In early October, we learned how Lufthansa will be eliminating free liquor in economy and premium economy on long haul flights, and will also be introducing a buy on board menu, to supplement the main meals. We now have more details of what we can expect, as this new service is being rolled out on a widespread basis in about a week.
In this post:
Lufthansa adjusting long haul service
Lufthansa recently eliminated complimentary food & drinks in short haul economy. This has been replaced by a new buy on board menu, known as “Onboard Delights.” The airline is now introducing “Onboard Delights Interkont” on long haul flights (with the “Interkont” standing for “intercontinental,” in case that’s not obvious).
This new service will be available on 37 long haul routes as of December 1, 2021, including flights to North America, South America, Asia, and South Africa. This service will then be available on all long haul routes by the spring of 2022.
The most significant change is that Lufthansa will no longer offer free liquor in long haul economy or premium economy. The airline will still offer complimentary beer and wine, though.
Beyond the changes to alcohol service, what exactly should passengers expect? Much like on short haul flights, there will be a buy on board menu for snacks and drinks available for purchase between meals. This is intended to supplement the main services.
Lufthansa’s long haul buy on board menu
Lufthansa has now published its full buy on board menu for long haul flights. How much is Lufthansa charging?
- Standard spirits cost 6 EUR, while premium spirits cost 7 EUR
- A 200ml bottle of Laurent-Perrier champagne costs 15 EUR
- Snacks range from a package of Haribo gummy bears for 2 EUR, to four mini-cakes for 9.50 EUR
Lufthansa wants you to like this change
I do have to give Lufthansa credit for the extent to which it can spin a negative as a positive. In describing free liquor on long haul flights being replaced by liquor and snacks for purchase, the airline explains that:
- This is being done “to achieve greater customer satisfaction with the food & beverage offering on long-haul routes,” and that’s done “by providing a wider selection of high-quality products”
- “Lufthansa is responding to the diverse needs of guests when it comes to choosing food and beverages on board”
- “Especially in the time between services, guests’ needs are very individual — instead of a standard product, they want more choice and high quality”
- “Only the spirits, which were still given out as freebies before the pandemic, will be transferred to the chargeable range” (the tone here of suggesting that liquor is a “freebie” is just so patronizing, especially for a Skytrax 5-star airline)
Lufthansa has the spin down, eh? When the airline eliminated even free soft drinks in short haul economy, here’s how that change was described:
“Our current snack offer in Economy Class does not always meet the expectations of our guests. The new offer was developed on the basis of feedback from our customers. With the high-quality offer available for purchase, our passengers will be able to decide what they want to eat and drink on their journey.”
Customers just didn’t like free drinks! Diet Coke just tastes so much better when you have to pay for it!
Bottom line
Lufthansa is introducing a new buy on board snack menu in economy on 37 long haul routes as of December 1, 2021, and then this will be expanded to all other routes as of the spring of 2022. This will be based on Lufthansa’s new buy on board short haul service concept.
While the airline will continue to offer the same meals as before, Lufthansa will stop offering liquor as a “freebie.”
What do you make of Lufthansa’s long haul service changes?
Now Lufthansa represents typical German tricky menthality ( stop serving alcohol on the request of ... passengers) purearrogance.
Iam going to Denmark Frankfurt. Today 12.50 .isn't right time operating.?&whiskey is free on board? If charges applying, what is rates.?1 Eur in Indian rupees? They expected ₹ for that.
i used to love flying Lufthansa because it was classy and top notch. I flew them twice in 2022 in Premium Eco. Yep paid lots of money for a seat and a checked bag. no free liquor was the line that was crossed. While I love the 747 planes, someone has decided to add another fee for some food and a drink when it was always part of the enjoyment of transatlantic flying. bummer they changed to be like Frontier airlines and such.
This is why they will see more people go to BA and United.
Just got my Premium economy seats -- Bangkok - Montreal.
2 seats $6,000.. Seat selection so I Can sit with my missis -- an extra $600. Never again with Lufthansa.
Its the reason I recently booked thai over lufthansa.
I will no longer fly Lufthansa on a long haul flight. It’s absurd that we have to pay for snacks and alcohol. Granted some take advantage of this but when you have to pay more for a flight, pay for baggage, pay for seat selection, wider seat etc.it’s crazy! Lufthansa was once my go to airline but no more. I’ll choose others for long hauls….
A couple of years ago (less than ten) Lufthansa used to offer excellent Economy class cabin service and was the best cross-Atlantic long-hauler for the price. Over the years, the quality of the food and the service has deteriorated to the point where today, their service is comparable to that of a second tier carrier.
Current feedback based on my trip to the US towards the end of March, 2022:
1) Food from Munich...
