LUC

In 2017, we are going to take a cruise in Alaska. Departing in Anchorage, arriving in Vancouver.
I was exploring what is possible on Lufthansa or Star Alliance.
On United, timeschedules are not really optimal : Bru or ORD is possible, but then still a long flight from ORD to Anchorage.
On Lufthansa, the most convenient would be BRU-FRA-SEA and then a "relatively" short flight on Alaskan Airlines.
The return flight would be "easier" : Vancouver-FRA-BRU.

But then I came across Condor : in the summer season they have a direct flight from FRA to Anchorage.
I do have a lot of M&M miles to spend, and I was planning to go business as much as possible.

My question : how easy is it to book a business class award on Condor ? What would be availability ?
Does anyone have experience ?

Concerto

I think you can only book economy awards on Condor, but I would be very happy to be proved wrong. I wonder if, in business, they are a bit like airberlin with a fairly rubbish service concept within Europe and an excellent longhaul business product. Having flown to Lanzarote with both Condor and airberlin, I would rate airberlin ever so slightly above Condor, but FWIW the 'free' catering on Condor was marginally better. It's still that rubbishy low cost BOB catering on both carriers, with indifferent and marginally unfriendly crews. Short hops with airberlin seem to be much better, eg DUS-ZRH.

LUC

According to the M&M website you can book economy awards on Condor online, they don't say anything about business class.
I found some review about the Condor business class longhaul and they were positive.
What is most important for us is the seat, not the food.

Germanfflyer

Beware Condor uses very old C seats...

LUC

They don't look that old. Very much like the previous version of the LH business class seats.

And certainly better than economy seats.

Germanfflyer

I would say the blue slide of uncomfort...IS so outdated for a C seat...

sokolov

On a sidenote: I just checked the miles earning on DE. They used to give 3000 miles (zero status miles) for long haul departures from Germany in Economy class.

In the most common Economy classes, this has been reduced to 125 miles per flight. Long haul! Wow.

planestupid

Do you know when this devaluation happened?

On a different note, Condor has brand-new business seats across its long haul fleet but they are of the angled-flat variant similar to what LH used until very recently.

sokolov

The date says 30.10.2015 - but I don't know what changed on that date. There devaluation may have happened earlier.

I have to correct myself: The long haul is 250 miles. 125 is for short and medium. Still no serious incentive to fly DE.

And M&M has already announced the next devaluation: "With effect from 1 February 2016, you will earn 125 miles in booking classes A, O and Z on short- and medium-haul routes." On DE's short and medium haul flights, A, O and Z are Economy and currently earn 600 miles. (On longhaul they are Premium Economy and earn 1,250 miles.)

The notes add this: "A few flight numbers may be excluded from earning miles."

ohiosux

I can find award tickets with Miles & More from FRA to TFS on certain dates, but I can't figure out what booking classes are used for award/partner award inventory. Ultimately, I'm hoping to create an alert in EF for award availability. It doesn't seem to be X. Maybe T or U? Thoughts?

manhattendeli

Lufthansa and Condor have one of the few 1 stop flights TLV - PIT but I don't see the flights coming up on Lufthansa's site. Is there a mileage program that will let me book award flights on this route? Star Alliance partners or Alaska Air??

oliver2002

LH's own M&M will alow you to book Condor awards. You need to call in, it cannot be booked online.

lefrid

I thought booking J award online was not possible but I came across some availabilities from CUN to FRA next year.
Not the most desirable but could be helpful.

oliver2002

Condor business award is available on long haul DE flights only. Europe and N. African flights only have economy awards on M&M, but include 20K luggage, ie are equivalent to the 'Economy Classic' fare on Condor.