In news out of Germany today, it appears that all sides involved in the ongoing saga of work stoppages and warning strikes have agreed to a new labor deal that satisfies both sides.

Workers who are members of the German Union “Verdi” (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft) agreed to a 6.3% wage increase that will take place over the next 24 months retroactive to March 1, 2012. Originally the 2 million member strong union had demanded a 6.5% increase over the next 12 months.

Hopefully this will end the on going strikes that have affected airports throughout Germany and forced the cancelations of thousands of flights and millions of Euros in lost revenue. The initial motivation for the strikes started with Frankfurt Airport workers who wanted an increase in wages after Frankfurt opened a new runway. The workers felt that with an increase in airport traffic, they deserved a commensurate raise in wages. The various work stoppages in Frankfurt led to sympathy strikes at other German airports, most recently last Tuesday (March 27) when Frankfurt, Cologne-Bonn, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, Nuremberg, Munich and Stuttgart workers held various work stoppages.

German workers have recently been critical of their employers’ reluctance to raise wages. Compared to other EU member states, Germany lags the pace of pay increases that workers enjoy in other EU nations.

On a selfish note, I’m very happy this is over because over the coming weeks I have several transits of Germany planned and would have hated to be caught in the middle of these Employer/Employee skirmishes!

1955 was perhaps the single most important year in Lufthansa’s history. In 1955, Lufthansa finally emerged from post World War II Germany to become Germany’s national carrier and a global icon. Among all of the other “firsts” that took place during the historic year, on March 31 Lufthansa proudly opened it’s Maintenance Base in Hamburg.

The Early Days (all photos courtesy of Lufthansa):

Breaking Ground In 1953

Initial Construction

One Of The First Visitors.....

Super "Connies" Fill The Hangar

Today Hamburg is home to Lufthansa’s Technik Headquarters. The facilities have been expanded over the years to accomodate their fleet and in addition, Technik uses Hamburg to work on non-Lufthansa aircraft as well. If you recall a few weeks ago, Boeing delivered the first 747-8i VIP model to an anonymous (Qatar Government!) buyer. This buyer will eventually bring their aircraft here to have Lufthansa install the majority of the interior.

Modern Day Technik Facility

Here is a link to Lufthansa Technik’s homepage that describes the Hamburg operation in much more detail. For an excellent brochure that goes into greater detail on the history of Technik, Click Here.

Many thanks to Omar for providing me with photos from a January 21 transit of Frankfurt (FRA). Looks like “New York” has been in circulation for a bit!! If you don’t know what I’m referring to, please visit this post regarding Lufthansa naming an A380 after a US city for the first time.

In a press release from Lufthansa today, they announced that for the first time, an A380 will carry the name of a U.S. City for the first time. According to the press release Lufthansa will resume A380 service between Frankfurt and New York (JFK) on May 21, 2012.

Here’s the official release:

Lufthansa names flagship A380 “New York”
Name-giving ceremony in New York City – A380 service to/from JFK – FRA resumes May 21

East Meadow, NY, March 30, 2012 – Today, Christoph Franz, Lufthansa Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO and Seth Pinsky, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, officially named one of Lufthansa’s flagship A380 aircraft as “New York.” The Lufthansa Airbus with the registration D-AIMH becomes the airline’s first A380 to be named after a U.S. city. In keeping with tradition, Christoph Franz presented Seth Pinsky with a model of the airline’s flagship aircraft and a certificate commemorating the celebratory name-giving. New York became Lufthansa’s first A380 destination in the U.S. on February 28, 2011. On May 21, 2012, the airline will resume its daily A380 service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Frankfurt.

“This day was long overdue in terms of honoring and celebrating Lufthansa’s great relationship with the Big Apple. Today we dedicate one of our most advanced and modern aircraft to the city of New York, its citizens and its business community,” said Christoph Franz.

“We want to thank Lufthansa for not only increasing their capacity by 10% by bringing their incredible A380 service to JFK, but also for honoring us as the first U.S. city to have a plane with our name on it in their fleet. We are confident that the “New York” will serve as a great ambassador for our city around the world,” said NYCEDC President Seth W. Pinsky.

Beginning in 1955 when Lufthansa began daily operations from Germany to New York with a Super Constellation L1049, the more than half century partnership has thrived with now nearly 700,000 New Yorkers onboard Lufthansa flights per year and close to one million inbound guests visiting New York via Lufthansa. The A380 aircraft has much to do with these numbers in that it provides New York City’s tourism and business industries with ten percent more capacity between New York and Germany, and also brings in ten percent more inbound visitors. Lufthansa has also been an important component of the local business community in that the company employs 1,660 jobs in New York City and its surrounding communities (including Nassau County and Newark, NJ).

