LHs strategy: discussion thread for customers, investors, consultants & armchair CEOs
Oct 23, 2014, 3:22 am
#1666
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southern Bavaria, Germany
Programs: LH Blue, BA Blue, Hyatt Gold
Posts: 1,517
Oct 23, 2014, 3:28 am
#1667
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Lufthansa bullish on Abu Dhabi traffic, despite axing route
Lufthansa is confident it will retain many of its passengers flying on its Germany-Abu Dhabi service after it cuts the route next year
http://gulfnews.com/business/aviatio...oute-1.1402417
Dubai: Lufthansa is confident it will retain many of its passengers flying on its Germany-Abu Dhabi service after it cuts the route next year, believing many will fly out from Dubai.
Goudarzi-Pour, said Lufthansa is looking forward to developing the Abu Dhabi market further, despite axing the route.
We have good customers in Abu Dhabi, he said on the sidelines of the Aviation Festival.
This is not really such a realistic consideration.
Lufthansa is confident it will retain many of its passengers flying on its Germany-Abu Dhabi service after it cuts the route next year
http://gulfnews.com/business/aviatio...oute-1.1402417
Dubai: Lufthansa is confident it will retain many of its passengers flying on its Germany-Abu Dhabi service after it cuts the route next year, believing many will fly out from Dubai.
Goudarzi-Pour, said Lufthansa is looking forward to developing the Abu Dhabi market further, despite axing the route.
We have good customers in Abu Dhabi, he said on the sidelines of the Aviation Festival.
This is not really such a realistic consideration.
Oct 23, 2014, 4:53 am
#1668
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: ORD
Programs: BA, AA, SQ, UA, AC, WS, MR TIT
Posts: 8,659
Lufthansa bullish on Abu Dhabi traffic, despite axing route
Lufthansa is confident it will retain many of its passengers flying on its Germany-Abu Dhabi service after it cuts the route next year
http://gulfnews.com/business/aviatio...oute-1.1402417
Dubai: Lufthansa is confident it will retain many of its passengers flying on its Germany-Abu Dhabi service after it cuts the route next year, believing many will fly out from Dubai.
Goudarzi-Pour, said Lufthansa is looking forward to developing the Abu Dhabi market further, despite axing the route.
We have good customers in Abu Dhabi, he said on the sidelines of the Aviation Festival.
This is not really such a realistic consideration.
Lufthansa is confident it will retain many of its passengers flying on its Germany-Abu Dhabi service after it cuts the route next year
http://gulfnews.com/business/aviatio...oute-1.1402417
Dubai: Lufthansa is confident it will retain many of its passengers flying on its Germany-Abu Dhabi service after it cuts the route next year, believing many will fly out from Dubai.
Goudarzi-Pour, said Lufthansa is looking forward to developing the Abu Dhabi market further, despite axing the route.
We have good customers in Abu Dhabi, he said on the sidelines of the Aviation Festival.
This is not really such a realistic consideration.
Oct 23, 2014, 5:33 am
#1669
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
I really hope it is just a confusion of the PR office- yet when it is put into the context of the article- at any level of the company I would be very concerned as CEO or Board if this is where management is putting their attention:
Germanys, and Europes, largest carrier announced last week it will stop flying from Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2015 because the route is unprofitable due to competition from Middle Eastern carriers.
Abu Dhabi is home to rapidly growing Etihad Airways, which owns nearly 30 per cent of Lufthansas German rival Air Berlin. Etihad flies direct to four German cities, including Frankfurt, from Abu Dhabi but also sells tickets to dozens more cities through Air Belin.
Goudarzi-Pour, said Lufthansa is looking forward to developing the Abu Dhabi market further, despite axing the route.
Germanys, and Europes, largest carrier announced last week it will stop flying from Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2015 because the route is unprofitable due to competition from Middle Eastern carriers.
Abu Dhabi is home to rapidly growing Etihad Airways, which owns nearly 30 per cent of Lufthansas German rival Air Berlin. Etihad flies direct to four German cities, including Frankfurt, from Abu Dhabi but also sells tickets to dozens more cities through Air Belin.
Goudarzi-Pour, said Lufthansa is looking forward to developing the Abu Dhabi market further, despite axing the route.
Oct 23, 2014, 5:57 am
#1670
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
And meanwhile- would you counter this with service cuts, fare increases, frequency reductions, frequent flyer program slashes, and LCC?:
Gulf airlines target Italy as transit point for expansion
* Gulf airlines using Italy as base for expansion
* Emirates builds route network, Etihad buys stakes
* Raises pressure on European carriers hit by budget flights
Strikes at Air France and Lufthansa in recent weeks have been costly for the European carriers. Their Gulf rivals are meanwhile wooing customers with the promise of on-board bars, showers and butlers.
