by Lufthansa Flyer | Jan 31, 2017 | Air Berlin, Etihad, Featured, Lufthansa |
Ahead of an announcement expected from Etihad and Lufthansa tomorrow from Abu Dhabi, details are starting to emerge regarding a deepening relationship between the 2 carriers.
Building on recent developments including Lufthansa’s take over of certain Air Berlin aircraft and routes in order to reduce the burden for Etihad (A large stake holder in AB), it appears now that Etihad is set to further seek Lufthansa’s assistance as it tries to re-sort itself.
Coming from various news outlets, including Bloomberg, it appears that Etihad is set to transfer their MRO operations (Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul) to Lufthansa Technik. Additionally, Etihad will transfer their catering operation to Lufthansa’s LSG Skychefs. There is also the potential for the relationship to expand to include Lufthansa handling much of Etihad’s security and ground services in certain parts of the world where both airlines are present. I expect we’ll find out the timing of these transactions during tomorrow’s event.
There has also been some chatter regarding the potential of Etihad joining Star Alliance, but that seems to be a bit of a stretch at this point based on Etihad’s involvement with other partners that are in direct competition with Star Alliance. But one never knows what can be announced.
There may be more to the announcement tomorrow, so you may see a follow up to this post.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Jan 31, 2017 | A350, Featured, Lufthansa, On Board Experience, Passenger Experience |
In addition to all the new technology and efficiencies found within the A350’s airframe, Lufthansa has added a twist to the Inflight Entertainment System that should ‘WOW’ passengers.
With the introduction of the A350, LUFTHANSA introduces a new tool that will allow passengers to customize what Movies, TV Shows, Music, and other media they can enjoy up to 6 weeks prior to their flight. By using the ‘Lufthansa Companion App’, you will now be able to see your IFE menu weeks ahead of your flight, and can use your smart-device or tablet to create your customized menu of content you wish to enjoy during your A350 flights.
Once you’ve installed the app, you can enter your flight details at which point you’ll be presented with your IFE menu. From that point, make your selections and when you board your flight you’ll be able to sync your customized menu to your seat-back display and will immediately have your personal list loaded onto the aircraft’s system. What’s more, you can also use your smart device separately to view your IFE selections while on board.
The IFE system on the A350 is a customized version of Panasonic’s EX3 system which has the capacity to provide upwards of 100 Movies, 200 TV shows, and a myriad of Music and other content. This clearly marks the best that LH has to offer when it comes to Inflight Entertainment Systems.
The App should be available in your ‘local’ App Store in the coming weeks, timed with the introduction of the A350’s entrance into passenger service on February 10.
I’ll get to see the new system up close and personal later this week. If the app is released by then, I’ll come back with a follow up showing how it works.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Jan 29, 2017 | A350, Featured, Lufthansa, Munich |
In a few hours I’ll be off to MUC for what promises to be a very A350-centric week.
After clearing the hurdle of an 11 hour layover in Chicago, I’ll head to Munich where a week-long list of Lufthansa related business and activities awaits.
The week will peak with the special ‘Roll In’ event scheduled for February 2 during which the first handful of ‘civilians’ will be able to step aboard the A350 before she enters service the following week. The invitation-only event will take place inside a hangar at the airport and if it’s anything like the 747-8i ‘Roll In’ event held in 2012 in Frankfurt, it promises to be a great evening. Expect to see several posts covering that event both here and on LH’s social media outlets.
Of course, no trip to Munich is complete without plane spotting from within and around MUC, so expect to see a handful of spotting posts from a variety of different perspectives from around the airport.
Hopefully I’ll be allowed back into the US a week from now. 😉
