by Lufthansa Flyer | Mar 4, 2013 | Airlines |
If you have been following my scribble over the last couple of years you know that the Lufthansa First Class Ducks tend to to make headlines on my site. For those of you not familiar with these ducks, they are souvenirs that are given to passengers when they visit Lufthansa’s First Class Lounges in Frankfurt and Munich as well as the dedicated First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. Over the years, my wife and I have been fortunate enough to have built a nice collection:
My Brace Of Lufthansa Ducks
There are a few different varieties that are offered during the year depending on season or Holiday. For example, Munich will have special Bavarian edition ducks during Oktoberfest. There are also special ducks issued for unique events like the launch of a unique flight (the Statue Of Liberty was given when for a limited time when the A380 flew between Munich and New York) or for sporting events like the Olympics or FIFA World Cup.
For Easter and Christmas, the ducks take on a decidedly festive theme and with Easter just 4 weeks away, Lufthansa will once again be offering a special Easter Duck that will be available right before the Good Friday holiday on March 29. This special edition will only be available while supplies last, which usually translates into only 1-2 weeks. Should you be traveling with Lufthansa in First Class to Frankfurt or Munich over the Easter holiday, make sure you get this prized collectible. I have had readers write telling me they actually change their itinerary or airline in order to be eligible for these ducks. You can also claim a duck if you fly SWISS First Class to Switzerland but have a same day flight (economy or business) continuing from Switzerland to Frankfurt or Munich. If you are leaving Frankfurt or Munich and connecting to a SWISS flight in Switzerland, traveling in First Class, you are eligible to visit Lufthansa’s First Class Lounges and Terminals in Frankfurt or Munich as well.
So without further ado, here is the 2013 Easter Holiday Duck from Lufthansa First Class Services
2013 Easter Duck
by Lufthansa Flyer | Feb 22, 2013 | Airlines |
Earlier this week, Lufthansa announced that it will reduce the amount of destinations that will see Lufthansa’s First Class product. The primary targets for this reduction will be cities that typically do not see a high demand for First Class seats. As of now, Lufthansa offers First Class seating on approximately 90% of it’s long haul fleet (Boeing 747, Airbus A330,A340, A380). This ratio will be reduced to approximately 75% after the adjustments take place. This will fall into alignment with what most other carriers offer as far as first class seating capacity is concerned.
Looking at it in terms of actual aircraft, Lufthansa currently has 100 long-haul aircraft of which 94 have a First Class cabin. With Lufthansa’s plan that will dip to approximately 75 aircraft, ultimately not such a dramatic change. For those of us addicted to LH’s First Class services who may be affected by this, remember that you are probably a short flight away to connect to a city that will continue to see the First Class seats.
I won’t speculate on which cities may be “at-risk” for losing LH’s First Class Service since no official plan has been laid out, so I would caution anyone from reaching too many conclusions too soon!
Ultimately this should not come as a surprise since this had already been communicated to employees by Lufthansa’s Supervisory Board last year. It also makes for a great business decision because of the amount of revenue that is lost when First Class seats go empty on any given flight.
Considering that Lufthansa offers the most Business Class seats of any airline, which also experiences typically higher load factors than First Class, it makes sense to increase the amount of Business Class and also Economy Class seats as well in an attempt to drive revenues. If you recall Lufthansa announced last year that it will be introducing new Premium Economy seat which will further add to their revenue numbers.
Chances are that the current fleet will not have too many First Class seats removed, rather it will be new aircraft coming from future orders that will be configured without a First Class cabin. Lufthansa has a handful of 2-Class longhaul aircraft in the fleet so it will be nothing new that will send shockwaves when someone boards a 2-Class aircraft in the future.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Dec 14, 2012 | Airlines |
Starting January 1, Lufthansa will offer Personal Assitants to help HON Circle Members and First Class Passengers who fly to certain Lufthansa destinations world-wide. These assistants will meet passengers at their plane upon arrival and help escort them through immigration and passport control, baggage claim AND accompany them to their connecting gate should the passenger have onward travel.
To a large extent, similar benefits are already in place for HON Circle members in most markets, however it seems that they are standardizing the program and expanding it to include First Class passengers.
The program will be available at most non-European destinations where Lufthansa has scheduled flights. Additionally, a HON Circle member DOES NOT need to be flying in any specific cabin class to have the Personal Assistant help them when they arrive. Keep in mind that this program only applies to Lufthansa operated flights.
I really welcome this program since it adds that personal touch to a travel experience. Many times when I left a Lufthansa flight after flying in First, the abrupt shock of being in an airport without priority services was sometimes a bit harsh. This helps make up for it very nicely!
Though the program is set to begin January 1, it may take the entire month of January to have the Personal Assistants in place throughout the network. Also, due to the sheer volume of traffic, Personal Assistants WILL NOT be available in Frankfurt or Munich. But honestly, the First Class Lounges and First Class Terminal quickly makes up for that!
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