"One of the virtues of Gulf carriers is service," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at aviation consultancy Teal Group.
"Europe is vulnerable to Gulf carriers that offer a higher level of service."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0SG36W20141023
Gulf airlines target Italy as transit point for expansion
* Gulf airlines using Italy as base for expansion
* Emirates builds route network, Etihad buys stakes
* Raises pressure on European carriers hit by budget flights
Strikes at Air France and Lufthansa in recent weeks have been costly for the European carriers. Their Gulf rivals are meanwhile wooing customers with the promise of on-board bars, showers and butlers.
"One of the virtues of Gulf carriers is service," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at aviation consultancy Teal Group.
"Europe is vulnerable to Gulf carriers that offer a higher level of service."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0SG36W20141023
Oct 23, 2014, 6:28 am
#1673
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
As a senior manager- saying you are "looking forward to building a market" immediately following the elimination of service to that market as you term it "unprofitable"- is very odd strategically indeed.
Oct 23, 2014, 6:38 am
#1674
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,455
Seems LH liked to do an on/off "strategy", like with the Jakarta..
Hey, let's fire all our experienced staff, we're closing down..
Short time later: Lets open Jakarta service again, let's find staff to run it..
Hey, let's fire all our experienced staff, we're closing down..
Short time later: Lets open Jakarta service again, let's find staff to run it..
Oct 23, 2014, 1:54 pm
#1675
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,586
Today's deluded LH management statement courtesy of Lufthansa Chief Commercial Officer Jens Bischof (via airliners.de)
Repeat 100 times and you too will believe this. 
Herr Bischof, warum ist die Lufthansa bei ihren Produktinnovationen so langsam?
Bischof: Wir sind bei der Sitzentwicklung in Business und Premium Economy nicht die ersten gewesen, aber wir sind heute die besten.
Translation: Mr Bischof, why is Lufthansa always so slow with its product innovations?
Bischof: We weren't the first in the development of seats for business and premium economy but today we are the best
Bischof: Wir sind bei der Sitzentwicklung in Business und Premium Economy nicht die ersten gewesen, aber wir sind heute die besten.
Translation: Mr Bischof, why is Lufthansa always so slow with its product innovations?
Bischof: We weren't the first in the development of seats for business and premium economy but today we are the best
Oct 23, 2014, 2:07 pm
#1676
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,171
Message to the troops:
She also spent a day in FRA:
0/23/14
Lufthansa Group | Group
Open letter by Bettina Volkens (VP)
Dear colleagues,
The eighth strike of the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union (VC) during the current collective bargaining dispute came to end late on Tuesday evening. Many of you have been unsettled by the major upheaval that these strikes have caused. This is clear from the hundreds of concerned posts on our internal forums like the Intranet (eBase) or Crewportal.
We are also extremely concerned about the consequences for our company and how these strikes will affect our reputation with customers and partners. It was very painful for us to have to deal with yet another strike as this dispute continues. However, we hope to resume talks with the VC as soon as possible. I am convinced that we will be able to agree on a lasting solution that is acceptable both to our employees and is in the interests of the future of Lufthansa. Both we and the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union (VC) are equally responsible for working towards this goal.
Dear colleagues, no matter whether you have been working in the back office or in direct contact with our customers over the last few days, I would like to thank all of you, on behalf of my colleagues on the Executive Board, for your tireless efforts in this challenging and stressful period. Despite these difficult circumstances, you once again managed to provide our customers with top of the line Lufthansa quality in this exceptional situation. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for this.
Kind regards,
Yours
Bettina Volkens
Lufthansa Group | Group
Open letter by Bettina Volkens (VP)
Dear colleagues,
The eighth strike of the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union (VC) during the current collective bargaining dispute came to end late on Tuesday evening. Many of you have been unsettled by the major upheaval that these strikes have caused. This is clear from the hundreds of concerned posts on our internal forums like the Intranet (eBase) or Crewportal.
We are also extremely concerned about the consequences for our company and how these strikes will affect our reputation with customers and partners. It was very painful for us to have to deal with yet another strike as this dispute continues. However, we hope to resume talks with the VC as soon as possible. I am convinced that we will be able to agree on a lasting solution that is acceptable both to our employees and is in the interests of the future of Lufthansa. Both we and the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union (VC) are equally responsible for working towards this goal.
Dear colleagues, no matter whether you have been working in the back office or in direct contact with our customers over the last few days, I would like to thank all of you, on behalf of my colleagues on the Executive Board, for your tireless efforts in this challenging and stressful period. Despite these difficult circumstances, you once again managed to provide our customers with top of the line Lufthansa quality in this exceptional situation. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for this.
