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Lufthansa Group Adds $18 Fee to Third-Party Bookings in Push For “Transparency”

General Reaction Toward Lufthansa Group's New Fee (Photo: iStock)

Lufthansa Group is adding an “online travel agency” fee of nearly $18, claiming the controversial fee is part of a push for greater transparency.

Global aviation conglomerate Lufthansa Group announced this week that it will soon begin adding a surcharge to bookings not purchased directly through its websites. It’s a move the company says is best for consumer, BBC News reports, but online travel agencies are crying foul.

The nearly $18 fee will be charged to all bookings made through third-party sites from September 1. Lufthansa Group — operating Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines and low-cost carrier Germanwings — claims that the fee will compensate for the airlines’ use of global distribution systems in selling tickets and allow passengers to book a more customized experience for their travel with the group’s airlines.

“[This move] is not about … trying to discourage anyone from comparing prices,” Lufthansa spokesman Martin Riecken told the BBC. “We rather aim for more transparency. Our rationale is twofold.”

Lufthansa Group’s decision to adopt the $18 surcharge later this year will directly affect tickets purchased through online travel agencies such as Expedia, but not services like Skyscanner, which pass the traveler on directly to the airline to purchase their flight tickets. Some online travel agencies claim the move may be illegal and have instructed their attorneys to investigate.

“[This] is a global issue that affects all countries and worldwide travel agencies, traditional or online, corporate and leisure, and which is already being legally examined by the associations of European agencies,” said a spokesperson for Opodo, a European online travel agency. “Lufthansa Group will clearly be the one whose most affected by this decision.”

When the fee goes into effect, it will be applicable to all four airlines in Lufthansa Group. BBC News notes that the move resembles similar actions taken by both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines against online travel agencies.

[Photo: iStock]

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2 Comments
G
Grog August 28, 2015

Meanwhile the prices on lufthansa.com are already higher than those on third-party websites... Gouge more from loyal Lufthansa customers booking elsewhere rather than REALLY addressing the reasons why loyal LH customers booking elsewhere!...makes sense? Instead of this nonsense, LH should truly look at why a carrier like Ryan Air could rise like the Phoenix in twenty-some years. Even on the premium side, Lufthansa keeps offering inferior seats in business and first and can't figure out how to stop the hemorrhaging.

June 5, 2015

Cut out the middle man and force the customer to come direct....save millions in doing so....makes sense.