A couple of years ago (less than ten) Lufthansa used to offer excellent Economy class cabin service and was the best cross-Atlantic long-hauler for the price. Over the years, the quality of the food and the service has deteriorated to the point where today, their service is comparable to that of a second tier carrier.
Current feedback based on my trip to the US towards the end of March, 2022:
1) Food from Munich to Miami was microwaved hot pockets - the sort you buy for $3 in a frozen box from Walmart. Apparently meat in any form is now a luxury item in Germany.
2) Cabin was freezing. Called flight attendant to complain that cabin temps were way too cold and need to be at least somewhat comfortable. Was advised by steward to use a blanket and/or a sweater. Temperature was never adjusted.
3) My home country removed Covid mask requirements 2 months ago. The Lufthansa attendant instructed me when boarding, to wear a mask. I refused and explained that that the plane and the crew do not have the status of a sovereign territory, according to maritime law, and as such need to abide by the laws of the host country. She insisted that since it was a german plane and a german crew, they were completely within their rights to break the law of the host country, and demand face diapers. Apparently german coercion didn't go away with Hitler.
Just recently flew Lufthansa Business Class from London via Frankfurt to Johannesburg and to summarize it fell short in almost all departments. Old aircrafts, old seats with limited space even for a relatively slim person like myself, very tight compartment for feet, mediocre service and economy standard food both quality and quantity wise. Would have been better in Qatar or Emirates economy class. Thank you but no thank you Lufthansa there will not be a...
Just recently flew Lufthansa Business Class from London via Frankfurt to Johannesburg and to summarize it fell short in almost all departments. Old aircrafts, old seats with limited space even for a relatively slim person like myself, very tight compartment for feet, mediocre service and economy standard food both quality and quantity wise. Would have been better in Qatar or Emirates economy class. Thank you but no thank you Lufthansa there will not be a next time. I have learnt my lesson and will not take this airline again.
This is downright awful. Went back to Lufthansa again years after my first (and I told myself the last one) years ago when I was attending college. Worst seats worst entertainment but also crazy fare price. I’m back 14 years later and I’m just thinking now, why didn’t you learn your lesson. This move is just awful and cheap. I only see carts selling snacks on low cost airlines. Ridiculous. Never getting on a Lufthansa ever again.
This is just on par with "el cheapo" LH Group strategy since the beginning of the pandemic. And that will be paid off after the pandemic.
Also congratulations OMAT team over 100 comments
Thank You Lufthansa
Fly Sober or don’t fly at all
Dear LUFTHANSA,
Dear ALL OTHER AIRLINES,
I will never fly on you now :)
I will never pay for food on board.
I will never pay for a checked bag which used to be p.o.s,
I will never pay for a "bigger" seat.
I will never pay to get on board before someone else.
I will never pay for alcohol on my long-haul flights. Or any flight.
I...
Dear LUFTHANSA,
Dear ALL OTHER AIRLINES,
I will never fly on you now :)
I will never pay for food on board.
I will never pay for a checked bag which used to be p.o.s,
I will never pay for a "bigger" seat.
I will never pay to get on board before someone else.
I will never pay for alcohol on my long-haul flights. Or any flight.
I will never fall for your tactics- you and your ceos, cfos, coos et al are horrible people.
Period.
I will shop around and avoid all extortion charges.
I and we the public are not idiots. You are.
BTW, when do you propose to give me and other people like me a "weight credit"? I weigh 98 lbs.
Yours truly,
a passenger
LUFTHANSA, will not be competing with any other airline any more.
There will be a massive shift of Passengers from LUFTHANSA to SINGAPORE AIRLINES.
IT IS EVIDENT THAT THERE IS AN ASSHOLE HE OR SHE AT THE TOP MANAGEMENT OF LUFTHANSA WILL NOW KILL THE PROUD EUROPEAN AIRLINE SLOWLY.
Yes, obviously someone who wants to fly BER-LON or MUC-LAX will fly Singapore Airlines and connect in SIN. Brilliant.
I just hope that they don’t start getting stingy with the wine as well. One of the few good things about LH economy class has always been the frequent and generous wine refills (well, at least more frequent than on other airlines)
I think it's a trend we've seen with other airlines, but in reading a lot of reports about Lufthansa, I would never choose to fly them in Economy. I've always thought their product seems far below others, and while they focus on their premium cabins, Economy is not where the focus is at. Definitely surprising they are making this cut to Premium Economy though too - what's the point of flying that cabin other than a bigger seat?
Due to customer requests, LH eliminates free drinks
Good very good
Not that I'll be affected: I never fly LH Eco and I never drink liquor on flights. But: This kind of marketing slang is really what I hate LH for. The really think we are all idiots. I recommend not to fly LH anymore.