Kind regards,
Yours
Bettina Volkens
10/23/14
Lufthansa Group | Passenger Business
Frankfurt instead of Bremen
The day had been planned differently. Dr Bettina Volkens, Chief Human Resources Officer and member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board for Human Resources and Decentralised Stations, wanted to fly to Bremen and Hanover. She had invited the station employees there to discuss their worries about their jobs and their futures. However, the eighth call for strike action from the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union within just a few weeks got in the way. So Bettina Volkens decided to visit staff at the Frankfurt hub instead.
First station: the Hub Control Center (HCC), the heart of hub operations. Even if the procedure for handling the strike has become routine at this stage, there are always new challenges. The roll-out of the new check-in system Altéa DCS, which begins this week, is adding to the complexity and tension.
At the so-called hotel desk down the back of the HCC on the right, the phones are ringing. Two staff members are booking passengers stranded here into hotels. Lufthansa has secured 3,800 rooms for 20 and 21 October. These include hotels within a radius of up to 150 kilometres.
The next stop is Departure Hall A. Here, the demonstrators are preparing for their weekly Monday demo. The 103rd, as Sylvia Reinhardt, Head of Ticket Sales, reveals. A recurring strain on both passengers and staff members. Certain areas in the hall would normally be closed during this period, and passengers rerouted. During strikes, however, the focus is on other things.
In the flight managers hall office, the situation is quiet once more. Staff members smile as Andreas Döpper tells them that the flight to Tel Aviv that evening will go out on a Boeing 747. Our passengers will be happy about that. Normally, continental planes are used on this route. In order to get as many passengers as possible to their destination, Lufthansa is now using bigger aircraft on the flights that are still operating in spite of the strike. On Tuesday, the strike will hit intercontinental flights. However, the flights to Dubai, New York and Orlando will still take off.
In the pool room at SV, staff members are on a break now and use Bettina Volkens visit as an opportunity to discuss with her the potential damage that the strike is doing to Lufthansas image. They explain how some Senators have said that they will no longer fly with Lufthansa as they cannot rely on the airline anymore.
A flying visit to the lounges. There is hardly anything happening in the First Class and Senator Lounge. Only in the Business Class Lounge is there more activity. Here, customers are keeping to themselves and are being well looked after, say staff members. When a passenger asks about what is going to happen next week, when he plans to travel to Hong Kong, they are unable to give him an answer unfortunately.
Whether in the HCC, at the baggage and ticket counters or in the break room for staff working in passenger services, the station employees all ask Volkens the same question: When will the strike be over? When will there finally be calm again? Among station employees, there is a strong desire for a solution. Bettina Volkens would be only too happy to provide one.
Lufthansa Group | Passenger Business
Frankfurt instead of Bremen
The day had been planned differently. Dr Bettina Volkens, Chief Human Resources Officer and member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board for Human Resources and Decentralised Stations, wanted to fly to Bremen and Hanover. She had invited the station employees there to discuss their worries about their jobs and their futures. However, the eighth call for strike action from the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union within just a few weeks got in the way. So Bettina Volkens decided to visit staff at the Frankfurt hub instead.
First station: the Hub Control Center (HCC), the heart of hub operations. Even if the procedure for handling the strike has become routine at this stage, there are always new challenges. The roll-out of the new check-in system Altéa DCS, which begins this week, is adding to the complexity and tension.
At the so-called hotel desk down the back of the HCC on the right, the phones are ringing. Two staff members are booking passengers stranded here into hotels. Lufthansa has secured 3,800 rooms for 20 and 21 October. These include hotels within a radius of up to 150 kilometres.
The next stop is Departure Hall A. Here, the demonstrators are preparing for their weekly Monday demo. The 103rd, as Sylvia Reinhardt, Head of Ticket Sales, reveals. A recurring strain on both passengers and staff members. Certain areas in the hall would normally be closed during this period, and passengers rerouted. During strikes, however, the focus is on other things.
In the flight managers hall office, the situation is quiet once more. Staff members smile as Andreas Döpper tells them that the flight to Tel Aviv that evening will go out on a Boeing 747. Our passengers will be happy about that. Normally, continental planes are used on this route. In order to get as many passengers as possible to their destination, Lufthansa is now using bigger aircraft on the flights that are still operating in spite of the strike. On Tuesday, the strike will hit intercontinental flights. However, the flights to Dubai, New York and Orlando will still take off.
In the pool room at SV, staff members are on a break now and use Bettina Volkens visit as an opportunity to discuss with her the potential damage that the strike is doing to Lufthansas image. They explain how some Senators have said that they will no longer fly with Lufthansa as they cannot rely on the airline anymore.