The custom of naming a plane is a long-standing tradition amongst airlines worldwide. Lufthansa started this custom in 1960 when it began giving its jets the names of German cities. With the introduction of its new flagship, certain Lufthansa A380 aircraft bear the names of some of the air carrier’s most important international gateway cities, thus starting a new tradition. “New York” is the airline’s sixth aircraft to be named after a foreign mega-city. The name—New York—will be on the livery of the plane and a plaque in the aircraft’s entry area will welcome passengers onboard all across the world.

Most fuel-efficient aircraft
The Airbus A380 is the world’s most fuel-efficient aircraft, burning about 12 percent less fuel than other wide-body jets, and is approximately 30 percent quieter than the current generation of wide-body aircraft.

Lufthansa’s A380 is configured with 526 seats and features the airline’s new First Class product. Located on the upper deck, the First Class cabin is the quietest in commercial aviation and boasts an air humidification system – the first of its kind to be installed on a commercial aircraft – that improves air humidity to help fight off jet lag. The cabin’s eight generously proportioned, ergonomic seats measure 6’9” feet in length and 2’7” feet in width and provide the ultimate in comfort and innovation for an exceptional travel experience. Also located on the upper deck is the award-winning Business Class cabin with 98 seats featuring improved functionality. The main deck is home to an impressively spacious Economy Class cabin. Each of its 420 seats features an in-seat video screen, an optimized ergonomic design and a slimmer seat back that adds two inches of personal space per passenger.

More information about Lufthansa’s A380 can be found on the Internet at www.lufthansa.com/A380.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know it’s no secret that I have a passion for aircraft and all things Lufthansa. Naturally, I am excited to see Lufthansa’s 747-8i enter service in a few short weeks. With delivery slated for April 23 and Lufthansa announcing the first route served will be Frankfurt-Washington DC, we are really getting close to see the newest aviation marvel grace the skies.

This month in Lufthansa’s Ipad App, TIM CAPPELMANN talks with Boeing’s ELIZABETH LUND, Vice President and General Manager of the 747-8i project. Suffice it to say she has the BEST JOB in the world! Enjoy the interview (and see if you pick up on the hint of another potential model)…

Lufthansa Magazin: The first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental has at last been delivered. What was the biggest challenge you faced during it’s development?

Elizabeth Lund: It’s exciting to get to design and build a new airplane. But it’s always an exercise in resilience, perseverance and patience, too. The difficult part is that each day brings with it 10 to 15 huge challenges for us to solve. The biggest one for me is to stay balanced and focused and work through them.

Lufthansa Magazin:Not everything went according to plan with the 747-8i….

Elizabeth Lund: That’s true. But the problems that led to the delivery being delayed were also blown up by the press. We have built a great airplane and it will continue to be so. With brand-new wings, engines and systems,a stretched body, changes to the interior and new flight control services. We may have taken a little longer than planned, but the extra time and effort are now paying off.

Lufthansa Magazin: In what way?

Elizabeth Lund: Every new airplane has it’s teething troubles – but the modifications and improvements also begin once the airplane has been delivered to the customer. the 747-8 is extremely sophisticated. The 300 hours of flight test credits required for licensing by the aviation authorities went smoothly, exceeding even our own expectations. Normally, these tests take at least 18 days and that’s a pretty ambitious time frame. We took just 15 days and there were no delays, no cancellations. We were aiming for at least 95 percent reliability and functionality and we exceed that straight off. What a pleasant surprise that was!

Lufthansa Magazin: What was it like to work with Lufthansa?

Elizabeth Lund: We have a very special relationship. Lufthansa has huge experience in flying multiple models, high technical background and knowledge. That’s something we value. As launch customer, Lufthansa had a tremendous influence on the design of the “dash 8″. There’s lots of interactions on many levels – between the engineers and pilots, in maintenance, training and management. We set up a joint expert working group together some years ago that now meets every month. There is interaction at some level every day. We give each other feedback, discuss modifications and configurations. Working together as a team is unique; it’s a huge benefit for us both.

Lufthansa Magazin: There’s an anecdote making the rounds that Lufthansa chief of fleet management, Nico Buchholz, drew the design for the 747-8 on a paper napkin. Is there any truth in that assertion?

Elizabeth Lund: It’s absolutely true. Nico helped draw up the design on a napkin during a dinner meeting. That’s a level of influence really no other customer has!

Lufthansa Magazin: What’s next? A “dash 9″?