There is no way to “spin” a reduction in the soft product. None. However, there is a certain logic for eliminating free hard liquor: Bad passenger behavior. Hard liquor has a negative effect on passenger behavior and it is only now starting to return to US skies and it isn’t going over well with cabin crews who have to deal with this.
To remove it from Premium Economy however is not smart. It will have...
There is no way to “spin” a reduction in the soft product. None. However, there is a certain logic for eliminating free hard liquor: Bad passenger behavior. Hard liquor has a negative effect on passenger behavior and it is only now starting to return to US skies and it isn’t going over well with cabin crews who have to deal with this.
To remove it from Premium Economy however is not smart. It will have a severe negative impact on the product and I believe that LH will change direction on this pretty soon after it’s premium passengers start seriously complaining about it.
As for removing snacks for free from Y on long haul, this is also just a downgrade in service. Will people pay for snacks? Yes…because they are generally less than what people will pay in an airport for these snacks.
On short haul, charging for soft drinks will reduce consumption on the airplane, so the point is less snacks boarded, less weight and less fuel. Every single thing that is done is meant to increase revenue and reduce costs. Charging for snacks and drinks does both.
I have been paying for buy on board for awhile now and I’m not bothered by it, since I’m most cases, I don’t need much and it is less cost than buying it in the airport. Just plan ahead and know what you need for your use case and do like I do, always carry my own emergency snacks in case I need them.
there is no physiological difference between any type of alcohol. On aircraft, flight attendants serve it all so generally do a pretty good job of raising concern if they serve too much to the same person.
I have been served double liquors before and after dinner on some airlines.
The issue is not that you or anyone else can buy onboard. The issue is that, just like airlines that have seatback AVOD and...
there is no physiological difference between any type of alcohol. On aircraft, flight attendants serve it all so generally do a pretty good job of raising concern if they serve too much to the same person.
I have been served double liquors before and after dinner on some airlines.
The issue is not that you or anyone else can buy onboard. The issue is that, just like airlines that have seatback AVOD and streaming to your own device, airlines that serve all types of alcohol to all passengers at no extra charge provide a higher level of service and choice. You are free to take or not - but you can't argue that LH is competitive with airlines that offer full alcohol service.
Definitely a negative for others. For me, I only partake in the wine and beer anyway
I’m glad you explained the definition of “Interkont” that really doesn’t sound very good does it ..If you follow
Think they just passed AA in the race to the bottom. I never thoought much of there service anyway and this cements my avoidance of them at any price, even Aeroplan miles.
Lufthansa its only worth it if you fly 1st class. Even its Business Class product sucks! Pretty sad, it used to be one of the best :(
Wait what are you serious
Ben what’s your opinion of LH Business Class?
I wish LH, BA and the like would stop trying to be like a LCC or ULCC. They will never get their costs down to a LCC / ULCC level.
I know people may have other opinions, but I look at DL as a good example of what they should do. Ok, some may question their service, but they are a timely airline (yes, problem earlier this year, but no where near like AA), they...
I wish LH, BA and the like would stop trying to be like a LCC or ULCC. They will never get their costs down to a LCC / ULCC level.
I know people may have other opinions, but I look at DL as a good example of what they should do. Ok, some may question their service, but they are a timely airline (yes, problem earlier this year, but no where near like AA), they offer a decent economy long-haul product, AVOD on almost all of their aircraft, etc. In other words, they know that they can't lower costs to a LCC level, so they make sure they differentiate themselves.
For me, it works. I would rather pay more to fly DL than Spirit. Also, it must work for a lot of people because DL consistently has the highest margins of US airlines.
Exactly. For short haul in Europe, there just isn't any difference between low-cost and legacy airlines anymore - I would even argue that easyJet and Wizz Air offer better service than Austrian (which used to be my main carrier). I just book whatever is cheaper and has a good timing. There's just no added benefit of using LH Group, or SAS, or BA. Even the punctuality is worse.
The only thing that keeps their offer...
Exactly. For short haul in Europe, there just isn't any difference between low-cost and legacy airlines anymore - I would even argue that easyJet and Wizz Air offer better service than Austrian (which used to be my main carrier). I just book whatever is cheaper and has a good timing. There's just no added benefit of using LH Group, or SAS, or BA. Even the punctuality is worse.
The only thing that keeps their offer somewhat attractive is that low-costs don't offer connecting flights, thus aren't really an option on many routes.
That being said, food doesn't concern me much. It's been a while since anything reasonable was on offer and I'd rather have good BOB than a choice of chocolate bar or nuts.
