LH…ahead of the pack in Europe?

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    Wildgoose
    Participant

    While LH’s recent attempts to shut EK out of the German market are reprehensible, one can’t but applaud LH for inaugurating a second all J-Class on the Germany-India route (this time to Bombay). LH obviously sees the potential in the Indian market and the rising traffic between Europe/the EU and India.
    I don’t see any other airline currently having the resources to pull off something along the lines of what LH has done.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    It’s all too easy to forget that LH was the instigator of the all-business class flight on long-haul routes. Launched a number of years ago these flights (operated by B737s or A319s chartered from Swiss carrier Privatair) initially operated across the Atlantic from Dusseldorf/Munich to cities like New York and Chicago.

    More recently the US cities were dropped in favour of Pune and Mumbai in India while a third destination, Tashkent, will start soon albeit operated by a two-class Privatair B737.

    But LH is no longer the only European carrier operating all-business class. There is now BA flying London City to New York with an A318, Swiss flying Zurich-New York with a Privatair B737 and KLM flying Amsterdam-Houston also with a Privatair B737.


    Hess963
    Participant

    Hi everyone !!

    Yes, LH is very active in the Indian market and implementing only J class flights and using one aisle aircrafts. But just to be curious and straight here. Yes, it is great for those pax who want to travel non-stop from Pune to FRA etc. But those products being offered in these flights are not that good comparing to 9W and IT whose products are really far more better than those usually Privatair leased aircrafts. Just take the seats: LH–angled flat comparing to full flat and near to a “suite feeling” in 9W and IT. Food is also a very big plus to 9W and IT than those in this leased aircrafts. Yes, the crew from Privatair are great and in a smaller aircraft ( although they were only 3 F/As ) they are attentive and you feel well looked after. But beside this–the other factors are just substandard. So it is one’s choice to go for the great full package of experiences and transit once in the one of the main hubs in India or take non-stop but be contented with substandard products.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Ahem…

    I think you’ll find there were all business class flights well in advance of Lufthansa’s Privatair service.

    Air France and British Airways flew something called a Concorde regularly across the Atlantic for many years, a product specifically aimed at the time poor businessperson.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXLgrxPq5So

    Subsequent to Privatair, Silverjet, MAXjet and EOS also trialled all business class services, as did the French airline L’Avion, now owned by BA subsidiary Open Skies (technically an all “biz” service, but differentiating between cabins offering a reclining seat and a cabin offering a flat bed).

    I seem to recall Air France has a subfleet which does the oil and gas industry hubs using smaller single class aircraft?


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    VK writes:
    “I think you’ll find there were all business class flights well in advance of Lufthansa’s Privatair service.

    Air France and British Airways flew something called a Concorde regularly across the Atlantic for many years, a product specifically aimed at the time poor businessperson.”

    But in truth, the BA/AF Concorde flights were not business class. They were one-class flights but they carried an “R” designator which denoted supersonic class. R class cost very much more than business class.

    The Privatair flights chartered by LH, LX and KL are priced at or around the business class price.

    AF’s Dedicate service which serves the oil and gas industry is operated by two-class narrow-bodied Airbuses.


    Wildgoose
    Participant

    Thanks for clarifying.I was afraid the previous poster’s sophistry would pull the wool over everyone’s eyes.


    NTarrant
    Participant

    Actually, both London City and VK are right. When Concorde started service there was no such thing as business class, but Concorde offered a faster service for business people. So VK is right to say what he did and equally LondonCity is right to point out that Concorde was not business class seating as we know it today.

    Incidentally, the reason it was given “R” classification was because at the time C (Concorde) was used for Coach class and S (Supersonic) was used for Standard class, these classes depended on the airline, usually in the USA in the 1970’s

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