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[Rumour] LH F & FCT going away?

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Old Dec 14, 2019, 10:24 am
  #166  
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Originally Posted by worldclubber
If hope LH does not underestimate how much the F awards and upgrades draw people to M&L.

For me the awards are more important than the upgrades, as I find it very difficult to use the eVouchers I still have for upgrades from J to F.
So do I !

Yes, even for HON you have to be flexible to be sure of obtaining upgrades to F with Evouchers , add to that they are only really good value if you combine them on a P class business special.....
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Old Sep 17, 2020, 11:39 pm
  #167  
 
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Originally Posted by fly747first
Awesome. I love the LH -800s
... I wouldn’t bet on F being around on LH for too long.

My thinking:

Before the pandemic- F on 346, 380, 748. Seems likely that 346 and 380 won’t fly again. Are they really going to keep F on 748 only? And that assumes they will keep 748 at all instead of favouring 2-engined aircraft.

Down the line- long haul additions will be 779, and more 350 plus 787- depending on what goes to LX/OS. For 779 there seems to be no plan to change what has already been announced: it will have no F. And despite a few noises here and there (mainly on other FF sites), does anyone really see F being fitted on the coming 350 (the ones already delivered are doing well with no F) or 787 ? Seems unlikely...

What I find semi realistic is the idea of some kind of “premium business” consisting of new business seat plus enhanced service. This could give the same flexibility currently seen on narrow body aircraft with a curtain divider.

Or... LH just offers up to C class and no further.

With lounges and M&M status - I guess FCT/FCL get renamed the HON Terminal / Lounge...Or opened to C pax for a fee (like AF at CDG)... Or closed.

And somehow I think LH, like so many airlines, wouldn’t miss F that much...

Last edited by FlyerLX; Sep 18, 2020 at 12:24 am
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Old Sep 18, 2020, 12:32 am
  #168  
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Originally Posted by FlyerLX
... I wouldn’t bet on F being around on LH for too long.

My thinking:

Before the pandemic- F on 346, 380, 748. Seems likely that 346 and 380 won’t fly again. Are they really going to keep F on 748 only? And that assumes they will keep 748 at all instead of favouring 2-engined aircraft.

Down the line- long haul additions will be 779, and more 350 plus 787- depending on what goes to LX/OS. For 779 there seems to be no plan to change what has already been announced: it will have no F. And despite a few noises here and there (mainly on other FF sites), does anyone really see F being fitted on the coming 350 (the ones already delivered are doing well with no F) or 787 ? Seems unlikely...

What I find semi realistic is the idea of some kind of “premium business” consisting of new business seat plus enhanced service. This could give the same flexibility currently seen on narrow body aircraft with a curtain divider.

Or... LH just offers up to C class and no further.

With lounges and M&M status - I guess FCT/FCL get renamed the HON Terminal / Lounge...Or opened to C pax for a fee (like AF at CDG)... Or closed.

And somehow I think LH, like so many airlines, wouldn’t miss F that much...
You assume LH has a plan right now regarding F. I can assure you the A340 and A380 were removed from the fleet only based on their cost.

Keep in mind that the plan was to have F fitted on the 2023 A350s, however right now all seat maps are up for debate because the demand has changed and shifted quite extremely.

It does not take too long to change the seat maps and potentially introduce F once LH actually knows how demand and the future looks.

LH F was never profitable (in contrary to LX F) but I can assure you again: LH will *not* discontinue F. They will have 30-40% covered by F once things turn back to normal. My source was very clear about this.
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Old Sep 18, 2020, 12:55 am
  #169  
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Originally Posted by SleepOverGreenland
Rumors (in German VFT forum and I heard It by myself today from a usually well informed source) that LH will close the FCT in mid 2021 and discontinue all but 3 F routes after 2021.
I had to dig up this old thread just to point out that LH indeed closed the FCT in 2020 and discontinued all but 3-6 F routes too
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Old Sep 18, 2020, 3:08 am
  #170  
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
I had to dig up this old thread just to point out that LH indeed closed the FCT in 2020 and discontinued all but 3-6 F routes too
It's not 2021 yet.

If they get rid of all A346 and A388 that would mean a reduction of F capacity by 60%. A permanent closure of the FCT is off-the-table right now. However, should we see those F cuts, at least one of the three first-class lounges will have to go IMHO.
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Old Sep 18, 2020, 11:15 am
  #171  
 
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Originally Posted by funkydrummer
It's not 2021 yet.

