Emirates to Lufthansa: Stop Blaming Us for Your Failure
Joe Cortez February 09, 2016
Emirates lashes out against Lufthansa in an editorial, claiming the German carrier is attempting to smear their service.
More words are being exchanged among airlines over the continued Open Skies debate, as Emirates claims another international carrier is attempting to question them in the court of public opinion. The airline has openly called out German flag carrier Lufthansa over previous statements made by their executive in an editorial published by their magazine.
In an article in Emirates’ own publication, Open Sky, the airline claims Lufthansa has gone to great lengths to publicize failures by the Middle East carrier as a diversion to the continued pressure of expanded competition. However, the editorial claims Emirates is considering the attacks a compliment. “It means we [Emirates] provide value to customers, a competitive product and service, and deliver business travel and tourism to Germany. When considering the scale of Star Alliance the magnitude of the compliment grows significantly.”
The editorial also claims that Lufthansa is blaming its internal problems on competition from Emirates. “[Lufthansa goes] to such great lengths to explain the alleged negative effects Emirates has, that the difference between myth and fact tends to get blurred. This supports the attempts to externalize failure – we can only assume this is deliberate.”
The Open Sky article is an indirect response to an interview Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr gave to German newspaper Die Zeit at the end of 2015. In his interview, Spohr asserted the belief echoed by fellow Star Alliance member United Airlines that Emirates is receiving illegal benefits from the United Arab Emirates while avoiding European taxes and carbon emissions certificates.
“It is shameful that an airline, from a country where there are neither unions nor democracy, seeks to position itself at the expense of a competitor where workers’ rights have a high status,” Spohr told Die Zeit, as translated by Handelsblatt. “If Lufthansa organizes itself correctly, we can certainly assert ourselves against any private competitor.”
Emirates defended themselves by claiming that they comply with all European tax and carbon emissions regulations in their operations. In closing, writers for Emirates asked Lufthansa to “stick to the facts” when competing with their airline.
[Photo: Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa CEO, ROBERTO PFEIL/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES]
I'm living in the UAE - and prices flying from Dubai to Germany are 50 % higher with Emirates than with Lufthansa. Most important: You can't compare any other education with the environment plus educational system people in western countries grow up - which leads to the ability of critical thinking (missing here everywhere). The requirements to be responsible for a plane full of people are way higher in the EU than in the Middle East (and other parts of the world). And: The work conditions in Germany are way stricter in a positive way for employes. So LH crews are better equipped with all that's necessary to bring us safe from one place to another one. Let's hope it stays like that!
All German companies have Internal failures but never recognize or admit.. I know I work for one right now.. Always blame American cost factors, but in Germany same job is performed by 6 to 1 ratio in America.. LH is a sore loser.. Go Emirates, I hope open skies passes.. to create competition and lower prices for consumers.
This is what LH is experienceing: https://hbr.org/2015/11/dont-let-your-company-get-trapped-by-success?referral=00060
LH or Lufthansa is a great airline. Unfortunately its corporate strategy is a failure and its always easier to blame other when internal failure occurs. I mean seriously, look at LH's fares, they are just ridiculous.