Travel News South Africa

Bookings open for Lufthansa A380 flights to Joburg

Bookings for Lufthansa's new A380 flagship aircraft are now being taken. The A380 will commence scheduled flights on 11 June, 2010, on the Frankfurt-Tokyo route, replacing the current Boeing 747-400 service. Other destinations are also imminent.

The first Airbus A380 to be delivered to Lufthansa will depart from Frankfurt - initially on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays - for Tokyo's Narita International Airport. The aircraft, bearing the name “Frankfurt am Main” will operate under flight number LH 710. The return flight to Frankfurt (LH 711) is scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Once Lufthansa takes delivery of its second A380, the service will then operate daily starting 4 August.

From 25 August, Lufthansa's third A380 will fly from Frankfurt to Beijing three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The return flight from the Chinese capital is scheduled in each case for the following day. A daily connection is planned from the end of October, when the fourth A380 joins the Lufthansa fleet. From 25 October, the Lufthansa flagship is expected to be deployed three times weekly (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays) on the Frankfurt-Johannesburg route. The return flight from South Africa to Frankfurt will depart the following day.

Fascinating aircraft

“The A380 is a fascinating aircraft and we are thrilled to bring Lufthansa's new flagship to South Africa", said Axel Simon, director southern Africa for Lufthansa German Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines.

"The Lufthansa A380 takes travel for our customers to a whole new dimension in comfort terms. At the same time it allows us to increase our capacity to South Africa by some 30 percent with the same number of flights, which results in a markedly improved environmental footprint”, Simon added. He further stated that the first Lufthansa A380 was in fact scheduled to arrive to Johannesburg as early as 7 June, operating a special flight carrying the German football team and about 150 fans to the World Cup.

The Airbus A380 has 526 seats in the best and most modern service classes offered by Lufthansa. The completely revamped First Class has eight seats on the upper deck. Business Class has 98 seats on the upper deck, and Economy Class has 420 seats on the main deck.

Dedicated website

Visitors to www.lufthansa.com/A380 can obtain the latest flight information, book a flight on the A380 and find inspiration and ideas for trips to the first Lufthansa A380 destinations. Film clips will convey the flair of these cities and provide special travel tips to encourage visitors to explore further for themselves. Users can also add their own personal travel recommendations. In addition, the website gives exclusive insights into the A380, including a virtual tour of the aircraft and a virtual flight. Photos and interesting facts and reports on the development of the first component through to the completion of the Lufthansa A380 round off the information relating to the airliner. Online games and atmospheric backgrounds also provide entertainment. The Lufthansa A380 Shop offers exclusive items for fans - before their first flight on the A380 or as souvenirs of their trip.

Flight reservations can also be made via the Lufthansa Call Center. Tel. 0861 842 538. Bookings can also be made through Lufthansa-designated travel agencies or at Lufthansa sales counters at airports.

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