by Lufthansa Flyer | Dec 4, 2015 | Austrian, Featured, Route Announcements |
Starting next October AUSTRIAN passengers will enjoy a great new destination that will make most of us in the USA a bit jealous.
On October 25, 2016, OS will launch weekly service between Vienna and Havana, Cuba aboard their 767 aircraft.
According to ‘OS’ the launch of this service is to commemorate 70 years of ‘bilateral ties’ between Austria and Cuba. This also marks the return of OS to the Caribbean after a 5 year absence. Previously, OS had flown between Vienna and Punta Cana until 2010.
Flight information is as follows:
Flight OS 23 will depart Vienna on Tuesdays at 10:15a and arrive in Havana at 4:25p
Flight OS 24 will depart Havana on Tuesdays at 6:10p and arrive in Vienna at 10:50a the following morning.
Flight time is expected to be approximately 12 hours and 10 minutes. Booking is now open for this route.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Dec 3, 2015 | Featured, Lufthansa, Strike |
Early today in Frankfurt, a much awaited meeting took place between Lufthansa and the 3 main unions that cover most of their employees. Based on the comments coming from the meeting, there seems to be a genuine desire to find solutions but no firm outcomes came from the sessions.
Instead, all sides agreed that they need to improve trust and transparency amongst one another if long term labor peace is to be achieved. However that transparency does not involve the public as all sides decided that the contents of todays meeting are to be held in confidence. In addition, LH and the unions also agreed to keep the nature of future negotiations from the public as well.
As an optimist, these comments strike me as a desire by the airline and unions to keep their dirty laundry between themselves and not wage their battles in public. As part of this, they’ll try to restore trust that may have been lost between the airline and labor. Their comment about keeping their battles out of the public’s eye suggest to me that strikes would not be used as a weapon, but I may be TOO optimistic to go that far.
However as a pessimist, I do not get a positive ‘vibe’ after today’s meeting that anything has truly been accomplished. I continue to get the impression both sides have serious impasses to overcome and are not really certain how to do it, nor is anyone prepared to give up any ground in the process which means we can expect more of the same behaviors going forward.
Insanity is defined by the concept of doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result from the process.
I can’t think of a better way to sum things up when it comes to how things are going between LH and the unions.
There is however on small bit of silver lining…..
Late last week, LH and Ver.di, who represents 30,000 LH employees who are not cabin crew or pilots, reached a deal that would enhance pension benefits and provide for pay increases over the next 2 years. As part of the deal, members will also get a one time payment of up to €2250 this year. This new contract will be in force until December 2017.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Nov 29, 2015 | Featured, Lufthansa, Munich, Plane Spotting |
On a cold day in Munich, with bits of freezing rain and whipping winds to keep me less than comfortable, I finally accomplished a project that started 3 years ago. Today, when I shot Lufthansa’s A330 ‘D-AIKS’ departing Munich for Charlotte, I had completed personally spotting and photographing the entire Lufthansa mainline fleet which includes all their A319-20-21, A330, A340, 747, 747-8i, and A380 aircraft.
Wheels Up……D-AIKS departs Munich for Charlotte
I’ve been stalking her patterns over the last 2 weeks and with help from a few insiders at Lufthansa, I was able to know her schedule a week in advance. I had been in Europe for other reasons and this simply coincided perfectly.
There was however a scare this morning as to her whereabouts. I had expected ‘KS’ to depart mid-morning for Mumbai but that departure came and went without her…..
Originally, ‘KS’ was slated to fly between Munich and Mumbai, but because of a delayed return from Mumbai from the previous night she could not be turned around in time to return to Mumbai as planned.
No information was available from my regular sources since it was a Sunday but as luck would have it, ‘KS’ pulled on to the taxiway as the last A330 that was leaving from the morning long-haul departure rush. I really did not want to wait around in the rain and wind for the late afternoon departures for Washington, Boston and Newark, nor did I want to keep hunting her indefinitely. I’m glad it worked out in the end!
Over the next few weeks (which will probably turn into months), I’ll try to published the entire fleet in the Lufthansa gallery on my Aero-Shots.com website.
It does appear however, that I need to find a new hobby!
‘KS’ pulling away from Munich
Spotting the spotter as KS departed Munich. Thanks to FlyerTalk’s ‘NewbieRunner’ for catching the moment!
