Lufthansa Group choose ITB Berlin to announce the latest changes to its ever growing airline family within the aviation world.
The new-look airline will operate under the Eurowings brand but will be flown under the air operator certificate (AOC) of Sun Express Deutschland using the latter’s cockpit and cabin crews. It will be based at Cologne/Bonn Airport.
The carrier will serve the long-haul leisure market with flights to Dubai, Bangkok, Phuket, Punta Cana and Varadero. The first flights are listed for June with an initial fare offering (Basic) of from €99 one-way to Dubai. However this is a promotional fare bookable up to the end of March, when it will revert to the normal fare of from €149.99. This is for a standard seat with a seat pitch of 30 inches, and hand luggage only. Meals and checked baggage are extra.
The three service bundles are Basic, Smart and Best.Smart includes one checked luggage up to 23kg.seat pitch of 34 inches, free meals and drinks.
Best, the premium fare is actually the new Lufthansa Plus seat with 45 inch seat pitch with foot and leg rests two checked bags up to 23 kg.each, a la carte catering, fast lane at security, lounge access and priority check in and boarding.
The aircraft will be an A-330-200 in a three class configuration. The initial fleet will consist of two aircraft and it is planned to expand to a total of seven aircraft.
.Cologne/Bonn-Bangkok Don Mueang: Twice weekly service to launch on 20-Dec-2015;
Cologne/Bonn-Dubai: Twice weekly service to launch on 19-Dec-2015;
Cologne/Bonn-Phuket: Twice weekly service to launch on 18-Dec-2015;
Cologne/Bonn-Punta Cana: Twice weekly service to launch on 07-Nov-2015;
Cologne/Bonn-Varadero: Twice weekly service to launch on 02-Nov-2015.
Lufthansa CEO Karl Ulrich Garnadt said at the launch: “Our new Eurowings strategy is to strengthen our position in point-to-point traffic. The new Eurowings will tackle long-haul routes with a new brand launch, affordable ticket prices and an attractive route network. Our customers rightly expect a high standard of quality from us. With Germanwings, we have demonstrated that we can successfully connect low prices with good quality. We will continue to fulfil this aim in the expanded route network of the new Eurowings as well.”
The More Comfort seats also offer 2 inches more recline and a pillow and blanket. For width, I estimate at least 18″ in the main cabin to comply with Airbus’s seat width requirements, and at least 19″ for the Best seats based on their similarities to Lufthansa’s Premium coach seat. The More Comfort seats should also make a great extra legroom option on Lufthansa’s mainline fleet, in addition to their current Premium coach product.