Meh. I have not once bought (or not bought) an airline ticket because it did/did not offer liquor as an inclusion. Or because of the economy class food. It's not a fact in purchasing decisions.
What do I think of the change and spin: it is irrelevant
Looks like Delta will be one of the few large transatlantic airlines that serves all types of alcohol in all cabins at no extra charge.
United Transatlic & Pacific Business Class serve wine , beer & sports for free.. Well part of you expensive business class ticket
The beatings (service cuts) will continue until morale (revenue) improves...
-Lufthansa PR Department
I guess to me, this is just how things are. No airline (or other business for that matter) is really going to, not really expected to say “this is a cost cutting” — but rather we *expect* it to be spun this way… I’d also argue that IF they did say it as “this is a cost cutting” the negative response would be even greater.. so, to me, i don’t see a lot of upside...
I guess to me, this is just how things are. No airline (or other business for that matter) is really going to, not really expected to say “this is a cost cutting” — but rather we *expect* it to be spun this way… I’d also argue that IF they did say it as “this is a cost cutting” the negative response would be even greater.. so, to me, i don’t see a lot of upside of you will, to framing it any other way, aside from a “based on customer feedback” type of narrative.
As far as the overall move.. I’m absolutely sure that LH has “done the math”… they’ve run models showing them the projected loss of passengers - those who will purposefully choose another carrier over LH, based on the upcoming liquor policy… and balanced that projected revenue loss against the coast savings of the policy and the incremental revenue from sales ….
I have to believe that speaking for Y cabin (discounted Y) goes, that their models show a very high level of price sensitivity and a rather low level of brand allegiance when viewed to competitive pricing.
Simply, I’m sure that LH knows they’ll save far more in liquor costs (plus the revenue from new sales) than they will suffer lost revenue opportunities due to passengers choosing a different carrier and at what price point does passenger-to-brand allegiance start to drop off
It's the American Airlines approach to customer service and PR spin. We will provide you less, you will pay more and you will love it.
Year after year, prices in coach remain the same, and people like to say airlines are in the race to the bottom, but that also applies to passengers, they are on the race of the lowest ticket available. People is willing to pay to get from point A to point B , but just what it is necessary, not one dollar more. Prices of goods go up ,but tickets keep the same, or decline 9n...
Year after year, prices in coach remain the same, and people like to say airlines are in the race to the bottom, but that also applies to passengers, they are on the race of the lowest ticket available. People is willing to pay to get from point A to point B , but just what it is necessary, not one dollar more. Prices of goods go up ,but tickets keep the same, or decline 9n price year after year ( when factoring currency depreciation).
Saying that people will go to another airline because of the booze, is laughable. Lufthansa is just being competitive, and offering what people want ,low priced tickets. Nobody is going to choose Air France, over Lufthansa because of the booze , if it means making a stop, or paying 20 bucks less. If you really care for the booze , pay for it. You still have wine, and beer for free. Which is generous.
LH is on a rapid quest to become the "Spirit of the Skies" for short and long haul international airlines. What a joke Lufthansa...............
Whoever your boneheaded marketing person(s) were that came up with this contrived dribble to sell the world should be fired along with the idiots in management that bought it.
Welcome to the bottom!!
Lufthansa has become a completely shitty airline. I've flown with them for
almost 40 years and they have gotten worse every year. Unfortunately I live in Germany so they are the primary, if not totally awful, airline to use here.
I say only one thing when it comes to international flights: Turkish Airlines.
Forget about LH.
Turkish Airlines will very soon be the star in the sky and LH the fallen one.
Food and drinks and outstanding service, you name it.
I would never fly that airline again,there are lots of other options anyway,they are getting really cheap,they will run of a lot of passangers with this nonsence
This further cements Lufthansa as the AA of Europe. Based on my impression, they seem like a pretty unlikable company, particularly when compred to the likes of AF, KLM, or BA. They've been actively getting worse and worse to passengers, from the terrible and unneccessary livery/branding change (miss the yellow circle and hate the new yellow/white airport signs), to the laughably big delay of them launching their new business class, to the removal of the...
This further cements Lufthansa as the AA of Europe. Based on my impression, they seem like a pretty unlikable company, particularly when compred to the likes of AF, KLM, or BA. They've been actively getting worse and worse to passengers, from the terrible and unneccessary livery/branding change (miss the yellow circle and hate the new yellow/white airport signs), to the laughably big delay of them launching their new business class, to the removal of the second hot meal in long-haul economy, to the tightening of their newer short-haul planes (although, to be fair, most major European FSC airlines are doing this too). And now this. The worst part is that for basically all of these changes, they make the extra effort to use marketing BS to spin them as a positive for passengers, and they seem to be unwilling to actually improve the passenger experience (unlike BA the last 1-2 years). I still can't believe Skytrax actually gave them 5 stars and labeled them as the "best airline in Europe"; there's no way Lufthansa didn't bribe them with their deep corporate pockets or something.