If they get rid of all A346 and A388 that would mean a reduction of F capacity by 60%. A permanent closure of the FCT is off-the-table right now. However, should we see those F cuts, at least one of the three first-class lounges will have to go IMHO.
Perhaps.... But they will be hoping for more HONs once the new M&M status structure comes in on 01/01/2022 (if that plan is still live, if LH and M&M still exist then, etc. etc. etc....)
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Old Sep 18, 2020, 11:18 am
  #172  
 
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Originally Posted by Nick Art
Keep in mind that the plan was to have F fitted on the 2023 A350s.....
... But I think that too was a VFT rumour or something similar, not an announcement by LH or anything concrete...
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Old Sep 19, 2020, 11:27 am
  #173  
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Originally Posted by FlyerLX
... But I think that too was a VFT rumour or something similar, not an announcement by LH or anything concrete...
Not official but LH internal discussion...
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Old Sep 19, 2020, 1:53 pm
  #174  
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Originally Posted by funkydrummer
It's not 2021 yet.

If they get rid of all A346 and A388 that would mean a reduction of F capacity by 60%. A permanent closure of the FCT is off-the-table right now. However, should we see those F cuts, at least one of the three first-class lounges will have to go IMHO.
LH can also consider offering at least 4 F seats on A350s that haven't yet been delivered but I doubt they will...
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Old Sep 19, 2020, 2:11 pm
  #175  
 
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Originally Posted by fly747first
LH can also consider offering at least 4 F seats on A350s that haven't yet been delivered but I doubt they will...
It seems to me an inevitable trend... F gone on A330, A343, 744, then not included on initial A350, not planned on 779... Now most likely 380 and 346 gone completely... And not much talk of F from senior people in recent times even before the crisis, except to say in very general terms that they want to keep it on some aircraft...

It’s possible that F would then only be on 748 in the existing fleet (and I could see that going too....)

Are they then really planning to put 4 or more F on the second wave of A350 when the first A350s have apparently done well so far?? A350 have been doing plumb routes like HND from MUC- presumably those routes were still profitable before Covid, and I didn’t hear any outcry due to no F... And that assumes the second wave of A350 will go to LH and not LX or OS.... Same goes for 787...



I think LH has decided that F is history except on LX as a kind of boutique offering. LX does F so much better anyway- the old SR service ethic, and staff who really understand how to look after premium pax (whereas LH crew are more occupied with organising their break times and dividing up the first class catering among themselves).

Maybe LH will go for a movable curtain in the business cabin with a kind of “business plus” giving enhanced service at the very front. They could get some training from LX for that.

Last edited by FlyerLX; Sep 19, 2020 at 2:43 pm
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Old Sep 19, 2020, 2:16 pm
  #176  
 
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Originally Posted by fly747first
LH can also consider offering at least 4 F seats on A350s that haven't yet been delivered but I doubt they will...
They have considered it and they are doing it for the 2023 A350s...
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Old Sep 19, 2020, 2:32 pm
  #177  
 
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Originally Posted by sophialite
They have considered it and they are doing it for the 2023 A350s...
I don’t claim any superior knowledge, but I am pretty sure that is at most the subject of internal discussion... And there must be plenty of internal discussions on plenty of subjects...

It was most likely just a rumour from someone or other who claims superior knowledge.

Last edited by FlyerLX; Sep 19, 2020 at 2:37 pm
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Old Sep 19, 2020, 2:36 pm
  #178  
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If the A380 and A346 are going away, some of the 2023 A359 will surely get F.
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Old Sep 19, 2020, 2:40 pm
  #179  
 
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
If the A380 and A346 are going away, some of the 2023 A359 will surely get F.
Is it certain they are going to LH rather than LX/OS or even “Ocean” ?
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Old Sep 19, 2020, 2:54 pm
  #180  
 
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Originally Posted by FlyerLX
I don’t claim any superior knowledge, but I am pretty sure that is at most the subject of internal discussion... And there must be plenty of internal discussions on plenty of subjects...

It was most likely just a rumour from someone or other who claims superior knowledge.
Oliver posted re the board approval a long time ago.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if the new 777s got a first class in some of them but that bit is pure speculation on my part
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