Lufthansa flying its Boeing 747, Airbus A350 on select intra-Europe routes
Here's something you don't see often: Lufthansa plans to fly its Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft on two short-haul routes this summer.
As reported by Paddle Your Own Kanoo, the German airline's 364-seat 747-8 will fly between Frankfurt (FRA) and Mallorca (PMI) on four Saturdays between mid-July and early August, which are typically peak times for European leisure travel.
We rarely see planes this large fly intra-Europe. This route is typically operated by an A320, so the upgrade signals a surge in demand for European leisure travel this summer as lockdown measures loosen and borders reopen.
The plane is equipped with four cabins: economy, premium economy, business and first class. That said, you can expect to receive standard intra-Europe service in both economy and business.
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You can also select some premium economy seats without paying an extra fee. That said, I was not able to select a first-class seat on a business class booking. These may be saved for Lufthansa HON Circle elites.
Further, Lufthansa is also flying its newest plane — its Airbus A350-900 — from Munich (MUC) to Mallorca as a one-off service on July 31. This represents a huge upgrade from the A320 that normally operates this route. This A350 is equipped with proper international business class and premium economy seats, so it's sure to provide a more comfortable ride.
Related: 6 tips for booking Lufthansa first-class awards
Pricing and award space
Most flights on the Frankfurt to Mallorca route start at around $225 one-way on the 747-operated flight in economy class this summer. The cheapest business class ticket I found on this route was $381 one-way, which may be worthwhile if you're based in Europe and want to sample Lufthansa's lie-flat business class.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find saver award space on this route.
Related: The best websites for searching Star Alliance award availability
Bottom line
It's really cool to see Lufthansa bring two of its best airplanes to intra-Europe routes this summer. To me, it's a sign that European travel demand is picking back up as the coronavirus pandemic subsides around the region.
If you're an AV geek flying from the U.S. or U.K. to Mallorca this summer, you may want to route your flights through Frankfurt or Munich. This is a special opportunity to fly the Queen of The Skies on a very nontraditional route.
Feature photo by Lukas Wunderlich/Shutterstock
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It's hard to find a card that competes with the mile-long list of benefits that come with the Amex Business Platinum. While it's certainly not the card for the average consumer, a business owner with tons of expenses -- especially related to travel -- will find this card incredibly valuable. This card is similar to the consumer version that Amex offers, but with more business-oriented perks around statement credits and earning rates that are a better fit for business owners.Pros
- An up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four to five years
- Up to $400 annual credit for eligible U.S. Dell purchases (enrollment required)
- Gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels (enrollment required)
- Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and Hotel Collection
- Extended warranty protection
- International Airline Program and Cruise Privileges Program
Cons
- Steep annual fee
- Difficulty meeting $15,000 welcome offer for smaller businesses
- Limited high-bonus categories outside of travel
- The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at more than 50 U.S. airports and stadiums.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.