Elizabeth Lund: Oh Lord, I’d have said “no” a couple of months ago. But now…you never know. And you should never say never. But first we will carry on working, with input from Lufthansa, to continuously optimize and modify the new airplane. The question then will be a strategic one: Where is the market headed? What kind of demand can airlines expect over the next few years? Are there any gaps in what we offer our customers?

Lufthansa Magazin: Apart from making constant improvements to the airplane, what form does the Boeing-Lufthansa partnership take following delivery?

Elizabeth Lund: During the entire entry-into-service period, in other words while the airplane is joining the fleet and being taken into operation, we support pilot training, train maintenance and repair staff and demonstrate technical changes in the aircraft on site. What’s more, we have a team in Frankfurt that also consists of experts from our suppliers. this means we are well prepared to cope with every conceivable problem.

Lufthansa Magazin: What do you personally like best about your job?

Elizabeth Lund: That I have such an amazing team of people to work with! The difficult part is the many challenges we face. But the very fun part is that every day people think about how to solve them. Our employees are amazing at what they do. They love airplanes, they identify with Boeing, they are exceptionally well trained and very smart. It’s great fun to be working with them and I regard it as a privilege. At the end of the day, it’s down to the employees.

Lufthansa Magazin: How did you get into aviation?

Elizabeth Lund: I grew up in a generation in which you dressed up to go to the airport and you watched in awe as the airplanes took off and landed. It was a big deal and you had this awe of flying. My first flight as a child was a very special experience I love to remember. My grandfather was an engineer; that got me interested in the subject. At engineering school I did my master’s thesis on the structure of the automobile. And then I thought: Wait a minute! I can actually do that on an airplane instead of a car – and how much more interesting would that be? When I turned my attention to aviation, it bowled me over straight away. Finally my husband and I moved to Seattle and I realised that I would just have to apply for a job with Boeing. That was twenty years ago. Luckily, it worked out well!

SKYTEAM:

Air France:

Paris-Prague effective June 4 will increase from 3x/day to 4x/day.

Aeroflot (Via Rossiya):

St. Petersburg-Kazan effective May 1 will begin 5x/week service.

China Eastern:

Hangzhou-Jeju effective April 9 will begin 2x/week service.
Ningbo-Jeju effective April 13 will begin 2x/week service.

KLM:

Amsterdam-Washington DC (Dulles) effective from July 6 to September 16 will increase from 1x/day to 10x/WEEK.

ONEWORLD:

airberlin:

Berlin(Tegel)-Budapest effective May 6 will increase from 1x/day to 2x/day.

British Airways:

London City-Venice effective Sept 17 will begin 6x/week service.

Finnair:

Helsinki-Narita effective June 1 will increase from 1x/day to 10x/WEEK (the new flights will operate as charters).

Source: Airlineroute.net

I’ve been away from internet connectivity most of the day, so I haven’t had a chance to share the news that you probably have heard of by now.

Lufthansa’s first 747-8i will enter service on their Frankfurt-Washington Dulles route. I’m personally a little disappointed that they did not put it to on the JFK route first as a tribute to their first ever 747 that flew over 40 years ago. I was convinced that would be the case since both of these milestone 747′s share the same registration, D-ABYA and the fact that the first 747 flew from Frankfurt to New York City.

Being that Washington DC will be the only airport in the US served by all 3 major Mideast Carriers, I wonder if that factored into Lufthansa’s decision. They have been vocal in the past about the expansion of Mid East carriers so it would not be surprising if this was a small gesture towards the Middle Eastern Airlines…..

But the good news is that it is finally entering service and we’ll see several more enter service in the coming months and years. It’s expected that Lufthansa will get “the keys” to D-ABYA on April 23 and I would expect the plane to start flying the FRA-IAD route sometime in late May or early June.

United Airlines is offering double award miles for travel between Washington DC and Dublin or Manchester. Keep in mind this does not mean double PQM or Premier Qualifying Miles.

The Manchester bonus miles promo runs from May 1 to September 30 and requires you to register for the promo which can be done from within your MileagePlus account.

The Dublin bonus miles promo runs from June 7 to September 30 and also require you to register in order to be eligible.

There are no limits as to how many miles can be earned with this promo!!

