Up in the air . . .

LATAM Airlines, Latin America’s leading airline, has announced that it will commence a non-stop service to Munich (Germany) from São Paulo on 25 June 2019 with tickets now on sale. LATAM will operate four weekly flights using Boeing 767 aircraft with capacity for 191 passengers in Economy and 30 in Premium Business.

The Bavarian capital will become LATAM’s second destination in Germany after Frankfurt and its ninth European city. Located north of the Alps, Munich is a leading centre for business, art, education, sports and tourism. Home to leading multinational companies, an internationally renowned football team and the annual Oktoberfest beer festival, it attracts both tourists and business travellers from around the world.

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Lufthansa offers six new destinations from Frankfurt and Munich

IF you want to escape the foul weather in autumn and winter, you can now book additional and attractive winter destinations with Lufthansa. Because Europe’s leading airline is expanding its offers from Frankfurt and Munich to include six new tourist destinations. 

Lufthansa now flies from Frankfurt and Munich to Eilat (Ovda), the attractive holiday resort on the Red Sea in the south of Israel. 

Starting this winter, Lufthansa will fly to Agadir (Morocco) located on the southern Atlantic coast of Morocco, in the foothills of the Anti-Atlas mountains. The capital of the province of Agadir Ida-Ou Tanane is a popular holiday destination featuring golf courses and endless beaches. 

Trieste (Italy), the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the north-east of Italy, is considered one of the literary capitals of Europe, and its many ethnic and religious groups have earned it the moniker of ‘early New York’. 

From winter 2018, Lufthansa once again offers flights to Thessaloniki (Greece) from Frankfurt. The town is the ideal starting point for hikes and explorations of the north of Greece, and it is the transit airport for onward travel to Chalkidiki in the south east. 

Edinburgh (United Kingdom) is the new European destination from Munich. From December 2018, Lufthansa will fly to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh not only has an interesting old town, it is also the perfect starting point for visiting the Highlands. 

Munich is also the starting point for another new destination, Tromsø (Norway). The city is an important cultural centre north of the Arctic Circle and is regarded as an ideal starting point for experiencing the Northern Lights.
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On the runway . . .

THE launch of a daily service between Frankfurt and Glasgow which was announced by Lufthansa has been welcomed by VisitScotland.

Lufthansa already flies from Munich to Glasgow five times per week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the new route from Frankfurt further underlines the airlines commitment to the Scottish market.



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Robot to guide passengers in Munich Airport

SHE is 120 centimeters tall, with sparkling, round eyes and a pleasant voice, “Josie Pepper” the robot will be answering questions for passengers in Terminal 2. Whether they need directions to their gate or want to stop at a certain restaurant or shop – #JosiePepper will look them in the eyes and give them a prompt answer.

With the rollout of Josie Pepper, Munich Airport and Lufthansa are breaking new ground: It is the first-ever test of a humanoid #robot equipped with artificial intelligence at a German airport. For the next few weeks, Josie Pepper will welcome travelers to the non-public area of Terminal 2, which is jointly operated by Munich Airport and Lufthansa. In her initial deployment, Josie Pepper, who speaks English, will await passengers at the top of the ramp leading to the shuttle connecting the main terminal to the satellite building. This test phase will be used to show whether Josie Pepper is accepted by passengers.

Pepper was developed by the French company SoftBank Robotics. The lady robot was given the name “Josie” by the staff of Munich Airport and Lufthansa when she arrived at the airport.

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On the runway . . .

LAST year, Lufthansa and Munich Airport welcomed over 30 million passengers to Terminal 2. To be more precise, 30.6 million passengers used the terminal for their travel needs in 2017, an increase of 10.6 percent compared to the previous year.

Munich’s airport was already named Europe’s first “5-Star Airport” by London-based ratings agency Skytrax in 2015. In December 2017, Lufthansa joined them as the only European 5-star airline when they received the highest level of quality certification in international aviation from Skytrax. 

Another world best: Terminal 2, along with the Terminal 2 Satellite, which are operated jointly by the two companies, received a special award in March 2017: They were voted World’s Best Airport Terminal at the Skytrax World Airport Awards.

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New Adina Apartment Hotels to open in Leipzig, Hamburg and Munich

TOGA Hospitality (now TFE Hotels) opened its first hotel in #Germany in 2007 at the famous Berlin Wall crossing point Checkpoint Charlie in the Mitte district, known as Berlin’s beating heart. 

The group created a new niche for high quality apartment hotels and today the brand is flourishing there, working towards opening its tenth hotel in Germany, which is set to open in Munich in 2019. 

The Adina Apartment Hotel Leipzig opens in November 2017 in the city’s historic city centre and beside the medieval market square. Adina Apartment Hotel Hamburg Speicherstadt opens in February 2018 in the centre of Germany’s second largest city, between the famous redeveloped warehouse district ‘Speicherstadt’ and the main shopping district.  

