by Lufthansa Flyer | Sep 6, 2013 | Airlines |
Following up on their Award from Skytrax, Lufthansa First Class Services has earned yet another trophy for their mantle. This time, The American Academy of Hospitality Services awarded Lufthansa its FIVE STAR DIAMOND AWARD for three different categories: Lufthansa’s onboard First Class product, The First Class Terminal in Frankfurt and for Lufthansa’s First Class Lounge in New York’s JFK Airport.
The award ceremony took place in Frankfurt at the First Class Terminal. Jens Bischoff, LH’s Chief Commercial Officer took time to comment on this accomplishment: “Today marks another milestone for Lufthansa on our way to becoming the industry’s leading airline for premium travel. Our customers are appreciating the numerous service upgrades we have invested in, both on board and on the ground, with the industry’s leading organizations taking note of our accomplishments. Today, we are very excited to receive this award from the Academy which has evolved into an international powerhouse network that values the very highest quality and hospitality.”
Congrats to Nico and her team! 🙂
by Lufthansa Flyer | Sep 4, 2013 | Airlines |
Lufthansa announced today plans to hire 500 new Flight Attendants to fill a gap in demand thanks to larger aircraft being utilized on long haul routes and seasonal demand.
The program for these fortunate 500 employees will come with a 2 year contract and Flight Attendants would only work 6 months during the year, March to October, but would have their salaries and benefits in place the entire year. This new approach is designed to help Lufthansa meet peak travel season demand and also because ‘LH’ is migrating to larger aircraft in Munich (A340-600s instead of the smaller -300) and in Frankfurt thanks to the growing fleet of 747-8i aircraft.
Successful hires will be offered a 2 year contract with the opportunity to extend the contract once for another 2 years, bringing the total commitment to 4 years. A program like this becomes extremely attractive to students and individuals who have flexibility with their schedules during the Spring and Summer. All new hires will be trained to same rigorous standards as any other Lufthansa Flight Attendant.
If you are interested in this great opportunity, please visit www.be-lufthansa.com (Lufthansa’s career website) for more information and specifications regarding the role. Training for new hires is scheduled to begin in December.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Sep 4, 2013 | Airlines |
Lufthansa has just unveiled a new, Limited Edition, 5-Star First Class Duck that will be available for passengers who visit Frankfurt’s and Munich’s First Class Lounges and Frankfurt’s First Class Terminal. The new duck will be available while supplies last and is available in Frankfurt as of this moment. Munich will begin offering this duck in a few days.
Good Luck to all you Duck Hunters! 🙂
by Lufthansa Flyer | Jul 2, 2013 | Airlines |
Less than 72 hours into it’s new life as Lufthansa Group’s dedicated Low Cost Carrier (LCC), germanwings is already being threatened by a strike action that could paralyze operations. Reports out of Frankfurt are suggesting that UFO, the union representing germanwings’ cabin crew, has already gathered enough votes from members ahead of a July 5 voting deadline that could authorize a strike as soon as next week.
Lately it seems that strike actions are more the norm than they are the exception among European carriers and are usually designed to threaten an airline’s ability to function. Lufthansa and other european airlines are no strangers to these bully tactics from these over-powered unions and have held their ground reasonably well. According to germanwings, they feel confident that a strike can be averted. Stay tuned.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Jun 24, 2013 | Airlines |
A big CONGRATS to Nicola and her First Class Services Team!!!
Lufthansa has been awarded the 2013 Skytrax award for “BEST FIRST CLASS LOUNGE” during a ceremony at the Paris Air Show last week. Lufthansa certainly faced formidable competition from the likes of Singapore, Asiana, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and others but at the end of the day walked away with very well deserved award.
The award took into consideration all of Lufthansa’s First Class Lounges in Munich and Frankfurt including the venerable First Class Terminal (FCT) (which in my opinion is a travel destination in itself!). Over the years I have made many pilgrimages to Lufthansa’s First Class Lounges and FCT as well as to Singapore Airlines and Asiana First Class lounges and I’m trying to be impartial here, but I can see where Lufthansa deserves the award over the others.
When you visit one of Lufthansa’s First Class lounges, the high quality of the facility, dining and staff is evident. You know as soon as you enter one of the Lounges that you are in for a treat. Lufthansa’s staff is always ready and willing to help travelers even it means going well out of their way to accommodate a passengers needs or request (more on that later). The selection of food and beverages is on par with the finest restaurants and the facilities are always modern with up to date amenities, clean and easily accessible.
Fantastic amenities include Day Rooms for resting in privacy, spa services, private bath and shower facilities, private business workstations, dedicated Cigar Rooms with great cigar and apertif selections and private Mercedes or Porsche vehicles that will transport you to your plane allowing you to miss the stress of the passenger terminals. The list goes on an on! 🙂
Oh, and then there are the First Class Ducks that are given to visitors as souvenirs (if you take the time to grab a shower or enjoy a bath). My brace of 36 ducks always puts a smile on my face and instantly transports me back to those fantastic lounge experiences. For me, especially with the FCT, it becomes a mini-vacation within my trip and often I’ll go out of my way to make sure I can pass through Frankfurt to get my ‘fix’. Like flying from Chicago to Hong Kong via Frankfurt for example…..
If you have ever had the opportunity to visit one of Lufthansa’s First Class Lounges, I think you know exactly what I mean.
One First Class Terminal experience will ALWAYS stand out for my wife and I during one of our trips.
2 years ago, we had been on holiday in Europe visiting family in Slovakia and then spending several days in Rome and along the Amalfi Coast. On our return flight from Rome to Chicago (via Frankfurt) we had a few hours to pass in the First Class Terminal and this would also be my wife’s first time visiting FCT. I had kept telling her how wonderful the FCT would be and that it would be a perfect cherry on top of a fantastic trip. She was also looking forward to getting her first duck so that she would finally have one of her own. Well as luck (or lack thereof) would have it, the FCT happened to be out of their famous souvenirs which put a minor damper on my wife’s enjoyment of the FCT. Our personal assistant who helped us in the FCT was apologetic and said that he would come up with a suitable alternative. Well our time in the FCT passed and it was time to be taken in a Porsche Cayenne to our waiting 747. My wife figured she was out of luck and there would be no duck.
Once we arrived at our aircraft and took our seats upstairs, a Lufthansa associate came up to my wife a few minutes later with his hands behind his back, introduced himself, and simply stated “Mrs. LufthansaFlyer, this is for you…..” and out came his hands, cupping a First Class Duck. With the look on my wife’s face you would think she won a lottery. The smile on the Lufthansa associate’s face was priceless as well. He had no idea just how much he had made her day. After thanking him, he rushed out of the aircraft, the door closed and we were off for home. I would hate to think that they held up the plane for a few minutes for this special delivery, but if this doesn’t define what Lufthansa First Class is all about, nothing will.
2 years later, we still bring up that experience and talk about how wonderful that moment was. It has become as much a travel memory as any place that we have ever visited. So can you see what I mean when I say that a visit to a First Class lounge or Terminal is a travel destination in itself??
If you would like to experience Lufthansa’s First Class services, but are not sure how to proceed or what is involved, please email me. I would love to help you develop a strategy that will help you create your own Lufthansa First Class memories. 🙂