There are some minor terms and conditions that you need to be aware so please read through them carefully to make sure you qualify! I’d post them here, but my IPad is challenging my cut and paste skills today……

EDIT: Now that I’m home, I can add the T/C’s:

WASHINGTON-DUBLIN:

To qualify for this offer, members must register before travel, then purchase and complete a paid qualifying roundtrip between Washington, DC (IAD) and Dublin (DUB) on United® operated flights within the qualifying ticketing and travel periods. For this offer, a roundtrip is defined as travel from an origin city to a destination city with return travel beginning in the outbound destination city back to the first origin city with all segments on United; a segment is defined as one takeoff and one landing. One-way, circle trips, multi-city itineraries and itineraries with stopovers do not qualify for this offer.
Offer valid on qualifying paid, published fares. Not valid on government fares.
Ticketing dates: March 26, 2012 through September 30, 2012
Travel dates: June 7, 2012 through September 30, 2012.
Offer is not valid on United-marketed code-share flights operated by other carriers.
E-Ticket® purchase is required. Tickets purchased in the US through United Reservations are subject to a $25 ticketing fee and tickets purchased at airport ticket counters are subject to a $30 ticketing fee. Fees are subject to change.
Registered members will earn double award miles on paid qualifying round-trip flights flown during qualifying promotional period.
Double award miles are defined as two award miles for each mile flown and include base miles earned on paid qualifying segments flown during qualifying promotional period.
This offer does not apply to class-of-service, premier bonus miles, or promotional premier qualifying miles (PQM).
Offer is not combinable and can be earned an unlimited number of times. Bonus is credited 6–8 weeks after qualifying activity.
Flight activity must be posted to the member’s account in order to qualify for this offer.
Offer is subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.
Miles accrued, awards issued and bonus offers are subject to the rules of the United MileagePlus program.

WASHINGTON-MANCHESTER:

To qualify for this offer, members must register before travel, then purchase and complete a paid qualifying roundtrip between Washington, DC (IAD) and Manchester, England on United® operated flights within the qualifying ticketing and travel periods. For this offer, a roundtrip is defined as travel from an origin city to a destination city with return travel beginning in the outbound destination city back to the first origin city with all segments on United; a segment is defined as one takeoff and one landing. One-way, circle trips, multi-city itineraries and itineraries with stopovers do not qualify for this offer.
Offer valid on qualifying paid, published fares. Not valid on government fares.
Ticketing dates: March 26, 2012 through September 30, 2012.
Travel dates: May 1, 2012 through September 30, 2012.
Offer is not valid on United-marketed code-share flights operated by other carriers.
E-Ticket® purchase is required. Tickets purchased in the US through United Reservations are subject to a $25 ticketing fee and tickets purchased at airport ticket counters are subject to a $30 ticketing fee. Fees are subject to change.
Registered members will earn double award miles on paid qualifying round-trip flights flown during qualifying promotional period.
Double award miles are defined as two award miles for each mile flown and include base miles earned on paid qualifying segments flown during qualifying promotional period.
This offer does not apply to class-of-service, premier bonus miles, or promotional premier qualifying miles (PQM).
Offer is not combinable and can be earned an unlimited number of times. Bonus is credited 6–8 weeks after qualifying activity.
Flight activity must be posted to the member’s account in order to qualify for this offer.
Offer is subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.
Miles accrued, awards issued and bonus offers are subject to the rules of the United MileagePlus program.

Air China:

Wenzhou-Taipei (Taoyuan) effective May 2 will begin 3x/week service (Postponed from initial March 25 start date).

Air New Zealand:

Auckland-Beijing effective July 1 is canceled (previously 2x/week).

South African Airways (via SA Airlink):

Johannesburg-Maun effective June 15 will begin 1x/day service.

Turkish:

Istanbul-Kigali effective May 16 will begin 3x/week service, effective May 31 will increase to 4x/week.
Istanbul-Accra-Abidjan effective July 17 will begin 4x/week service.
Istanbul-Accra effective July 17 will increase from 4x/week to 1x/DAY.

United:

Denver-Oakland effective June 4 is CANCELED.

Previous Star Alliance Upates: One Two Three

Source: Airlineroute.net

A day after a JetBlue pilot suffered an apparent meltdown, a US Airways passenger on a flight from Charlotte to Fort Myers decided to try her hand at disrupting a flight to the point that she starting kicking and spitting at flight crew. According to the Foxnews.com story, She had apparently been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the rampage.

Is the cabin pressurization being turned off on flights lately???

Here’s the text from the Foxnews article:

A disgruntled passenger aboard a US Airways flight from North Carolina to Florida was reportedly arrested Tuesday night after witnesses say she attacked crew members before being wrestled to the floor.
The latest incident comes on the heels of a JetBlue captain who had to be subdued by passengers after he apparently acted erratically during an early-morning flight Tuesday from New York’s Kennedy Airport to Las Vegas.

