After launching its new Business Class on long-haul routes, Lufthansa is following suit with an improved product of the highest quality standard on continental flights. Starting with the summer flight schedules on 28 March, it will be Europe’s only airline to keep all central seats free in Business Class on flights in Germany and Europe. Business-Class passengers will enjoy up to 50 per cent more room as well as better inflight cuisine and service as well as more stowage space for luggage, making their stay on board an entirely more pleasant experience. Into the bargain, steps are afoot on the ground to enhance punctuality: Almost nationwide in Germany from early April, Senators as well as Frequent Travellers and Business-Class passengers will have privileged use of priority check-in and fast lanes to speed their passage through the terminal. In Economy Class as well, Lufthansa is offering customers a broad range of diverse tariffs, from flexible tickets to “bargain fares”.
More privacy, more elbow and legroom, more stowage space: The new Business Class on continental flights allows passengers to work or read undisturbed in more peace and comfort. Extra table-top space makes working on board easier. With only aisle and window seats available in the cabin, boarding and disembarkation is very much simpler. Lufthansa passengers gain time and enjoy more comfort.

Top-quality inflight service: Lufthansa is laying on a wider range of menus for Business-Class passengers. Cooked and cold meals will be served from a greater choice of fine ingredients. That translates into more variety, especially for frequent travellers. In addition, Lufthansa and its inflight caterer subsidiary LSG Sky Chefs are placing greater emphasis on light and fresh food. Newly designed crockery adds a further touch to the timely inflight cuisine. In Economy Class, too, free service with drinks and snacks or menus is part and parcel of the Lufthansa quality product.

On-time arrival: Lufthansa has taken a number of steps in recent years to improve time-keeping. But progressive as those steps have been, the airline is still not satisfied. It is resorting to yet further measures to improve on-time arrival in flight operations. By de-congesting peak traffic times and spreading flights out more evenly during the day at Lufthansa’s major hub in Frankfurt, the airline is making a decisive impact on the punctuality of intra-German and European services. Less congestion on the ground and fewer holding patterns in the air are making flight operations more reliable and shortening passengers’ journey times. Not only that: optimized processes are reducing fuel consumption to the benefit of the environment.

Mobile check-in and fast-tracking on the ground: Alongside the exclusive privilege of priority check-in, Lufthansa is offering frequent flyers the additional option of fast check-in wherever they happen to be, by allowing them to reserve their seat per SMS or with a WAP-enabled mobile phone, which makes for even greater flexibility. All Lufthansa passengers, regardless of their customer status or the class in which they are travelling, can check in on the Internet. The installation of more Security Fast Lanes at almost all German airports saves queuing for Business-Class passengers as well as Senators and Frequent Travellers by speeding-up and easing their passage through to their departure gate.

Flexible fares for Business and Economy Class: Business-Class passengers can as ever re-book their flights at no charge or obtain a full re-fund. Business travellers attach major importance to flexibility, even when they do not book Business Class. With an Economy-Flex fare, passengers flying in Economy Class can also re-book their flight free of charge or obtain a full re-fund: They also earn more mile credits with an Economy-Flex ticket than with other Economy-Class fares. For price-conscious travellers, Lufthansa is still offering standard Economy fares as value-for-money tickets on all intra-German and European routes. Additionally, in the summer flight schedules, Lufthansa is offering special “basement bargain” fares. For example, a one-way flight from Dusseldorf to Nice and Palma costs just 49 euros, including taxes and charges.

As the leading European airline, Lufthansa is serving more than 110 destinations in 40 countries in Germany and Europe alone in the 2004 summer timetable.
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