Skytrax is simply a scam.
Got tbh, when I recently flew in business with LH from FRA to YYZ and they didn’t have have the listed wines on board and quickly ran out of the half-way eadible meals I decided that’s it’s worth flying via DOH and not bothering with this Skytrax 5***** outfit again.
Meanwhile, I'm seeing better service and products on BA, AF and KL... it sucks for people who are stuck in the FRA/MUC LH fortresses.
FYI - LH does NOT serve DC just Coke Zero (which I do not like) so they do not have my choice even for purchase. Horrible.
It's an interesting strategy. I certainly do not base my flight decisions on which airline will serve me decent bourbon (answer: at 5-20% humidity it doesn't really matter). Ultimately, it's a combination of convenience, price, and product. The airline bean-counters will say that this one decision will have minimal effect and they will be correct. Overall, the accumulation of such decisions does have an effect, but public airlines are not known for their long-term decision...
It's an interesting strategy. I certainly do not base my flight decisions on which airline will serve me decent bourbon (answer: at 5-20% humidity it doesn't really matter). Ultimately, it's a combination of convenience, price, and product. The airline bean-counters will say that this one decision will have minimal effect and they will be correct. Overall, the accumulation of such decisions does have an effect, but public airlines are not known for their long-term decision making prowess.
The explanation/justification given by Lufthansa is one of the most ridiculous ones I have ever seen in the Trade ! It's as if we all were kids and LH the Great Magician. I mainly fly C, but intra-europe, I sometimes fly Y. Well : with LH it's over and out. For lowcost , we've got Ryanair, Easyjet, Transavia and a handful more . Kaput! Feierabend!
I flew Lufthansa from JFK, New York to Frankfurt on September 3, and back on September 19, 2021. What a disgrace Lufthansa has became! Very simple and even by german standards service during the flight! “Sir! We have vegetarian pasta for you today”! No chance to select meat or chicken! Everybody goes vegetarian as per Lufthansa order! Drinks were limited to very few selection. Lufthansa just downgraded itself from Legacy airline to “Greyhound of the...
I flew Lufthansa from JFK, New York to Frankfurt on September 3, and back on September 19, 2021. What a disgrace Lufthansa has became! Very simple and even by german standards service during the flight! “Sir! We have vegetarian pasta for you today”! No chance to select meat or chicken! Everybody goes vegetarian as per Lufthansa order! Drinks were limited to very few selection. Lufthansa just downgraded itself from Legacy airline to “Greyhound of the skies” Thanks God, Singapore Airlines is back on New York-Frankfurt route for the price $300 chipper than disgusting Lufthansa!!!
Lufthansa was always a low cost airline masquerading as a full service one (as far as economy goes), and now its sort of official.
Unfortunately LH never was low cost- just cheap.
How very American of them.
Re- couping the A 380 super jumbo losses I see .... sigh
And here the legacies wonder why people – even point-to-point business travelers – flee to Ryanair, Easyjet and the likes. Frankly, if I get the same seat and service on an LCC, what other reason do I have to pay more to fly Lufthansa?
They are doing everything possible in order to become a downgraded 3 STAR airline
If you (still) needed cold hard proof SkyTrax rankings are meaningless, look no further than Lufthansa. [drops mic]
How many people drank liquor as opposed to beer and wine with their meals anyways? It seems like this is not going to affect that many people.
If that's true then why not just keep the "freebies" ??
LH has finally come over to the darkside like their UK and North American counterparts. Given the increased competition from the LCC's in Europe the short haul change was inevitable, but for long haul they could have used the "freebies" as marketing against their below average N.A and UK counterparts.
The problem is that Lufthansa is still going to be more expensive than LCCs, while offering the same service (and more delays).
When are these management idiots going to re-discover the concept of 'hospitality', as it relates to the travel industry?
The US legacy airlines have been through this several times before. Just ask UAL who have tried eliminating complimentary booze in coach across the South Pacific. Of the three times they tried between 1970's through to the mid 2000's, they lost a large customer base back to Qantas. And each time UAL ended up restoring...
When are these management idiots going to re-discover the concept of 'hospitality', as it relates to the travel industry?
The US legacy airlines have been through this several times before. Just ask UAL who have tried eliminating complimentary booze in coach across the South Pacific. Of the three times they tried between 1970's through to the mid 2000's, they lost a large customer base back to Qantas. And each time UAL ended up restoring the status quo.
