Following well publicised plans by both British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic Airways (VS) to develop business class flights out of the US to Europe, Lufthansa has come up with its own idea that may make the UK operators think again.
The airline is to introduce a Boeing 737 business class only flight from Frankfurt to Newark New York, from the start of the winter season on 28 October. It will depart 08:15 and arrive 11:45 (local times), for those wishing to have meetings in the US.
The service will supplement the carrier”s three-times daily Boeing 747 operation. Lufthansa already operates a similar services from Dusseldorf to Newark. The Munich to Newark business class only 737 operation will become a full Lufthansa service operated by an Airbus A330. It is this Boeing aircraft that will now be used out of Frankfurt.
Only a few weeks ago Lufthansa managing director, Wolfgang Mayrhuber, made it clear that the airline was not interested at this stage in developing its existing business class only concept operated by PrivatAir, which was introduced in 2003. Figures for the Dusseldorf and Munich operations were not disclosed: ”They are profitable,” he said. That was just prior to the BA and VS announcements.
Interest in BA and VS executive class only operations has clearly been focussed by the New York success of Eos and Maxjet from Stansted, and Silverjet at Luton.
Any inroads into the Frankfurt high yield sector by BA and VS could damage Lufthansa and the carrier will operate the new flights with a wet-leased PrivatAir Boeing 737 refitted as a business jet. The aircraft has 44 modern lie-flat seats.
When fully reclined, these provide an almost horizontal sleeping surface measuring two metres (6”6”) in length, but the 737-700 aircraft used does not allow for fully flat beds ” unlike BA and VS” 180 degree facilities.
Thanks to the spacious layout of the cabin, passengers travel in an extremely quiet and relaxed atmosphere and can enjoy an individual in-flight service, more akin to first class than business class. With a small number of passengers on each flight, boarding and de-boarding times are short, as is (usually) customs and immigration.
The return flight is scheduled for 15:55, touching down in Frankfurt the following day at 05:40.