Iniziativa interessante.
Lufthansa offers a seat on Airbnb
LUFTHANSA needs a boost. The German airline lowered its revenue forecast last week amid declining bookings, particularly on long-haul flights to Europe, citing “increasing political and economic uncertainties.” Between the Brexit vote, the shadow of which hangs over Europe’s economy, and the recent terror attacks that have raised security concerns, it seems fewer travellers are calling the airline, logging onto Expedia or contacting their travel agents to book flights.
And so the airline has decided to try out a new platform, one that’s been doing quite well with business travellers: Airbnb.
Until now, the San Francisco-based website has been all about the “bnb” and not so much about the “air”. But Lufthansa is hoping that it can convince travellers in search of lodging that they should also consider something at 35,000 feet above sea level.
“Luxury Awaits Above the Clouds” is the title of Lufthansa’s Airbnb listing, the first flight to be offered on the site, according to Quartz , which first reported the curious manoeuvre. Simply posting it to Airbnb required some creative contortion on the part of the airline, which had to check all the boxes required for more typical Airbnb hosts.
“Amenities” chez Lufthansa include TV, heating and wireless internet, but not “free parking on premises”, “indoor fireplace”, “elevator in building”, “24-hour check-in” or “essentials”. There are three “house rules” from among the site’s checklist: “no smoking”, “not suitable for pets” and “no parties or events”. The minimum stay is listed as four nights, although the airline notes, somewhat contradictorily, “Just 1 night? Well, the flight doesn’t take more than that.”
The property description states, “Our cabin isn't in the woods, but in the sky!” Still, Airbnb’s algorithm struggled to list similar properties at the bottom of the page, coming up with a few actual cabins and apartments in Frankfurt.
The listing, of course, is little more than a gimmick. Airbnb charges a hefty fee for bookings, and it’s hard to imagine anyone paying that when they can book for free on more traditional platforms. (The listing puts the per-night cost, somewhat arbitrarily, at $790, plus a $95 Airbnb service fee.) Still, it is not inconceivable that the model could change. As more travellers, and business travellers in particular, look to Airbnb instead of hotels, booking sites like Orbitz and Priceline that can package flights and lodging lose some of their appeal, since they don’t have options for private accommodation. Just as Uber is taking advantage of its network of users and drivers to get into the food deliverybusiness, Airbnb could decide that guests who want the privacy and character of an Airbnb rental may also seek the convenience of a one-stop booking shop, and find a way to incorporate flight searches.
For now, though, don’t expect Lufthansa’s unusual move to turn around its earnings forecasts. But at least its listing won’t result in any lawsuits or fines, as Airbnb postings in some American cities have started to do.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2016/07/compact-and-bijou
Lufthansa is selling seats on flights through Airbnb
Facing headwinds, Lufthansa has quietly listed seats on its planes on Airbnb.
“Our cabin isn’t in the woods, but in the sky!” exclaims the ad, offering a roundtrip ticket from New York to Frankfurt for $885, including taxes, in premium economy.
Lufthansa isn’t just being cute by tapping the Airbnb platform. It’s trying to fill its planes.
Last week (July 20), the German airline lowered its profit expectations for 2016, saying it would likely earn less than the year before. “Advance bookings, especially on long-haul routes to Europe, have declined significantly, in particular due to repeated terrorist attacks in Europe and to greater political and economic uncertainty since the original forecast was made in March,” the airline said.
Airlines have benefitted from cheap fuel this year, and as their biggest variable cost fell, many added seats and flights. But that strategy is backfiring now as demand drops, and the result is an airfare war between airlines and flights that are the cheapest they’ve been in years.
It’s the first time an airline has listed flights on the room-and-home-rental site, according to Airbnb, though Dutch airline KLM has previously offered a night on a grounded jet at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
Rental has four bathrooms, but lots of competition for them.Just to give an idea of how new this concept is, Lufthansa had to check all the boxes that a regular room or apartment renter would have to check. The airline says its accommodations include heating and air conditioning and a “couch” (it’s really a seat), but the carrier makes a note that it offers no washer, indoor fireplace, doorman, iron or other amenities.