This simply says to me that Star Alliance carriers apparently don't share or exchange internal marketing experiences.
Of course, the real reason here is LH avoiding bankruptcy due to Covid, by a whisper. If it hadn't been for the EUR 10 Billion from the German Government, they maybe wouldn't have had to consider service changes .. 'cos they'd have been out of business. And now, they've gotta raise cash and pay back the piper.
That LH Premium economy experience isn't going to be at all premium. Maybe someone at LH will wake up to the old adage that "you can be penny-wise but pound foolish." Carsten, you should know this stuff.
Lufthansa must think their passengers are just a bunch of dumb sheep. They are being disingenuous at best. If they lowered the air fare by $50 per ticket and then allowed us to spend this on their Interkont menu, that would be a driver of satisfaction, especially if it comes with a better selection. But taking something free away and then charging for it ….. come on LH, we all know you are trying to drive up margins.
It appears that Lufthansa is on the road that no-one travels willingly.
Their "massive" fuel surcharges on reward tickets make them a very poor choice. But to now eliminate the on-board service to such an extent means that someone would have to either be unaware of other options or have been given enough free points to make it worthwhile.
I just had 30,000 Lufthansa miles expire because I have been unable to fly internationally the...
It appears that Lufthansa is on the road that no-one travels willingly.
Their "massive" fuel surcharges on reward tickets make them a very poor choice. But to now eliminate the on-board service to such an extent means that someone would have to either be unaware of other options or have been given enough free points to make it worthwhile.
I just had 30,000 Lufthansa miles expire because I have been unable to fly internationally the last two years. I even explored using the points in their "shop" but nothing could be purchased and delivered to Canada. I guess I should have donated them to charity but was hoping that at the last minute they might extend them. No such luck. NO LOSS.
"5 Star Airline" Lufthansa lol
Used to fly Lufthansa 1st class as often as possible but over the years their style deteriorated to the point of not being worth flying with them any longer. At this point we are at 0 where before our family of 4 traveled yearly with them. Go figure who initiated the stupidity.
I haven’t flown Lufthansa in quite a while, but have an upcoming trip Boston to Munich. Could only get economy seats, so am disappointed. On the other hand, I was never offered an alcoholic beverage last time.
Never offered an alcoholic beverage? You have to take what is yours! Last Lufthansa flight I had at least 10 beers, several glasses of wine and some shots of whiskey. I was trying to take it easy, otherwise I would have had more.
They can never compete with LCCs on costs. But they are matching their service to LCCs and I don't really understand the logic. If Lufthansa is 1 EUR more than Ryanair, for most people, there is no reason to choose Lufthansa anymore. Pay for bag, pay for seat selection, pay for snack, pay for drink. With Ryanair, EasyJet, Wizz and Norwegian competing throughout Europe, unless Lufthansa is cheaper than these, why would anybody take them?...
They can never compete with LCCs on costs. But they are matching their service to LCCs and I don't really understand the logic. If Lufthansa is 1 EUR more than Ryanair, for most people, there is no reason to choose Lufthansa anymore. Pay for bag, pay for seat selection, pay for snack, pay for drink. With Ryanair, EasyJet, Wizz and Norwegian competing throughout Europe, unless Lufthansa is cheaper than these, why would anybody take them? And now for long-haul, when competing against every other airline in the world, again, why would you choose the one that offers the least unless it is the cheapest? Just doesn't seem like a winning strategy to me...
I get that LH is cutting back service, but we can't say their service is the same as Ryanair. Let's be honest here, it's not even the same ballpark. When flying to EU, unfortunately we can't compare them to every other airline.
And yet, for intra-Europe flights, I really feel there's little difference between LH and FR.
The hard product is virtually the same. Service depends on the crew—you can have a phenomenal crew on Ryanair or a lousy one on Lufthansa, or vice versa. LH lets you board through a jet bridge, while Ryanair makes it easier to pay for fast-track security & priority boarding.
Food selection can actually be better on Ryanair, as...
And yet, for intra-Europe flights, I really feel there's little difference between LH and FR.
The hard product is virtually the same. Service depends on the crew—you can have a phenomenal crew on Ryanair or a lousy one on Lufthansa, or vice versa. LH lets you board through a jet bridge, while Ryanair makes it easier to pay for fast-track security & priority boarding.
Food selection can actually be better on Ryanair, as they have a wider selection.
LH: sandwiches for €5.50, salads €10, candy/chips €2, hot drinks €3, soft drinks €3.50, no warm options whatsoever.