Police in Florida are charging a New Jersey woman with three counts of battery and one count of interfering with an aircraft, after she allegedly attacked crew members on board a US Airways flight
According to an arrest report, the woman was apparently intoxicated on the flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Fort Myers, Fla. It says she kicked, spit on and cursed at a flight attendant after the crew member refused to serve her alcohol.
The report says she then slapped a male attendant who tried to intervene and kicked another male flight attendant as an off-duty deputy who was on board the flight wrestled her to the back of the jet.
It says she continued kicking after her hands were cuffed by plastic restraints.
Meanwhile, more information is beginning to emerge about the circumstances aboard JetBlue Flight 191, which was forced to make an emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas, during its flight to Las Vegas.
The JetBlue captain’s co-workers tried to calm him as he became more jittery, coaxing him to the back of the plane while making sure that he didn’t return to the plane’s controls.
Sources identified the captain to Fox News as Clayton Osbon, a JetBlue flight standards captain from Richmond Hill, Ga. He was taken into custody when the flight landed, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether he faces any charges.
Osbon had ranted about Al Qaeda and a possible bomb onboard before being subdued, passengers said. Laurie Dhue, a former Fox News anchor who was on board the flight, said she also heard the captain mention “Afghanistan” and “Israel” during his rant.
Then, he sprinted up the cabin’s aisle — ranting about a bomb, screaming “They’re going to take us down!” and urging confused passengers to pray.
“Nobody knew what to do because he is the captain of the plane,” said Don Davis, the owner of a Ronkonkoma, New York-based wireless broadband manufacturer who was traveling to Sin City for a security industry conference.
Gabriel Schonzeit, who was sitting in the third row, said the captain said there could be a bomb on board the flight.
“He started screaming about Al Qaeda and possibly a bomb on the plane and Iraq and Iran and about how we were all going down,” Schonzeit told the Amarillo Globe-News.
“A group of us just jumped up instinctually and grabbed him and put him to the ground,” Antolino said.
Dave Barger, JetBlue’s CEO and president, says the captain who ranted about a bomb on a flight to Las Vegas is a “consummate professional” whom he has personally known for years. He said there is nothing in the captain’s record to indicate he could be a risk.
Airline pilots must have a first-class medical certificate and it must be renewed every year if the pilot is under 40 and every six months if he’s over the age, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told FoxNews.com. The examination takes psychological conditions as part of the assessment and all existing physical and psychological conditions must be disclosed, the spokesman said.
JetBlue declined to answer questions from FoxNews.com about Osbon’s medical history or if he will be able to fly for the carrier again.
Josh Redick, who was sitting near the middle of the plane, said the captain seemed “irate” and was “spouting off about Afghanistan and souls and Al Qaeda.”
Airline officials said the pilot was taken to a hospital.
The FBI was coordinating an investigation with the airport police, Amarillo police, the FAA and the Transportation Safety Administration, said agency spokeswoman Lydia Maese in Dallas. She declined to comment on arrests.
The flight left New York around 7 a.m. and was in the air for 3 1/2 hours before landing in Texas. The passengers boarded another plane for Las Vegas several hours later. That plane arrived in Las Vegas about two hours later.
John Cox, an aviation safety consultant and former airline pilot, said incidents in which pilots become mentally incapacitated during a flight are “pretty rare.” He said he could only recall two or three other examples in the more than 40 years he has been following commercial aviation

As I was watching the Travel Channel last night, a commercial advertising a new show caught my eye. Starting on April 11, there will be a show that involves the auctions of lost luggage. Yes, reality TV has run out of ideas to such an extent that it has plumbed new depths in viewer entertainment. I guess billionaire rednecks, rookie gold miners and multi-millionaire “good ‘ol boys” who make duck calls are no longer good enough! (Don’t get me wrong, I catch myself watching these shows).

The new show, called “Baggage Battles” will be based on 3 teams of auction goers that travel to auctions around the US and the World that specifically deal with lost and abandoned airline luggage. The first episode will kick off at Miami’s International Airport.

Apparently there are auctions that can be attended where you can buy lost luggage at wholesale. I doubt that the Travel Channel would put together a show that doesn’t have some great surprises as far as what’s uncovered in these auctions. It’s piqued my curiosity enough to make sure my DVR is set to record the show and at least give it a chance.

Up until now, the only thing I knew about what happens to lost luggage is that some of it makes it to a store in Scottsboro, Alabama called The Unclaimed Baggage Center where lost luggage goes and it’s contents are put on sale to the public. If anyone has ever been there, I’d be curious to hear your opinion……

If you’ve ever lost a piece of luggage, you may want to tune in……..your long lost suitcase may have become a TV Star!