Even if it started as an experiment, Lufthansa using Airbnb to sell plane seats has a real chance of catching on. The site is likely to see more business-traveler traffic in the near future, and that’s exactly the clientele that airlines are after.
http://qz.com/741498/lufthansa-is-selling-seats-on-flights-through-airbnb/
Lufthansa offers a seat on Airbnb
LUFTHANSA needs a boost. The German airline lowered its revenue forecast last week amid declining bookings, particularly on long-haul flights to Europe, citing “increasing political and economic uncertainties.” Between the Brexit vote, the shadow of which hangs over Europe’s economy, and the recent terror attacks that have raised security concerns, it seems fewer travellers are calling the airline, logging onto Expedia or contacting their travel agents to book flights.
And so the airline has decided to try out a new platform, one that’s been doing quite well with business travellers: Airbnb.
Until now, the San Francisco-based website has been all about the “bnb” and not so much about the “air”. But Lufthansa is hoping that it can convince travellers in search of lodging that they should also consider something at 35,000 feet above sea level.
“Luxury Awaits Above the Clouds” is the title of Lufthansa’s Airbnb listing, the first flight to be offered on the site, according to Quartz , which first reported the curious manoeuvre. Simply posting it to Airbnb required some creative contortion on the part of the airline, which had to check all the boxes required for more typical Airbnb hosts.
“Amenities” chez Lufthansa include TV, heating and wireless internet, but not “free parking on premises”, “indoor fireplace”, “elevator in building”, “24-hour check-in” or “essentials”. There are three “house rules” from among the site’s checklist: “no smoking”, “not suitable for pets” and “no parties or events”. The minimum stay is listed as four nights, although the airline notes, somewhat contradictorily, “Just 1 night? Well, the flight doesn’t take more than that.”
The property description states, “Our cabin isn't in the woods, but in the sky!” Still, Airbnb’s algorithm struggled to list similar properties at the bottom of the page, coming up with a few actual cabins and apartments in Frankfurt.
The listing, of course, is little more than a gimmick. Airbnb charges a hefty fee for bookings, and it’s hard to imagine anyone paying that when they can book for free on more traditional platforms. (The listing puts the per-night cost, somewhat arbitrarily, at $790, plus a $95 Airbnb service fee.) Still, it is not inconceivable that the model could change. As more travellers, and business travellers in particular, look to Airbnb instead of hotels, booking sites like Orbitz and Priceline that can package flights and lodging lose some of their appeal, since they don’t have options for private accommodation. Just as Uber is taking advantage of its network of users and drivers to get into the food deliverybusiness, Airbnb could decide that guests who want the privacy and character of an Airbnb rental may also seek the convenience of a one-stop booking shop, and find a way to incorporate flight searches.
For now, though, don’t expect Lufthansa’s unusual move to turn around its earnings forecasts. But at least its listing won’t result in any lawsuits or fines, as Airbnb postings in some American cities have started to do.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2016/07/compact-and-bijou
Lufthansa is selling seats on flights through Airbnb
Facing headwinds, Lufthansa has quietly listed seats on its planes on Airbnb.
“Our cabin isn’t in the woods, but in the sky!” exclaims the ad, offering a roundtrip ticket from New York to Frankfurt for $885, including taxes, in premium economy.
Lufthansa isn’t just being cute by tapping the Airbnb platform. It’s trying to fill its planes.
Last week (July 20), the German airline lowered its profit expectations for 2016, saying it would likely earn less than the year before. “Advance bookings, especially on long-haul routes to Europe, have declined significantly, in particular due to repeated terrorist attacks in Europe and to greater political and economic uncertainty since the original forecast was made in March,” the airline said.
Airlines have benefitted from cheap fuel this year, and as their biggest variable cost fell, many added seats and flights. But that strategy is backfiring now as demand drops, and the result is an airfare war between airlines and flights that are the cheapest they’ve been in years.
It’s the first time an airline has listed flights on the room-and-home-rental site, according to Airbnb, though Dutch airline KLM has previously offered a night on a grounded jet at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
Rental has four bathrooms, but lots of competition for them.Just to give an idea of how new this concept is, Lufthansa had to check all the boxes that a regular room or apartment renter would have to check. The airline says its accommodations include heating and air conditioning and a “couch” (it’s really a seat), but the carrier makes a note that it offers no washer, indoor fireplace, doorman, iron or other amenities.
Even if it started as an experiment, Lufthansa using Airbnb to sell plane seats has a real chance of catching on. The site is likely to see more business-traveler traffic in the near future, and that’s exactly the clientele that airlines are after.
http://qz.com/741498/lufthansa-is-selling-seats-on-flights-through-airbnb/