FR: sandwiches for €5.50, hot meals €6, chips/snacks €1.50-3.50, hot drinks €3, soft drinks €2.50-3.00 + meal sets for €10. Granted, packaged lasagna or ratatouille isn't fantastic, but it's also not awful. With similar pricing, Ryanair does have a better selection overall.
Oh how the mighty have fallen.
@Toweile196: Ok, so what's the difference between service LH and FR? The only thing I see is that FR has better BOB and less delays.
Ah! I see AA has a worthy competitor in the race to the bottom. As long as they have to compete against the likes of any of the FE or ME I can see their premium cabins being very empty unless its priced to the bottom end of the range. What a bunch of dummkopfs.
It’s Dummköpfe!
That’s pretty impressive BSing with the spin skills, one has to give credit where it’s due I suppose ::EYEROLL::
But cutting from Premium Economy? That has to go on a list of the dumbest decisions to make when trying to market and differentiate a product offering as being ‘premium’.
Thats just cust-cutting...nothing else.
No free Gin-Tonic anymore in Premium Economy??
Shame on LH....
I wish they would charge for wine on the MUN-EWR run. The swill they serve now (Sept 2021) is amazingly awful...
Enough of the nonsense corporate swill, call it what it is. A combination money saver/revenue generator.
A few decades ago -- Delta: "in order to better serve our customers" we are closing our Anchorage Lounge. Unbelievable how marketing folk believe customers are stupid. The bean counters know that their changes will provoke weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, but they believe the protest will subside after a relatively brief period of time and the changes will produce more revenue. Are they right or wrong?
And yet Delta serves free liquor in all cabins of long haul international flights
Delta still serves liquor in all cabins of long haul international flights
Lucky this is Germany, it's Coke Light.
I was under the impression UA brought back drinks because of the pressure from other star alliance members to provide consistent experience.
Hope this will happen again.
Also, Lucky, do not know if you can control access to your site based - but would you consider blocking this article for visitors from IPs belonging to KLM and Air France? :-)
Well it worked so well for Etihad…. Lol. What an awful idea. Say goodbye to that fifth star… oh wait that’s not how it works is it?
What on earth possessed them? Any fool can see what's going on here. They should just be completely open and honest by saying "we are cutting this service to save money."
Who’s gonna miss boxed wine? Lol.
Wine will still be available.
Didn't United eliminate free alcohol on TATL flights a while back - only to bring it back a few years after? Is this a case where in economy UA offers superior service vs LH? In this case would you advise flying UA over LH in Coach (or even Business) from the US to Germany? Not that a glass of liquor makes a huge difference overall, but if booking a premium carrier, a premium experience should...
Didn't United eliminate free alcohol on TATL flights a while back - only to bring it back a few years after? Is this a case where in economy UA offers superior service vs LH? In this case would you advise flying UA over LH in Coach (or even Business) from the US to Germany? Not that a glass of liquor makes a huge difference overall, but if booking a premium carrier, a premium experience should be expected. Even Norwegian (RIP) offered free liquor in their premium economy cabin. Also, would be interesting if Swiss, Austrian, and other LH Group airlines cut this too. Does Condor do this as well?
I always take it with a grain of salt when I read people's comments about a terrible experience on XX airline. With that said, my last 3 flights on LH economy, all between NY and FRA or MUC, were beyond awful. After the first I was willing to chalk it up to a singular bad experience, after the 2nd I swore I'd never do it again, but then work booked me on them again for...
I always take it with a grain of salt when I read people's comments about a terrible experience on XX airline. With that said, my last 3 flights on LH economy, all between NY and FRA or MUC, were beyond awful. After the first I was willing to chalk it up to a singular bad experience, after the 2nd I swore I'd never do it again, but then work booked me on them again for a third trip and I was unable to switch it. All 3 were horrific - extremely hot cabin so you couldn't sleep, no individual air nozzles, food was awful, service not friendly (and that's if you could get it), basically you name it, they missed on it. It's funny to because I just flew Swiss longhaul economy a few weeks ago and it was a delight. Unless you're in F, I'd avoid LH.
They also have the most unhelpful "customer service" you can imagine and the food in business class last year was pretty crap too.
The truth is that lower-class passengers are less likely to be vaccinated and more likely to assault a flight-attendant. Making it harder for them to consume alcohol protects everybody.
Except for the free beer and wine that LH will continue to offer in economy and premium economy...
Between the mish-mash of business class seats, that ghastly looking bowl of "colon-blow" and its cousin the stale bun in the picture, and now no free liquor in economy (or even premium economy), there are increasingly fewer reasons to fly Lufthansa.
Okay, so let's look at how this has worked in the past....BA cut the second meal on "short" TATL flights to a single candy bar, only to bring back a second meal service. UA under Smisek tried to eliminate the complimentary mid-flight snack on longer flights and do BOB boxes, only to bring to the mid-flight snack back.
