Condor has been looking for a buyer for the past several months, and it seems like they’ve found one. As far as I’m concerned, this deal is just about the best case scenario for consumers.
Continue reading: LOT Polish Airlines Buys Germany’s Condor
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Will the LOT flights out of BUD become Condor? It seems weird to me an airline with Polish in the name is BUD’s main intercontinental airline.
What about Condor joining Star Alliance? Seems like the most likely benefit to customers, esp. considering the connectivity already with Lufthansa.
At the press conference, LOT said that in the next few months it’d be ordering 10 long haul planes for itself and 20 for Condor.
Doesn't LH own a majority share of LOT? Or am I totally confused! If so, this would essentially be LH buying Condor which if they had tried to do likely would have run into issues with a government approval.
LOT has some experience in operating outdated 767s, so...I wouldn't expect much to change for condor immediately..I guess that LO longhaul charters ex PL are going to be opb Condor in the near future. Pity, as those have been usually nice opportunities to grab a J seat to somewhere in Asia on the cheap 🙂
It seems like a good fit. LH would have run into monopoly issues if they bought them. I think Lufthansa is a better fit operationally but LOT isn't too bad. The whole Star Alliance issue could make things interesting for Condor partners like Alaska I guess.
@Max J
I think LOT would definitely want to, but Lufthansa will probably veto Condor at *A...
Will this also include Thomas Cook Aviation, which Condor also kind of owns now?
@Kajetan
Half Polish territory is Germany. Before to occupy something more, consider first to return what is never belonged to you.
NWE , you need to learn history, only because Germany took over some Polish land does not make it German.
I agree that operationally we wont' see much change. I also think that it's extremely unlikely that Condor will apply to join Star Alliance. First, even LH, a founder member, does not have its low cost subsidiaries join Star, and second, LH would object very strongly to what it would see as a competitor joining Star.
My guess is that most of the synergies will be found in bulk buying, either of aircraft or other supplies. Both are currently small to medium sized customers but will become substantially more significant and will demand greater discounts.
Seems like a good solution and I really wish them the best. LH group needs some competition. I for one really like LOT’s business class and just booked LOT biz to MIA, SFO and LAX for three upcoming trips.
Let's skip the politics and focus on facts. Warsaw is not far from Munich or Frankfurt.Germany is Polish closest neighboor and biggest bussines partner.LOT extend the network in Asia and North America but skip all the leisure markets like Carraibean routes.
It make sense - even very risky one for LOt to extend the network even farther.
There is chance the LOT became a global airlines.Sometimes the impossible became reality even if you like or not.
The government in Poland is absolutely horrible and undemocratic.Thats out of question.
LOT really improved the flying experience.
I'm flying often - at least 5-6 times per year. LOT has better economy sits and soft product on intercontinetal flights from British Airways and AirFrance.
Darauf einen Polackenkaffee. LH probably couldn’t buy due to antitrust reasons, so they send in their polish proxies.
Comments like this:
"NWE says:
January 24, 2020 at 9:08 am
@Kajetan
Half Polish territory is Germany. Before to occupy something more, consider first to return what is never belonged to you"...
are always ridiculous and inflammatory. Given that this week is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz makes it even more unacceptable. The person who posted this should be ashamed of him/herself.
Seat1c - I've always found that stance bizarre (for any event). If it was only the 74.5th anniversary, would it matter less?
Agree with Callum
@Seat1C You should take a look at an European XIX century map... Most of actual Polland territory belongs to Germany before WWI and WWII. After those wars Germany had to hand over territory to Polland.
Having said that... It doesn´t mean than Polland should turn loose any territory
@Mark @Casper
You are right that LH does not financially own LOT.
But LOT uses M&M as its reward scheme (not just being a Star Alliance partner)
This suggests that LOT is likely to do what LH suggests.
Can anybody provide an objective analysis of this?
@Seat1C, Jack
You both are indeed mistaken, while not relevant to the article, vast areas of Poland belonged to Germany and it's predecessor states for the longest of times. So especially Jack, maybe you should learn history first.
That's because Germany invaded Poland in the 16-18 centuries and occupied Western Poland. If you go back further, the Order river was the border for a long time.
If you want to go back even further, most of East Germany was Polish. Berlin and Podstam were originally Polish/Slavic cities until the German Invaders came. Berlin means "swamp" in old Slavic as there were tons of seams around, while Podstam means "under the oak tree" in polish
I think LOT using M&M is a way of cost savings. Rather than running their own program, it's much cheaper to outsource it to Lufthansa.
Gabriel Wilamowski, you start by saying: "Let’s skip the politics and focus on facts" and then you include your uninformed and silly comment about "government in Poland". Everything OK? You are not aware that LOT was losing money prior to 2015, and was itself subject to takeover? It all changed when current government took over. Wystarczy nie kraść.
Does anyone of you honestly think that LH didn't have its finger in this? Lufthansa and LOT do actually have a friendly relationship and i'd bet they're intertwined business wise more than we know.
Lufthansa feeds into Condor's long haul flights. LH is Condor's biggest feeder, i don't see that changing any time soon. But given LOT's rather aggressive expansion, this could at some point become a twig in LH's eye.
Either way, Condor is in a friendly neighbor's hand and you can be sure the german gov had to approve this first.
I don't see why Condor can't join Star Alliance or atleast as a junior/sub-member....what's the word is Star using for the non-full members? Yes that one.
Alaska better work to expand the relationship versus end it. Really hard to see how their international partnerships can survive at this rate. I say that with dread as an AS loyalist.