Lufthansa Shows No Sign of Caving on New Booking Fee
Photo Credit: The clock is ticking as the Lufthansa Group is set to impose a fee on flight bookings that take place outside its own channels beginning September 1, 2015. Pictured is Lufthansa's Apple Watch app. Lufthansa Group
Skift Take
Lufthansa-type surcharges usually turn out to be a negotiating tactic in a bid to get a better deal from the all-powerful global distribution systems. Smart money says this battle will turn out in a similar way. Meanwhile, airlines around the world are watching this keenly to see who beats up on whom.
The Lufthansa Group is poised to begin leveling a surcharge on September 1 on flight bookings that take place outside its channels and the Group, including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Swiss, shows no signs of retreating from the fee.
Speaking in Frankfurt on July 30 during Lufthansa Group's first half of 2015 call with analysts, CFO Simone Menne said the Group still considers the 16 euros (currently about $17
