- Move Opens Up Lufthansa Network to Business & Leisure Travellers
- Codeshare on twice daily Frankfurt, daily Munich flights*
- Boost to South West Commerce & Tourism
Bristol, UK, 2014-04-3 — /Travel PR News/ — Thanks to a new codeshare agreement with bmi regional, the UK’s most punctual scheduled airline for nine consecutive years, German airline Lufthansa is adding Bristol to its global network from 4 April. The move enables business and leisure travellers from Bristol Airport to connect twice daily to Frankfurt and daily to Munich*, providing access to Lufthansa’s worldwide network offering flights to 235 global destinations, and represents a welcome return to the southwest for the airline.
The move strengthens both airlines’ network presence at Bristol Airport in what is bmi regional’s second codeshare agreement since its independence 20 months ago, and opens up new destinations for corporate and leisure travellers based in the southwest as well as offering benefits to inbound tourism.
bmi regional now operates five routes from Bristol Airport, including Frankfurt and Munich, using its all-jet Embraer fleet. In 2013, bmi regional was named “Silver Airline of the Year” at the European Regions Airline Association (ERAA) annual awards in Austria and this month was declared the most punctual scheduled airline in the UK for the ninth consecutive year, according to independent data used by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)**. In-flight, passengers enjoy at-seat full bar and meal service in addition to 20kg hold baggage allowance – at no additional cost – and a 30-minute check-in at Bristol Airport.
Announcing the new codeshare agreement Christian Schindler, Lufthansa General Manager UK & Ireland, said: “I am delighted that our south-west passengers will once again have quick, easy and seamless access to the Asian, African, American and European destinations within Lufthansa’s worldwide network by transiting through our hubs at Frankfurt and Munich. The cooperation and connecting flights with bmi regional will allow passengers from the region to save time and hassle on their travels. They can also take advantage of the attractive and highly competitive year-round fares available from Bristol, including £710 to Shanghai and £712 to Johannesburg (inclusive of taxes and charges). We believe that discerning travellers still prefer the added value they receive from a full service airline. They know when they book with Lufthansa the price they pay includes the ability to take hand-luggage on board and check in one piece of baggage, assigned seats, good quality food and drink on board the aircraft and the option to check-in online or at the airport with no hidden extra cost.”
He added: “The new code-share services enhance the overall Lufthansa Group product on offer to customers from Bristol Airport by supplementing the existing three times daily (once daily Sat/Sun) service operated by Brussels Airlines from Bristol to their Brussels hub with onward connection possibilities to over 70 destinations in Europe, Africa and the U.S.”
Cathal O’Connell, CEO of bmi regional, said: “Our new codeshare agreement with Lufthansa demonstrates how far we’ve come since our foundation as an independent carrier 20 month ago. In 2013 we carried almost 500,000 passengers and this year our strategy continues to be to offer greater depth to our schedule and improved connectivity from our Bristol Airport hub, which is a gateway to the world for the South West.”
Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer at Bristol Airport, said: “Today’s announcement is great news for business and leisure travellers in the South West and South Wales. The combination of Lufthansa’s global network and distribution with bmi regional’s frequent flights from Bristol to Frankfurt and Munich creates a powerful proposition for passengers.”
He added: “This codeshare agreement delivers significant additional connectivity for the region and will generate real time and cost savings for thousands of travellers who will now be able to fly to even more destinations from their local airport.”
John Hirst, Destination Bristol’s Chief Executive, said: “Adding Bristol to the global flight network of a huge airline like Lufthansa is a great move, and will make it even easier for people across Germany to visit Bristol for business or leisure. Germany is already one of Bristol’s most important overseas markets, accounting for around 50,000 trips each year, and that can only be improved further by the relationship with Lufthansa providing a real boost to Bristol’s tourism economy.”
Passengers wishing to travel to Frankfurt or Munich can book as normal with bmi regional at www.bmiregional.com and those wishing to travel further can make bookings on the Lufthansa website www.LH.com.
*bmi regional offers twice daily flights from Bristol to Frankfurt six days each week (not Saturday) and daily flights to Munich (not Saturday).
** http://flightontime.info/scheduled/scheduled.html
Bristol to Frankfurt
| BM1821/LH5301 | Dep Bristol: 06:40 | Arr Frankfurt: 09:20 | Mon-Sun |
| BM1827/LH5307 | Dep Bristol: 16:30 | Arr Frankfurt: 19:15 | Mon-Sun |
Frankfurt to Bristol
| BM1822/LH5302 | Dep Frankfurt: 09:50 | Arr Bristol: 10:30 | Mon-Sun |
| BM1828/LH5308 | Dep Frankfurt: 20:05 | Arr Bristol: 20:45 | Mon-Sun |
Bristol to Munich
| BM1845/LH5309 | Dep Bristol: 12:05 | Arr Munich: 15:05 | Mon-Sun |
Munich to Bristol
| BM1846/LH5310 | Dep Munich: 16:10 | Arr Bristol: 17:10 | Mon-Sun |