Lufthansa to cut flights across the former Yugoslavia in September


Germany’s Lufthansa will be cancelling a number of flights from its Frankfurt hub to cities across the former Yugoslavia as an ongoing staff shortage continues to plague both the airline and the industry. According to “Aeroroutes”, the cancellations will affect services to Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana and Sarajevo, however, operations from Munich will remain unchanged at this point. Overall, the carrier is cancelling 8% of all flights within its inter-European network next month. A total of eight services have been cancelled between Frankfurt and Belgrade in September with 52 flights to operate between the two cities next month instead of the initially planned sixty.

From Zagreb, Lufthansa is also cancelling eight flights during the month of September, with a total of 44 services planned instead of the initially scheduled 52. In Ljubljana, which has avoided the bulk of the summer flight cancellations, only four flights have been cut, with a total of 56 operations planned between Frankfurt and the Slovenian capital, down from sixty. Meanwhile, services to Sarajevo will be least affected, with just one flight cancelled for a total of 29 during the month of September.

Lufthansa has been impacted by flight cancellations this summer due to a shortage of staff. The problem was further compounded last month when its ground staff went on strike, unhappy over pay and other work conditions. More industrial action may be on the cards, with pilots threatening to walk out as well. Exploratory pay talks between Lufthansa and Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), the trade union representing pilots who say they are ready to strike, have failed to produce results. "We want to remain in talks mode and have therefore offered Vereinigung Cockpit further dates to ... work out viable solutions for the future", a Lufthansa spokesperson said. On the other hand, a VC spokesperson did not rule out further talks, but said the course of action would be hashed out in the coming days. No walkouts have been announced so far.



Comments

  1. Anonymous09:01

    Is there any chance that they will introduce flights from Munich to Sarajevo?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:04

      They used to fly MUC-SJJ but replaced it with Frankfurt 2 years ago.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:07

      I know but iis there a chance they bring back MUC and keep FRA?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:09

      I don't think so. They originally planned to increase frequencies from FRA to SJJ to double daily this summer but in the end cancelled it.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:37

      I wonder based on what they made a decision to cancel MUC and start FRA instead. Any particular reason?

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:40

      Demand, traffic flow and connections.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:08

      I see that hardly anyone realises what kind of a nightmare we are sleepwalking into thanks to the wise policies of our EU overlods.... Air trafic?
      What are you talking about?

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:01

    One of the most unreliable airlines. Nothing surprising.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:12

      And despite all the cancellations and degradation of service, most in exYu will still claim it's the best airline in the world. Just because it's German.

      Delete
    2. Vlad09:24

      It's a very average and in some cases below-average airline in terms of hard product and service. But when things go awry (misconnects, delays, lost luggage etc.), I'd still much rather be in the hands of any LH Group airline than the likes of TK or JU.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:24

      True

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:27

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiAjhQqYcF0

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:28

      Yes we saw how reliable LH was during the strike, especially since the strike was announced well in advance so they could prepare.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:29

      ^^ hahaha

      Delete
    7. Anonymous11:34

      @ 9:12

      I don’t know where you get this from. I rarely see or hear anyone praising it and I live in EX-YU.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous17:14

      Oh please LH has god like status inn many ex-Yu markets.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous18:14

      Lufthansa is the best in the world!

      Delete
    10. Anonymous18:40

      that's what most people in Serbia think.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:01

    Oh no, ex-YU will have less access to their premium product. lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous09:02

    Skopje is the solely winner here, no flights, no cancelations :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:04

      It's still a mystery to me that they don't fly to SKP

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:08

      I would really like to see more of Lufthansa mainline in the region. They still have no flights to Podgorica and Pristina either.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:24

      Trust me, Skopje is not missing much without Lufthansa.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous18:40

      But it is missing flights to Frankfurt. One of the world's biggest hubs.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous20:27

      @Anonymous18:40

      Najbrojnija makedonska etnička dijaspora je u Australiji. Zvanično, po australijskom popisu ih ima 111.000, nezvanične procene su 200 hiljada. U USA i Kanadi ih ima po 50-ak hiljada.

