Lufthansa Group customers in April will begin getting a 5
euro discount for long-haul reservations made through its own website and via
direct connects.
The so-called "basic fares" won't be available in GDSs.
The direct-booking discount is a new step in Lufthansa's strategy
to push a higher portion of ticket sales into its own distribution channels.
The basic fares also are another disadvantage for travel agencies, which already
are subject to a 16 euro surcharge on GDS bookings that Lufthansa implemented
in September 2015.
Along with its eponymous Lufthansa German Airlines, the
Lufthansa Group flies transatlantic routes on Swiss Air, Edelweiss Air,
Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Austrian Airlines.
The 5 euro discount also will apply to Economy Light and
Economy Classic fares on short-haul flights from the group's hubs in Frankfurt,
Munich, Zurich and Vienna. As with long-haul reservations, discounts will only
be available through direct sales channels and New Distribution
Capability-enabled direct connects.
The Lufthansa Group sells Economy Light and Economy Classic fares
on Lufthansa, Austrian and Swiss. Light fares don't come with a checked bag and
don't allow for exchanges or refunds. Classic fares include a checked bag and
can be rebooked for a fee.
The Lufthansa Group also said that in the coming weeks it
will begin awarding extra mileage credits for bookings via its website or
selected Direct Connect partners.