[Article] New low fares airservice to Cologne

Victor

http://www.thepost.ie/web/DocumentView/did-24630165-pageUrl--2FThe-Newspaper-2FSundays-Paper-2FNews.asp

New low fares airservice to Cologne
01/02/04 00:00
By Tina Marie O'Neill

German Wings, a new lowcost airline launching this month, has distanced itself from other low-cost operators such as the collapsed Jetmagic.

"We don't leave people stranded when we cancel flights; we book them hotel accommodation. We don't charge credit card fees . . . our pricing is completely transparent and includes airport taxes and landing charges," said the airline's international managing director, Gordon Jenner.

German Wings will operate a direct flight service from Dublin to Cologne in Germany from the end of this month. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Euro Wings and a descendent of the German national carrier, Lufthansa.

The company also distanced itself from Ryanair. "People tend to think that every low-cost airline is just like Ryanair, especially people in Ireland, where Ryanair is dominant. But I have to stress that we're not like Ryanair," Jenner said.

The airline's summer schedule will begin at the end of April, flying four times a week to Cologne, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The carrier will not be affected by the European Union's planned crackdown on airlines applying for airport subsidies, Jenner said. "It is going to affect every low-cost airline that is reliant on subsidies to operate, which we are not," he said.

According to the company's media director, Andreas Engel, many Irish passengers flying to nearby Dusseldorf travel on to Cologne. German Wings aims to offer Irish tourists and business travellers a cheap and direct route to the heart of Germany.

The airline already flies to primary European airports, including Paris, Berlin, Rome, and Barcelona. It will offer 33 destinations from Cologne by the end of 2004, Engel said.

"The days are simply over where the business customer is willing to pay €200 extra just to get a free sandwich," said Jenner.

Other airlines offering new routes from Dublin this year include German airline, Hapag Lloyd, which will fly to Hamburg and Stuttgart from April. Malmo Aviation will fly direct to Gothenburg from Dublin and direct flights to Stockholm will be offered by SAS.

Passengers who want to fly directly to Bristol, Bilbao, Venice, Lyon, Valencia, Berlin, Zurich, Copenhagen, Dubrovnik or Warsaw, can avail of direct flights with Aer Lingus.

dmeehan

German Wings, a new lowcost airline launching this month

german wings didnt start this moth, they have been around for ages:rolleyes:

anyway, enough pedant for now

great to see new services, but how long will it be before ryanair muscle in on the route like when they ousted GO from Edinburgh & Glasgow to Dublin route?

ZENER

great to see new services, but how long will it be before ryanair muscle in on the route like when they ousted GO from Edinburgh & Glasgow to Dublin route?

Mmm . . oh about 1 week to set up the route and . . . eh no hold on they wont be able to claim subsidies for the route !:p

Tinky

Victor

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/02/17/story134634.html

New German service from end of month
17/02/2004 - 3:39:38 pm

German low-fares carrier Germanwings is to operate a Dublin to Cologne/Bonn route from February 28.

The service will initially operate three times a week but will rise to four weekly flights from March 28 this year.

Cologne/Bonn airport is only 15 minutes from the cities of Cologne and Bonn, while both Dusseldorf and Frankfurt airports are within an hour's drive.

More than 10% of seats on all flights are guaranteed at €19 including all taxes, while the maximum price will only ever be approximately 50 to 60%current IATA fares, the company claimed today.

Onward flights from Cologne/Bonn are also available to 29 destinations throughout Europe.

Dr Joachim Klein, managing director of Germanwings said today: "With summer around the corner, our new flight will provide the Irish public with a low-cost alternative for their travel arrangements and give the Germans a chance to enjoy Ireland on a budget.

"Catering for both leisure and business travelers, Germanwings provides a service that cuts costs but not quality of service," Klein added.