      Makedoncima FRA nije primaran hub, za Skoplje je važnije da bude dobro povezano sa IST, DOH, DXB jer preko tih hubova putuju makedonski dijasporci.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:03

    Are they still selling tickets on European sectors for 600 euros to turn people away from flying? Or have they reduced prices again?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:04

      Prices are standard again.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:16

      Fares are up in general.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:43

      ^ That's the case with all airlines.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous19:32

      You can not expect prices staying low or the same when monthly inflation in the Eurozone is nearly ten percent ..!

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:10

    What a shame

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:11

    I was scheduled to fly LH from Sarajevo to Frankfurt this Friday. Last Saturday they cancelled my flight with no reason given. I then went through travel agents and they gave me a flight (LH) on the Thursday. I found that too late as there were no connecting flights to my final destination (London). I asked for Wednesday and they gave me an Austrian flight via Vienna, so I booked that one. And then I received my flight information and it said I was departing on Friday? So currently I’m talking to a very unhelpful travel agent and without clue if I will get to my final destination today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:14

      That's crazy. Sorry to hear. Hope you can work out your flights. It's definitely a good idea to fly via Vienna. It's the only reliable airline and airport within the Lufthansa Group this summer.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:15

      Swiss/Zurich is operating pretty well too.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:11

    Better that they cancel in advance than leave passengers at the airport and tell them to find their own way home like they have done in the past.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous09:12

    More cuts are coming as the EU is about to go into a recession.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:19

      Not good at all

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:48

      Of course, there is always doom and gloom for the general population. So that it never asks for more than bread crumbs. I never worry: we can always take money from the billionaires who get even richer with every single crisis. No recession for them.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous09:19

    Not surprised.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous09:20

    How did Lufthansa miscalculate so badly and why is their CEO not being held accountable?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:15

      They are nit the only ones.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:23

    Pilot strike will probably come in September. Get ready for more disruptions.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous09:24

    I wonder if the new buy on board concept has had an impact on their passenger numbers considering their fares have not gone down..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:25

      They are a more expensive version of Eurowings.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:26

      Yes because people in ex-Yu really need a sandwich on 1 1/2 hour flight.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:27

      No but OU and JU now offer more to passengers than LH on the same route.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:30

      BEG-FRA is close to 2 hours and that sandwich and a drink comes in handy when your flight leaves at 06.00. It's easier to have breakfast at 06.45 than at 04.30 when you get to the airport. It's especially helpeful if you have a short connection. Food options in FRA are not good.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:36

      Agree, And it is something that passengers were used to on LH. And it's not even about the sandwich. LH doesn't even offer a complementary bottle of water.

      Delete
    6. Vlad09:45

      That's not true, you do get a bottle of water and a piece of chocolate for free on European routes.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:49

      They didn't offer anything on my flight last time I flew with them a month ago. Maybe they ran out of water and chocolates since it was the last flight of the day.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous09:49

      I think when it comes to water you have to ask for it.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous10:22

      No, they give small bottles of water to everyone and a LH branded chocolate.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous09:27

    Lufthansa are failing bad.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous09:28

    That's unfortunate

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous09:29

    Could have been worse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:41

      It shouldn't be this bad to begin with.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous09:35

    Crazy. Demand finally recovers and then they go and keep cancelling flights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:49

      It's all part of the agenda.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous09:40

    It's happening everywhere. It's not just ex-Yu flights Lufthansa is cancelling. .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:42

      No one said they are not cancelling other routes. It says 8% of their flights are cancelled in Europe, which is rather high considering the number of flights they operate.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:52

      Are they cutting flights to Sofia and Bucharest too?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:53

      Yes. Both have huge cuts.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:54

      September

      Frankfurt – Bucharest
      planned 90
      actual 68

      Frankfurt – Sofia
      planned 108
      actual 82

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:56

      Ouch

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:56

      That's considerable reduction in flights.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:56

      Also from Munich too

      Munich – Bucharest
      planned 90
      actual 80

      Munich – Sofia
      planned 90
      actual 86

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:03

      Wow thanks

      Delete
    9. Anonymous13:29

      MXP is down from 180 to 140.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous18:40

      Ouch!

      Delete
    11. Anonymous07:15

      Ouch!

