Germanwings
- Axel Schmidt
- Oliver Wagner
- Thomas Winkelmann
- Boomerang Club
- Miles & More
German Wings is a German airline based in Cologne, Germany and a subsidiary of Lufthansa. It runs next to their home airport Cologne / Bonn more bases in Stuttgart, Hamburg, Berlin- Tegel, Hanover and Dortmund.
German Wings was founded in 2002 as a low cost airline and still retains this characteristic features. Since 2012, she successively accept all domestic and European routes, Lufthansa apart from their hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
- 3.1 Special coatings
History
Founding and first years
German Wings was founded in 1997 owned under the name Euro Wings Flight GmbH as a 100 % subsidiary of Euro Wings Aviation AG and renamed in German Wings GmbH 2002. From the autumn of 2002, German Wings began with five previously used in the charter Airbus A319 -100 from Cologne / Bonn to fly from tourist destinations. Lufthansa was involved at this time with 24.9 percent to EUR Wings, with a later pulled Option to increase this share to 49 percent by 2004.
In September 2003, German Wings opened a second base with first two aircraft at the airport and was able to offer so 30 different compounds, including ten from Stuttgart. The passengers in 2004 to 38 percent business, 26 percent took a short break and 21 percent were visiting friends and relatives, most important distribution channel was 93 percent of postings the Internet.
2010 German Wings opened an additional base at Hanover Airport. There, the airline stationed three aircraft of the type A319 and flew 18 goals directly. German Wings is the third largest airline at Hanover Airport today.
As of 2005, there was a voting trust agreement with a trustee of the Euro Wings principal shareholder Albrecht Knauf, through which the Lufthansa controlled more 1.0001 percent of the Euro Wings shares and thus the Euro Wings AG.
A meanwhile planned merger of German Wings with Condor and TUIfly failed 2008 different views about the structure of the merger. The Supervisory Board of Euro Wings AG approved the sale of all shares of the euro on German Wings Wings with effect from 1 January 2009 the German Lufthansa AG in its meeting on 8 December 2008. This leads them ever since under the umbrella of Lufthansa Commercial Holding. In the meantime also the route network and the fleet was further expanded, for example, with flights between Munich and Berlin- Schönefeld or Cologne / Bonn and London Stansted.
Acquisition of Lufthansa direct traffic
2011 announced the Lufthansa on to pass all European Lufthansa connections at Stuttgart Airport on German Wings in the course of 2012, the domestic routes remained initially with Lufthansa. This division was a blueprint for other sites.
The winter timetable 2012/2013 German Wings moved from Berlin Schönefeld to Berlin -Tegel, to allow closer integration with the operating there Lufthansa.
Since 2013 German Wings finally successively accept all domestic and intra-European flights Lufthansa outside their hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. German Wings is to get aircraft of the parent company, also is Euro Wings flights on behalf of German Wings perform.
As part of this realignment, the new German Wings were also implemented a major restructuring of the service concept under the name of, which were announced in December 2012 by German Wings. Simultaneously, a new corporate design was presented, which is more similar to that of the parent company. The new concept was introduced on 1 July 2013.
Until 30 March 2014, all LH- direct shipments will be converted to and from Berlin -Tegel until April 26, 2014 followed by the remaining Hamburg routes. Since all other locations have already completed the change, all Lufthansa direct traffic then must be sold outside Frankfurt and Munich to German Wings, with the exception of the site Dusseldorf. Be converted to and from Dusseldorf From March 2014 the last routes. Until the end of 2014 to have been taken over by German Wings as all direct shipments.
Destinations
Overall, German Wings serves some 100 cities and holiday destinations in Germany, Europe and North Africa, came with the acquisition of the direct services of Lufthansa and come gradually add more destinations. Be Flew example, Nuremberg, Vienna, London, Milan, Palma de Mallorca, Pristina and Tel Aviv.
Fleet
As of January 2014, the German fleet of 49 active aircraft wings is with an average age of 9.8 years.
In addition, € 6 Bombardier CRJ900 Wings is a commissioned by German Wings. Gradually, are more Euro Wings aircraft are also used for German Wings. The regional jets carry the Euro Wings paint and a sticker " On behalf of German wings". 2015 his own 64 A319 aircraft and A320 and 23 operated by Euro Wings regional aircraft for German Wings in use.
