After announcing the easing of restrictions, Lufthansa group companies are seeing an additional boom in flights to the United States. On some days last week, transatlantic flights tripled compared to the previous week. Demand on some roads has almost reached pre-crisis levels over the past week. Swiss flights from Zurich and Lufthansa from Frankfurt to New York and from Frankfurt and Zurich to Miami recorded the highest bookings by business and leisure travelers. More tickets were purchased for the US in economy, business and first class than in the same period in 2019.

The Lufthansa Group is addressing this boom in pent-up demand by launching additional flights to the US at short notice. Lufthansa and SWISS, for example, will offer a total of three combined daily flights to Miami at short notice starting in November.

There is strong demand for flights to the US as well this December. New bookings last week for this month were as high as 2019 for the same time period. Flights to New York, which are traditionally in high demand during the Christmas period, have already been boosted with additional connections. The group’s airlines offer up to 55 weekly flights to New York from its various European hubs in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland in December. Further expansion of services in the short term is currently being considered.

In New York and Chicago alone, Lufthansa Group airlines offer more daily flights from Europe in November than to the entire Asia Pacific region. The Lufthansa Group expects the US opening up to vaccinated European travelers as a signal to other countries and regions to make international air travel easier again and reduce travel restrictions.

Lufthansa Group is also increasing German domestic flights to its European hubs as demand for US flights continues to grow. For example, compared to July, Lufthansa has increased its German domestic flights by 45% since the beginning of October. This means, among other things, that from October there will be nine daily flights instead of six from Frankfurt to Berlin. Flights from Frankfurt to Hamburg will increase from six to eight daily. The situation is similar to Munich: the current five daily flights to Berlin will be increased to seven from October; Instead of six daily flights from Munich to Hamburg, there will be up to 11 daily flights in the future. And again, starting in October, Lufthansa will once again operate hourly flights from Hamburg and Berlin to its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich in the morning and evening.

With the flight schedule extended, more connections are available during the day. This means that business travelers who often like to travel in the morning or evening will benefit from the improved flight schedule as do other travelers.

(Lufthansa Group Press Office)