A flying visit to the lounges. There is hardly anything happening in the First Class and Senator Lounge. Only in the Business Class Lounge is there more activity. Here, customers are keeping to themselves and are being well looked after, say staff members. When a passenger asks about what is going to happen next week, when he plans to travel to Hong Kong, they are unable to give him an answer unfortunately.
Whether in the HCC, at the baggage and ticket counters or in the break room for staff working in passenger services, the station employees all ask Volkens the same question: When will the strike be over? When will there finally be calm again? Among station employees, there is a strong desire for a solution. Bettina Volkens would be only too happy to provide one.
Oct 23, 2014, 2:36 pm
#1677
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
sure it is ..... in the mind of Tamur Goudarzi Pour* and, presumably, his colleagues in Lufthansa.
* just in case you are worried about just who this clown is:
Since November 2010 Tamur Goudarzi Pour is Director for Network Planning Hub Munich and Intercontinental Services Düsseldorf of Lufthansa Passenger Airlines. He holds an MPhil. in International Relations from Cambridge University and entered Lufthansa on a fast-track trainee program. Tamur Goudarzi Pour was promoted in November 2000 to become Senior Manager Alliances and Cooperations at Lufthansa's Area Management Africa, Middle East and Southeast Europe, which is based in Dubai. In 2003 he moved to Tehran to become General Manager Iran. In 2007, Tamur Goudarzi Pour was promoted to become Director for Central and Eastern Europe. Being based in Budapest, he covered an area of 15 countries in the region and represented the Lufthansa Group Airlines, i.e. Lufthansa Passenger Airlines, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. After moving to Munich, and in addition to his current Job, in 2012 Tamur Goudarzi Pour has been appointed Liaison Officer to the Lufthansa Passage CFO for the LH Group restructuring program SCORE at the Hub Munich. From May 2014, Tamur has been appointed the Vice President Sales and Services, Southeast Europe, Africa and Middle East for Lufthansa.
Oct 27, 2014, 12:59 pm
#1678
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: GVA,OPO
Programs: BD the last decent FFP
Posts: 1,856
per ch-aviation - Eurowings operating A320's on behalf of Germanwigs?
Eurowings (EW, Dusseldorf) will start operating four A320-200s on behalf of sister carrier germanwings (4U, Cologne/Bonn) according to schedule data filed by Lufthansa's low-cost carrier. Based on the data, Eurowings will operate two A320-200s based in Hamburg Fuhlsbüttel and two A320-200s based in Dusseldorf on behalf of germanwings starting March 29, 2015.
The Hamburg based aircraft will be used on flights to London Heathrow, Madrid Barajas, Stuttgart Echterdingen, Vienna and Zurich. The Dusseldorf based aircraft will operate to London Heathrow, Madrid, Rome Fiumicino and Zurich on weekdays and also to Berlin Tegel, Naples Int'l and Palma de Mallorca Son Sant Joan on weekends.
Lufthansa had announced plans earlier this year to transform Eurowings into a European low-cost carrier that would launch operations under its own brand with Basle/Mulhouse/Freiburg earmarked to be Eurowings' first base. It currently operates a fleet of 23 CRJ-900 on germanwings services.
Both germanwings and Eurowings did not respond to ch-aviation requests asking for comment.
The Hamburg based aircraft will be used on flights to London Heathrow, Madrid Barajas, Stuttgart Echterdingen, Vienna and Zurich. The Dusseldorf based aircraft will operate to London Heathrow, Madrid, Rome Fiumicino and Zurich on weekdays and also to Berlin Tegel, Naples Int'l and Palma de Mallorca Son Sant Joan on weekends.
Lufthansa had announced plans earlier this year to transform Eurowings into a European low-cost carrier that would launch operations under its own brand with Basle/Mulhouse/Freiburg earmarked to be Eurowings' first base. It currently operates a fleet of 23 CRJ-900 on germanwings services.
Both germanwings and Eurowings did not respond to ch-aviation requests asking for comment.
Oct 28, 2014, 8:14 am
#1679
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: BSL/FRA or PHL
Programs: LH Miles and More, DL SkyMiles, Bonvoy, Hilton
Posts: 2,335
per ch-aviation - Eurowings operating A320's on behalf of Germanwigs?
...a European low-cost carrier that would launch operations under its own brand with Basle/Mulhouse/Freiburg earmarked to be Eurowings' first base...
Oct 28, 2014, 12:12 pm
#1680
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,455
Are we talking about the same BSL that might face heavily increased taxes and Easyjet is rumoured it will leave it that's why?
http://www.verlagshaus-jaumann.de/in...fc9b24e03.html
Well, wouldn't be too surprised if LH group does something against the market
http://www.verlagshaus-jaumann.de/in...fc9b24e03.html
Well, wouldn't be too surprised if LH group does something against the market