The fleet of the German Wings covered in different time periods, other types of aircraft, including two of Nordic Airways operated McDonnell Douglas MD -80 in the summer of 2007, which bore a slightly modified German Wings finish, and two operated by TUIfly Boeing 737-800 in the summer of 2010. Already some years prior to the acquisition of Lufthansa's direct services operating German Wings Airbus A320 also temporarily -200.
Special coatings
German Wings knew to 2013 some of their planes again and again with some very elaborate special finishes. The Berlin Bearbus ( registration D - AKNO ) recruited from 2005 to 2010 for the capital and the airport Berlin- Schönefeld. A plane (D - AKNM ) flew from December 2005 to March 2011 as part of an advertising cooperation between German Wings and tourism marketing Baden- Württemberg with the paint Mhhhh, Baden- Württemberg. Another (D - AKNR ) promoted by early March 2009 for the German Telekom as Spirit of T-Mobile referred. It was repainted back into the color scheme of the German Wings in January 2009. The aircraft with the registration D- AKNF campaigned until the takeover by Lufthansa, Lufthansa Italia for for Park Inn hotels, the Hamburg Shopper ( D- AKNI ) for the city of Hamburg as a shopping destination. As part of the launch of the new corporate design 2013, all special finishes have been replaced by the new standard paint.
In addition, various aircraft from Spanair and AeBal ( winter timetable 2004/ 05) and Lufthansa have been used in the past that were only partially repainted.
Basic Information
Service concept
German Wings originally pursued a pure no-frills concept, which provides free services for the benefit of a cheaper fare was largely dispensed with. Drinks and snacks were sold on board, checked baggage is chargeable since 2008. Until 2008, no fixed seats were awarded. In the offered since mid-2010 rates Best and Flex a seat reservation, the task of a suitcase and a drink and a snack on board were included.
As part of the acquisition of Lufthansa direct traffic there since July 2013 instead of classes Basic, Best Flex, and the choice between BASIC, SMART and BEST. In addition, customers have the option of starting as well as all the extras, including those of the BEST class hinzuzubuchen of the BASIC class. Best price is from 33, - Euro available and contains neither checked baggage or catering. In the higher classes is both part of the fare.
As of May 2011, the cabins of all aircraft of the German Wings in two areas with wider seat pitch forward ( Best Seat) and a smaller distance in the back rows (Standard Seat) were divided. Only in the tariffs Best and Flex, it was possible to reserve Best Seats free. The division into Best and Standard seats was retained as part of the redesign of the company in 2012 and incorporated into the new tariff system.
Frequent Flyer Program
Under the name Boomerang Club German Wings launched the first frequent flyer program claims to be a low-cost airline - but both V Bird and TUIfly previously offered such programs. For a free flight, 20,000 miles for round -trip or 10,000 miles for a single flight are necessary. Points can also be collected by the use of partner offers. There was criticism of the practices of this program expressed, since you have to pay five euros registration fee, the fees of the free flight must be borne by the traveler. In addition, the customer for the application must have a credit card.
German Wings was September 1, 2010 partner of Miles & More Lufthansa. Similar to the miles, gather the participants on Lufthansa flights, will also apply for German Wings connections, the same amount of miles for each individual booking class. Since 1 January 2012 it is possible, in addition to award miles to collect even with German Wings Status Miles for Miles & More. Already in December 2009 can redeem their miles for flights Miles & More members throughout the network of German Wings.
Also, have frequent flyer with a Miles & More HON Circle or Senator status, traveling with a German Wings ticket, the possibility that Senator and Business lounges of Lufthansa to use in Germany. After massive protest on the customer side have free access to business lounges and Miles & More partner lounges (but no contract lounges ), provided they are traveling with the Frequent Traveller status again in SMART or BEST fare since 1 July 2013 and guests.
Incidents
19 December 2010, the pilots noticed on a flight from Vienna to Cologne / Bonn in landing an unpleasant odor in the cockpit, which she described as an electrically burned. Both felt then indisposed, the co-pilot it was so bad that he could no longer fly. They both put on their oxygen masks, the captain landed then sure.
Trivia
- Since August 2009, there is the German Wings - Straße in Cologne. For this part of the forest road was renamed in Porz- Grengel district.