IMO, the more the "full-service" carriers make these types of cuts, the easier it is customers (including me) to fly discount carriers.
Wow. All the more reason never to fly LH. Their business class and economy is mediocre as is, to say the least.
At this point United is better in Eco than LH. I'm surprised I would ever say that. Even domestically, United is miles ahead right now with free soft drinks. Now Business and First might be more of a debate.
Better biz seats on UA.
I think in few years they will go back like BA with free food and drinks on European routes. As I experienced on many flights within Europe they don’t sell much of F&B. I think they have to waste 75%+ of products.
It is funny that on short domestic hop from FRA to MUC they where offering free drinks in Economy while on longer routes to MAD, GRZ, etc they where selling it.
I fully agree that the LH spin team has been working overtime. However, personally, I never really went for Economy class liqueur, so when flying that cabin I can't say this will be a loss for me. But does the change also imply that they won't have 'complimentary' snacks available in the back between meals? And by "complementary" , I mean what you used to get in exchange for paying for a ticket.
This is spot-on. Haven't seen anyone else bottom-line this as accurately!
You know what irks the most: the Europe BoB menu is the lowest range of cheap chips and unhealthy snacks, plus a burger but only on some routes.
I would understand such moves if at least you could pre-order a “feast” and actually enjoy an exciting distraction in the air.
But the menus reek of pre-packaged, ultra-processed, airport vending machine contents.
If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. For most destinations this is a 6-8 hour experience. You’ll live. And for all the people singing the praises of UA, please switch. Anyone that opts for a Newark-based airline is someone I won’t miss. I have no issue with LH. The idea of paying for what you use is not that alien for many passengers originating outside the US.
@Miamiorbust
Your ticket price on any airline is the price for the service provided. Everyone pays for the "free" alcohol in some way in the ticket. If Lufthansa charges the same price as an alternative and offers less choice or benefit the the only sensible thing to do is vote with your feet.
Originating outside the US to me generally is much better service, better food, better beverages. Particularly through Asia and the Middle East....
@Miamiorbust
Your ticket price on any airline is the price for the service provided. Everyone pays for the "free" alcohol in some way in the ticket. If Lufthansa charges the same price as an alternative and offers less choice or benefit the the only sensible thing to do is vote with your feet.
Originating outside the US to me generally is much better service, better food, better beverages. Particularly through Asia and the Middle East. Even Air France is wonderful in economy in Europe and into Africa.
So sneering at other doesn't become you.
Ryan Air's competition increases day by day.
It's surprising to me that it's cut from Premium Economy more so than standard economy.
Agree! PE needs to be differentiated from economy and its much easier to do on such small things. Give them tiny bottles of schnaps stingy Lufthy
Is it the marketing people on these situations the ones who are stupid, or they think the customers are stupid? I'm never quite sure.
It's ALWAYS the marketing department.
I see two options:
1. Someone brought up on-board spirits consumption values in a zoom meeting and pointed out that they were increasing greatly, and were prime to be monetized. Everyone else in the meeting was too busy watching porn/watching the kids/being attacked by the cat/playing solitaire to think about it, and approved the suggestion. In the meantime, flights have filled back up. Previously, they had a very small number of passengers, many of...
I see two options:
1. Someone brought up on-board spirits consumption values in a zoom meeting and pointed out that they were increasing greatly, and were prime to be monetized. Everyone else in the meeting was too busy watching porn/watching the kids/being attacked by the cat/playing solitaire to think about it, and approved the suggestion. In the meantime, flights have filled back up. Previously, they had a very small number of passengers, many of whom were either the hardest of the FF hard core (and thus statistically correlated to higher rates of alcoholism) or traveling for the most emotionally trying and stressful of reasons. They also had the normal complement of FAs, who had time to serve the few pax.
2. Someone saw that alcohol consumption on flights was pretty low, and figured charging for it would make it necessary and interesting for the FAs to make multiple passes through the cabin.
Either way, we all lose.
I suspect the "freebie" main meal will be downsized to entice hungry passengers to purchase alternate foods between meal offerings.
“Our current meal sizes in Economy Class does not always meet what our guests concerns when it comes to a healthy and nutritious meal. The new changes to our meals, done in consolation with our guests, will better meet to needs of a more health conscious society."
I used to prefer Lufthansa for transatlantic flights in Economy over UA because of liquor choices, better food and better service. These days are clearly over.
Their meals are already tiny, so are you implying that a "meal" on LH in economy will be a sausage without a bun now?
No silly. thats the Keto / Low Carb option and will cost 77 euros!