to serve regionally inspired cuisine for passengers traveling in First or Business Class and is scheduled to begin in May. For the program, Lufthansa has taken the US and divided it into 4 regions:
Northeast/Midwest: New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Newark, Philadelphia
Southeast/Mid-Atlantic: Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, Charlotte, Washington DC
Central: Dallas, Houston, Denver
West: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle
The new program looks to take advantage of regional traditions and ethnic influences to create unique dining experiences and move away from everyone having the same menu at the same time when flying from the USA. As part of the 5-star strategy, this is a major piece to the puzzle when it comes to improving the on-board experience from one of Lufthansa’s largest markets.
The program itself is a collaboration between Lufthansa food specialists and LSG Sky Chefs which undertook the daunting task of reviewing over 1,000 menu ideas before choosing the finalists. The vetting process went beyond just taste and flavor. The options chosen for the new menu had to pass a stringent review of the meal’s ability to maintain freshness and appeal when served in an airline environment, which includes preparation, temperature variations, altitude, etc. It was not as simple as the food tasting good on the ground, it had to perform while in flight as well. Additionally, ingredients used towards this menu are locally sourced so that authenticity to the region and ethnic inspiration can be maintained.
Here is the breakdown of the initial menu concept that will be on board beginning in May:
Northeast / Midwest: Italian inspired selections including Pasta stuffed with Artichoke.
Southeast / Mid-Atlantic: Cartoccio, a locally inspired seafood dish.
Central: Smoked and grilled Beef with a spicy chili sauce.
West: Cioppino – a seafood ragout with tomato and saffron.
Expect that these options will change on a monthly basis as is normal for Lufthansa’s dining menus. There will of course be other menu options available on board besides the options listed above.
To see what some of these options look like and the work that went into the program’s development, take a few minutes and watch the following video:
