news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Lufthansa has become the first airline to run regular commercial flights powered partially with biofuel.

Airlines have flown many demonstration biofuel flights, but Lufthansa’s LH013 11:15am Hamburg to Frankfurt flight will start the first passenger service to run on a blend of biofuel and conventional fuel.

The company will use the novel fuel mix for six months on eight of its 28 daily 50-minute flights between the two German cities – a distance of 244 miles each way. The German airline says the 1,200 flights will save 1,500 tonnes of CO2.

source: Guardian.co.uk

Lufthansa will be offering a free mobile application (app) for all iPad users – with numerous functionalities and services centred on flying with Lufthansa. Individual  functions have been tailored to iPad specifics, giving iPad users a totally new experience.

The central feature of the iPad app is an interactive world map for users to finger-tap intuitively and explore the entire Lufthansa route network.

“‘Utilisation of these services and flight bookings on smartphones and tablet computers, like the iPad is coming increasingly to the fore in online sales'” emphasised Marcus Casey, Head of Online Sales at  Lufthansa.

source: webwire.com

Lufthansa is standardising its free baggage allowance policy for all flights. The new rules, which come into force on 1 June 2011, will see Lufthansa adopt the ‘’piece concept”, enabling passengers to check in a specified number of baggage items free of charge. In economy class, passengers can check-in one item of baggage weighing up to 23kg. In business class passengers will be allowed two bags weighing up to 32kg each, while first class passengers will be allowed three bags weighing up to 32kg each.

source: traveldaily.co.uk

Germany’s competition authority is investigating whether air carrier Lufthansa forced its corporate customers to provide information about competitors’ prices in order to receive discounts.

Germany’s competition watchdog, the ‘Bundeskartellamt’, is looking into whether contracts between Lufthansa and its corporate customers required that they provide the airline with sensitive information about competitors’ pricing structures, thereby possibly distorting competition.

Authorities say contracts between Europe’s largest air carrier and some large corporate customers stipulated that the firms would not receive discounts unless data on price and discounts from other airlines were provided.

source: dw-world.de

Lufthansa has reintroduced its service to Tokyo following disruption caused by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11th.

Flights had been diverted away from Tokyo toward Osaka and Nagoya while Japan battled to overcome the impact of the disaster.

The German flag-carrier had previously stated it would diver flights until Sunday but will now return to normal ahead of schedule.

source: breakingtravelnews.com

Thanks to the new online “‘City Ratings’” application, Lufthansa customers can now rate the airline’s worldwide destinations, share their personal recommendations with other passengers or find inspiration for their next holiday based on other people’s experiences, ideas and travel tips.

The new application, which can be accessed via www.lufthansa.com, will enable users to share their first-hand experiences and impressions – a valuable source of information for travellers before they embark on their journey.

source: di-ve.com

Lufthansa says it will start using Airbus A380 superjumbo jets on its route from Frankfurt to San Francisco starting in May.

The company said in an statement that from May 10 its daily flights will be able to carry up to 526 passengers — 420 in economy, 98 in business and eight in first class.

Lufthansa says it will be the first airline to have regular flights with an A380 in and out of San Francisco International Airport.

source: BusinessWeek

The deal enables customers booking with a travel agent or at a Lufthansa sales office to purchase, for example, an outward flight with Lufthansa and a return flight with Germanwings.

Passengers benefit from a greater selection of flight connections and attractive price combinations; while, Germanwings will benefit from having a stronger presence in the central reservation systems, thereby considerably expanding its international sales.

The expanded cooperation is the second step in an intensive sales  collaboration which began in September 2010 between Lufthansa and its  low-cost subsidiary.

source: traveldailynews.com

As one of the Europe’s largest airlines it is quite logical that Lufthansa should fly fans and spectators to Düsseldorf for the largest European television event of the year.

Lufthansa will be offering fans, who would like to follow the event live, especially affordable tickets to Düsseldorf from all over Europe on the official website of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Last year the final of the Eurovision Song Contest was witnessed by a total of 65 million television viewers, of which 14.7 million in Germany alone. The international singing contest has been hosted by the winning country since 1956.

source: The Finantial

German flag-carrier Lufthansa has joined Virgin Atlantic in pressing BAA to compensate airlines hit by disruption at London Heathrow Airport over the festive season.

Planes were grounded for up to four days before Christmas, as facilities at Europe’s busiest airport ground to a halt.

Last week Virgin Atlantic confirmed it would withhold payments due to BAA – believed to total approximately £10 million – until the airport operator completes an internal review into the incident.

source: breakingtravelnews.com