Mallorca vacation rush in Munich: Lufthansa trades and uses largest airlines

Ahead of the summer holidays, airlines are once again increasing their airline deals. Considering the high demand for the route to Mallorca, Lufthansa is pulling its largest aircraft out of the hangar.

BERLIN – In the coming months, obstacles from holiday fliers will be seen again and again in the blue summer skies: a second corona summer promises more travel opportunities within Europe.

As of July, 217 locations in 38 countries are to be re-serviced from Germany, according to the Federal Federation of German Aviation Industry (PDL). This is similar to the pre-epidemic locations in 2019. At the time, there were 226 seats on the flight program from Germany.

“The world is more accessible than it has been in the last 15 months,” said Matthias van Rando, general manager of PDL in Berlin. For some countries, the supply is higher than the 2019 level, for example Greece and Turkey.

Summer Vacation: Airlines are significantly expanding their range

Air traffic outside Europe is also expanding again. From July, the service will be extended to 48 non-European countries, including the United States, with 25 seats. However, tourism there is not yet possible.

According to Dirk Inger, general manager of the German Travel Association (DRV), bookings show that citizens want to travel and return. Package tours especially for the Mediterranean, for example Spain or Portugal are required. Greece is also in great demand. “The Greeks said at the very beginning when they would reopen, they issued very clear rules,” Inger said. People will still book in short notice.

“Long-distance travel still doesn’t play a role,” he said. Many non-European countries are yet to be visited. In the United States, for example, entry restrictions still apply to foreign visitors. Federal Transport Minister Andreas Squire spoke in support of similar EU travel agreements with such countries. “There can be no isolated solutions,” he said Friday. But the rules change quickly. “If we saw the same card again on Sunday, a lot would have changed,” Inger said.

Summer Vacation: Lufthansa Takes Big Device in Munich and Frankfurt

Given the steep rise in bookings, Lufthansa also wants to significantly expand its offerings. With the start of summer vacations in Bavaria and Hesse, the airline wants to significantly increase the number of its seats, especially to Mallorca. The company plans to fly to Balearic Island with the Boeing 747-8 during the first four Saturdays of the summer holidays in Hess. The first jumbo is scheduled to depart for Palma on July 17 at 10:20 am in Frankfurt.

With the start of summer vacation in Bavaria on July 31, the group wants to add the A350 on the route from Munich to Balearic Island. Similar to the latest Airbus model jumbo. The company also wants to significantly expand its services from Munich *. Just a few days ago, a request came in from the Munich airport Merkur.de Reports of plans to restart Terminal 1, which has been largely closed due to Corona since June 23.

Summer Vacation: Under the sign of infection

But despite easing overseas and more flights, this year’s summer trips are also dominated by the epidemic. Although booking numbers have risen significantly again, they have been much lower than in previous years, Inger stressed. They make up only a third of the pre-crisis level. He estimates that this level will be around 40 percent in the summer.

This crisis can also be seen in the range of offers: many seats are offered again, but at a much lower frequency than usual. According to PDL data, the number of departures to European countries this summer will be 34 percent lower than in 2019.

Summer Holidays: Holidays that are full of complexity are neither fun nor comfortable

As the offer increases, so does the effort that consumers have to pay for their travel products. “Before embarking on a journey, travelers should check what has changed in the destination country,” Inger said. “If possible, he should have all the necessary documents, namely test certificates and vaccination certificates. He should have some more time for processes at the airport. “The lack of a check will definitely lead to people not being allowed on the plane.

Meanwhile, the domestic hospitality sector is also gearing up to do better again this summer. In Berlin, for example, hotels and guest houses will reopen to visitors this Friday. “Well, I think we’ll see a lot of guests in the city from July / August,” the head of the travel agency “Visit Berlin” told RBB Inforadio. “It is difficult to predict whether it will reach the 2019 level immediately. Let’s start with humility. If we end up with 70, 80 percent numbers, that’s pretty good. ” (dpa / utz) *Merkur.de Is a part of IPPEN.DIGITAL.