Airlines are always looking for ways to cut costs, and it looks like Lufthansa has a unique way they’re hoping to do so, without impacting the passenger experience too much. While Lufthansa has long offered onboard reading materials to all passengers, they’ve recently changed their policies a bit, presumably to cut costs.
Lufthansa is no longer offering magazines and newspapers in economy, but rather is giving passengers access to eJournals, which can be downloaded to your personal device.
To take advantage of this, enter your Lufthansa record locator and last name on this page and you’ll get access to hundreds of titles. You can download them starting three days before departure, all the way until the end of your journey.
The number of publications you can download depends on your status and class of service, and ranges from one to 20, as follows:
While I’m someone who appreciates technology (I wouldn’t have a job without it), I’m not sure how I feel about them eliminating reading materials in economy altogether in favor of this. While I’m not someone who usually reads magazines, I imagine many people are like me and travel with a smartphone and a laptop, but not with an iPad.
Maybe it’s just me, but if I am going to read a magazine during a flight, it’s most likely to be during takeoff or landing, when my laptop can’t be out. Personally I don’t much enjoy trying to read magazines or newspapers on my iPhone.
So ultimately this is a cost cutting measure on the part of Lufthansa, in the sense that this will save them the cost of magazines as well as the additional fuel burn due to the weight of carrying them. At the same time, I view eJournals as being more of a complement than a substitute to paper publications.
What do you think — would you like to see airlines switch to eJournals, or is there a happy medium?
(Tip of the hat to LoyaltyLobby)
^ Seconded. I tried PressReader on Qantas and loved it.
I wish they would have integrated Pressreader though, not the product they've done, so you have more publications to choose from and not being stuck with PDFs as LH have done (horrible!). They should have looked at the way Qantas have implemented it - easy to use and tons of newspapers and mags to choose from. I can see more and more airlines going down this path too. Just look at UA's announcement last week.
Make that hoi-polloi.
Wow! One whole download for us hoi-palloi. Where do I sign?
Don't forget about your local library! Mine offers about 100 magazines as free downloads every month, tons of audiobooks (not a fan, but some are), eBooks for my Kindle, and even music downloads, all free and available offline. I usually top off the tablet at the hotel before heading out to the airport since some of the inflight internet connections are dodgy at times and some of the magazines run 200-400MB each issue.
The offer has increased, you have a wider choice of titles across magazines and newspapers. eJournals were implemented some time ago in addition to hard copies on LH flights. You get several reminders before your flight that you can download a certain amount of titles. I think this is a good way to save money and also to keep in mind the environment. By the way, the inflight magazine is still available as a hard copy in every seat pocket.
I don't touch the inflight magazines at all because they are like the magazines in a doctors office. You're almost guaranteed to catch something.
I think think is an environmentally good idea, I just worry about the amount of "forced advertising" that might come with it. Plus the issue of cookies, tracking, and other cyber nonsense, etc. Will Lufthansa now be selling what I downloaded to my device to marketing companies ? I bet...
I don't touch the inflight magazines at all because they are like the magazines in a doctors office. You're almost guaranteed to catch something.
I think think is an environmentally good idea, I just worry about the amount of "forced advertising" that might come with it. Plus the issue of cookies, tracking, and other cyber nonsense, etc. Will Lufthansa now be selling what I downloaded to my device to marketing companies ? I bet they will, It will probably say so in the T&C section that no one reads. All this are the issues we have to deal with in the new digital world.
All in all I think it is for the better
I rather liked having a hard copy magazine to take with me, especially when I fly Lufthansa, as it affords me a nice way to practice my German.
Does anyone have a sample list (or screenshot) of what is offered?
Interestingly we were offered vouchers the other day on LH Intra-Europe Business Class for ejournals. Not sure why if all you need to do is type in your record locator. I didn't take one as similarly I only read hard copy stuff during take-off and landing.
I actually think a lot of people do travel with tablets assuming they own them...much lighter and especially on a short trip if I don't have to do any work
I have no problem with it, I rather they cut out magazines than cut of food like BA.
Definitely a negative. I use my electronic devices way too much and it is nice to be able to read paper magazines. Magazines are better for my eyes, better for my fingers, no EMF, and safer (less risk of accidentally damaging or losing my electronic device.)
Airlines should focus on smooth and efficient transportation from A to B. They should care about offering a comfortable seat and reliable operations for a fair price. For longhaul flights that should include essential meals and drinks as well. Everything else is just an luxurious extra that people who want it can pay for.
Air France and lately KLM have been doing this for a while now with the Air France Press app and the KLM Media app. However newspapers have been still available on boarding, at least on the KLM flights I've been on.
I have to say I hope this does not begin a trend within the industry. I enjoy reading the inflight magazines that are provided in the seat backs. During take-offs I have a tremendous amount of anxiety and reading these magazines distracts me from what is going on. I'm not big on e-readers or reading extensively on electronic devices. There is no need for the airline to carry an extensive library or periodicals just a simple magazine would be fine.
That's an amazing decision from environment point of view.
To be honest I'm astounded that this isn't being done more, I flew Emirates recently and there were 4 magazines in the back of each seat. How much weight that must add up to on an A380 I don't know but if they did away with half of them I'm sure there would be an instant saving on fuel.
Definite negative. If I am reading the inflight magazine or other onboard hard copy stuff, it is because I forgot or was too busy too prepare my own entertainment. If I forgot to bring my own stuff on board no way did I remember to download reading material before hand.