German flag carrier Lufthansa has today revealed its leisure travel plans for the summer of 2021. The airline will focus on flights to the Caribbean, Greece, and the Canary Islands, giving German holidaymakers plenty of options for experiencing summer sun.
With strict travel bans, tied with what German experts are calling the start of the third wave of COVID-19, Lufthansa’s flight levels are currently down 85% year on year, according to data from RadarBox.com. However, it is not just Lufthansa that is suffering. Indeed, airlines worldwide are feeling the impact of the current situation, from LCC Ryanair to flag carrier British Airways.
The summer leisure plan
Lufthansa is understandably hoping that travel will be doing better by the summer. The airline appears to be banking on the need to holiday building up in those faced with the lockdown blues. As such, across the Lufthansa Group, airlines will offer “the most extensive range of vacation destinations in years”.
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Looking at Lufthansa itself, the German flag carrier hopes to add 20 new vacation destinations from its Frankfurt home and another 13 from its Munich hub. Lufthansa is hoping that three main factors will drive the increase in leisure travel.
Firstly, more and more individuals are being vaccinated against the virus, with Merkel previously saying all adults will have received a vaccine by the end of October. In addition, Lufthansa is also banking on comprehensive testing schemes and airport hygiene concepts to enable travel. Last summer, COVID-19 tests were only required of those traveling from high-risk countries, with the government covering the costs.
Where will Lufthansa fly?
From Frankfurt, Lufthansa is hoping to make it easier than ever for travelers to access the Greek and Spanish islands. Through its new airline, Eurowings Discover, the airline will operate long-haul holidaymaker-oriented flights to the likes of Punta Cana, Mombasa, and Zanzibar, with Anchorage in Alaska set to follow in June.
Lufthansa is already planning some Eurowings Discover flights for the winter season too. According to the airline, for those wishing to escape ice and snow, the airline will be offering flights to Montego Bay in Jamaica and Varadero in Cuba.
Commenting on the plans, Lufthansa board member Harry Hohmeister said,
“Our leisure travel program for summer 2021 is stronger than ever. We expect many countries to relax travel restrictions towards the summer as more and more people have been vaccinated. We know that demand will increase sharply as soon as travel restrictions are removed – and we are well equipped to meet this with our excellent range of products and offers.”
What do you make of Lufthansa’s Summer 2021 leisure travel plans? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!