      Delete
  19. Anonymous09:41

    When will the situation stabilize? One would think that in September when a lot of their leisure flights end they would have more staff available to maintain their other routes.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous09:50

    Does Lufthansa feel any impact from all the LCC flights that have launched from ex-Yu to Germany?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:50

      Highly likely that their point to point passenger numbers are down, but they mostly rely on transfer passenger on their flights to/from ex-Yu cities.

      Delete
  21. Anonymous09:51

    So much for the LH and their commitment to the region.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:57

      Commitment to passengers, not so much the region.

      Delete
  22. Anonymous09:58

    They are damaging their reputation in the region which was once at a very very high level. A few more months of disruptions, high fares and degraded service, people will start to look for alternatives.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:02

      +1

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:09

      People already look for alternatives! Personally I find LH services rude and disgusting and avoid them whenever I possibly can.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:13

      Lufthansa has it really easy in ex-YU. The only route where they face actual, real competition is FRA-BEG. Everywhere else there is either no other operator or the flights are being operated by their partners.

      Delete
    4. @An.10.09
      They are not rude to Germans, with them they do everything polite and with smile. All others, they treat like cattle.

      Delete
    5. Vlad11:27

      In my 130+ flights with LH I've never had a rude flight attendant. Sure, the crews can be a bit cold and distant, but I've also had extraordinary FAs that really went out of their way. The only time I've seen a LH FA be rude to a passenger is when it was some peasant who would pass off as badly behaved in a city bus, let alone a plane.

      Not defending LH in any way, just stating my own experience since I fly them the most.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:51

      I've had my fair share of poor LH service, especially on trans-continental flights. Not happy with them at all.

      Delete
  23. Anonymous10:02

    I'm not surprised. LH has big problems at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous10:10

    The presence of LH in LJU is quite visible. They have cemented their position there. That's why they are cancelling almost no flights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:11

      Especially since they are getting paid to fly to Ljubljana.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:52

      I'd deduct the payments for each flight cancelled. But to do that you'd have to be awake, yet most public "servants" in SLO are in deep slumber. ZzzzZZZzzz....

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:06

      They paid Swiss last year when they were not even flying to Ljubljana or met the tender requirements to get subsidies so I don't think they will be deducting anything from Lufthansa.

      Delete
  25. Anonymous10:17

    When will this cancellation madness end?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:18

      November most probably

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:54

      When the unelected EU Commission says so.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:05

      Sorry but what does the EU commission have to do with the cancellation of flights?

      Delete
  26. Anonymous10:18

    and they got 9 billion in state aid for this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:20

      They have repaid the aid.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:56

      To be fair, the passengers repaid it through massive fare increases. The taxpayers loaned it, the taxpayers (and other passengers) paid for it. Now the CEOs can reward themselves with massive bonuses for doing a job well done!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:04

      ^ Very true.

      Delete
  27. Nemjee10:42

    Well, at least they are consistent in one thing: worsening product.
    I have been flying on Lufthansa since 2005 and the only thing that has not changed is the constant downgrade of their product. They went from being a relatively decent airline to whatever they are today. Bottom line is that Spohr needs to go and if the situation doesn't improve I can see him being sacked.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had similar impression of constant service downgrade since 2005.I used tofly more with LH in the past, but I hardly fly with them today.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:20

      Completely agree with you ...what shocks me is that Skytrax is giving them a 5 start rating while in fact they are no good for even 3 stars. Shows that in this world money buys mostly anything!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:21

      I believe they have 4 stars now.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:56

      Maybe they do I admit I was not on that site fro a while; last time I looked some time ago they were 5*

      Delete
    5. Anonymous13:30

      They lost the fifth star two months ago. It was a sham from the start anyway.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous15:59

      They probably lost the 5 stars when they downgraded their Skytrax advertisement and consulting package.

      Delete
  28. Anonymous18:41

    Not as bad as previous months. Hopefully in October their schedule is back to normal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous18:49

      I doubt it will stabilize before November. Let's see.

      Delete
  29. Anonymous13:51

    Which is silly because the Balkans are only becoming more popular. Should be more, not less. I'm sure if services had to be cut, could have been better targets.

    ReplyDelete

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