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The owner of British Midland International (BMI), Lufthansa, has said it has not yet decided on a buyer for the carrier.

In November the German airline signed an agreement with BA owner, International Airlines Group (IAG), to work towards a final deal.

However, the agreement was not exclusive and Lufthansa has now said it also has a deal with Virgin.

It means that both carriers still have a chance of buying BMI.

source: BBC.co.uk

Deutsche Lufthansa has decided to freeze all non-essential investment for the next six months due to the weak global economic environment.

Lufthansa currently has 202 aircraft worth 19 billion euros ($25.37 billion) at list prices on order for delivery through 2018. Like peers, it is banking on newer, more fuel-efficient planes to help it keep costs under control.

Soaring fuel costs and the euro zone debt crisis have taken a toll on European airlines this year, with Lufthansa cutting its 2011 outlook two months ago and industry body IATA forecasting a weak end to the year for the sector.

source: Reuters.com

German airline Lufthansa plans to boost passenger services to and from Berlin when the city’s new international airport opens next year.

The plans include expanding its fleet and passenger facilities, flying new routes and knocking down ticket prices amid fierce competition from no-frills airlines. The new airport, Berlin Brandenburg International, will be Germany’s third-largest once it opens its doors next year.

The move is likely to increase pressure on Lufthansa’s budget rivals. In addition to domestic player Air Berlin, the German capital is serviced by a number of no-frills carriers including Easyjet, Norwegian and Ryanair.

source: dw-world.de

International Airlines Group (IAG) and Lufthansa Group reached an agreement for the sale of LH’s loss-making British Midland (bmi) to IAG. The purchase of bmi could increase IAG subsidiary British Airways’ share of slots at London Heathrow to 53%, although regulators most likely will require some slot divestments.

The companies did not detail whether the agreement is for the sale of the entirety of bmi or just the carrier’s mainline operation. Recently, bmi confirmed it was “‘in advanced discussion’” to sell bmi regional to a UK-based investor group “‘previously associated with the regional business,’” indicating its owner was negotiating to divest its loss-making UK subsidiary in parts. It is not clear what will happen with the company’s low-cost carrier, bmibaby.

source: atwonline.com

Travel professionals from around the world have voted Lufthansa as the best ‘Business Class Airline in Europe for 2011’ in the fourth annual ‘Business Destinations Travel Awards’.

The awards are chosen by a vast and diverse cross section of primary users and purchasers of corporate travel and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) who also assess online presence (website design and ease of use), sustainability practices, environmental awareness and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

source: incentivetravel.co.uk

Fearing an economic downturn, Germany’s flagship airline Lufthansa is cutting flights and capacity, the company announced on Thursday.

“‘We are removing part of the anticipated additional capacity out of planning, in that we are reducing frequency, cutting some connections, and using smaller airplanes,’” Chairman Carsten Spohr told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

It was crucial in these times to take make such decisions early rather than flying through the crisis with empty planes, he added.

source: The Local

Lufthansa customers could soon have more choice of one-way destinations within Europe, as the airline considers expanding a scheme that currently covers only tickets for flights within Germany, or selected countries such as Poland and Britain.

“‘We are checking at the moment under which conditions, on which routes and at which rates that would make sense,'” said Jens Bischof, sales chief of the passenger airline business at Lufthansa.

Currently, European legacy airlines such as Lufthansa and Air France-KLM sell mostly return tickets and even where one-way tickets are available, they can often cost much more than returns. This has left a gap for low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, EasyJet  and Air Berlin to snap up price-conscious customers.

fuente: Reuters

German flag carrier Lufthansa plans to sell some or all of its loss-making unit British Midland (BMI), board member Stefan Lauer said today.

Lauer said that Lufthansa however intended to hold onto Austrian Airlines (AUA) despite it too being a drag on company profits.

BMI lost €120m in the first six months of the year.

source: rte.ie

Swiss and Lufthansa – are to start charging customers for using debit and credit cards, just weeks after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) backed the consumer rights group Which? in calling for an end to the fees.

From 2 November, Lufthansa and Swiss will charge a £4.50 fee on all payment card bookings, a little over a month after the OFT responded to a complaint from Which?, stating that surcharges were misleading and detrimental to consumers.

Which? claimed that the actual cost to the retailer for processing card transactions was no more than 20p for debit cards and no more than 2% on credit cards. The OFT has recommended that the government ban retailers from imposing surcharges for payments made by debit card or at least limit their use.

source: Guardian.co.uk

Frequent flyers who have achieved ‘Senator ‘status now have an opportunity to relax in style at Lufthansa‘s largest airport lounge. In the Departures area of Terminal 1 at Frankfurt, top customers can for the first time enjoy a modern wellness area with luxury facilities that include ten showers and two spa rooms.

Additionally, now there is free Internet access in all Lufthansa’s lounges worldwide.

source: media-newswire.com