Lufthansa sneaks in a new travel class
FOR the first time since 1979, German flag-carrier Lufthansa has introduced a new travel class on its long-haul flights. To its passengers, the introduction of a premium economy class addresses what has been a prolonged problem of economy class - limited
The new class, which fits in nicely between business and economy, offers passengers a more comfortable experience with 50 per cent more personal space and plenty of extra amenities; of course, it’s not as luxurious or exclusive as business class.
This is Lufthansa’a first launch of a new travel class in 35 years.
The airline has invested 1 million euros (Bt40 million) in the new class for its long-haul fleets, including the cost of 3,600 specially made seats.
Over the years, Lufthansa has created a much wider gap between business and economy classes, enabling the top European airline to slip in the premium economy class.
“It’s unavoidable. It’s like if you have a BMW 2 Series and a 5 Series. That enables you to slip in the new product, otherwise you will cannibalise yourself,” said chief commercial officer Jens Bischof.
But the airline hasn’t gone overboard with the price, either. The cost of the average ticket for the new product is closer to economy class than it is to business class, with the added options of paying extra for additional baggage and access to Lufthansa’s business lounges.
Bischof said the airline expected to attract customers of other airlines and regain more than 20 per cent of its old customers with the introduction of the new class.
Annette Mann, Lufthansa’s director of customer experience, said the new product would surely strike a chord with the growing demands of cost-conscious business travellers and cash-strapped leisure travellers.
Mann was behind the study to introduce the premium economy class before being promoted to her new position. She said the airline studied the key changes of customer needs.
“The new products we develop must respond to these trends,” she said.
The launch of premium economy class should also help increase the airline’s cash flow. Revenue from ticket sales has declined for years but Lufthansa achieved a satisfying 78.1-per-cent seat/load factor this year with growth of 0.8 per cent.
Lufthansa has also worked on upgrades to first and business classes on its long-haul aircraft. It ensures that all the travel classes remain well positioned. The airline remains Europe’s largest both in terms of the number of passengers it carries and fleet size. It carries 205,000 passengers per day on average.