 

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Raise your tankard

THIS years Oktoberfest is officially opened at precisely 12 noon on September 16 by Munich's mayor by tapping the first barrel and continues until October 3.

#Oktoberfest all started with a horse race which the national guard staged for the people on 17th August 1810 to mark the wedding of the Ludwig Crown Prince of Bavaria (later King Ludwig I) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The race was such a success that it was staged again the following year on the Theresienwiese – the meadow named in honour of the Princess. From 1870 onwards the number of stalls began to increase and in 1896 the very first beer tents were erected which sold only beer brewed in Munich – a tradition which has remained to the present day. Due to lack of space the horse races with which it all began were staged for the last time in 1936.

There is something for the whole family with "Family Tuesdays" on September 19 and 26 offering reduced prices of admissions and attractions - from 12:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.

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On the runway . . .

#EDINBURGH Airport, the City of Edinburgh Council and Visit Scotland have today welcomed confirmation of a new direct service between Scotland’s capital and Munich by Eurowings.

The five times weekly service - which will commence on the 31 March 2017 – further highlights Edinburgh Airport’s commitment to offering a greater choice of business and leisure links direct between Scotland and Europe.

Munich was Edinburgh's first twin city in 1954 and this new link reinforces and renews business and cultural ties between Bavaria and Scotland.

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On the runway . . .

DUBLIN Airport welcomed Lufthnasa's recent announcement that it is to almost double services on its Dublin-Munich route next summer.

The airline, which currently operates a year-round, daily service to Munich will fly 13 times per week from the end of March, 2017.

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Condor plans Munich-Barbados flights

CONDOR AIRLINES is to launch weekly flights – on Saturdays – from Munich to Barbados in November, bringing the number of weekly services to the island to three. 

Condor Airlines, part of the Thomas Cook Group, currently operates flights out of Frankfurt on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Thomas Cook Airlines UK operates flights from Manchester, England.

The Munich service will provide improved access for visitors from southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and northern Italy.

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Up in the air . . .

Manchester Airport unveils £1 billion expansion plan 

Manchester Airport has made a video showing how the airport will look in ten years following a £1 billion investment. Subject to getting planning permission, it will see a state-of-the-art terminal building created through the expansion of the airport’s existing Terminal Two building.


Flybe announces new routes – Manchester to Lyon, Southampton to Munich

Flybe has announced a year-round service between Manchester and Lyon, France, with daily flights starting in August. It has also confirmed plans for year-round daily flights between Southampton and Munich, Germany.

Flybe was recently named Best Short-Haul Airline at the 2016 Business Travel Awards.

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Up in the air …

American carriers line up to offer Cuba services 

United Airlines has submitted its formal application to the US department of Transportation for authority to provide service from four of its largest US gateway cities – Newark/New York, Houston, Washington, D.C., and Chicago – to Havana.

American Airlines issued proposal to operate scheduled services, including ten daily frequencies to Havana from American’s Latin America gateway hub in Miami. American will also offer additional service to Havana from its hubs in Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

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Up in the air …

BMI REGIONAL expands UK network with double daily flights from Southampton to Munich – From April 15, the capital of Bavaria will be served 12 times weekly by bmi regional from Southampton Airport. The airline expects this new route to appeal to both leisure and business travellers.

EUROWINGS continues to expand its services from its largest location in Düsseldorf, launching a service to East Midlands Airport in the UK in March. The regional airport offers fast access to the areas around Derby, Nottingham and Leicester. The German airline will operate the route every day except Saturdays. Tickets for the Düsseldorf-East Midlands route can be booked via the internet at www.eurowings.com, with prices starting from €29.99 (£23.22) including all taxes, fees and charges.

INDEPENDENT tour operator Sardatur Holidays will launch weekly flights from Manchester to Sardinia in July. The flights to Cagliari and Olbia will operate during the summer from July 9 to September 17.

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Frohe Weihnachten*

BMI REGIONAL presents its pick of the best #Christmas markets in #Germany …

Munich, Marienplatz: From November 27 to December 24, Marienplatz in Munich offers unusual Christmas gifts, such as wood carvings from Oberammergau, gingerbread from Nuremberg, and glassware from Bavaria. bmi regional one-way fares from Bristol to Munich start from £81.

Hamburg, Town Hall Square and Fleet Island: The prettiest and largest of Hamburg’s nine markets is held at the Town Hall where bakers from Aachen and woodcarvers from Tyrol offer treats and stocking-fillers. Highlights include punch served by clowns, and circus acts. Santa Claus shows up three times a day at the Town Hall from November 23 to December 23, and each Saturday in Advent features a festive parade. bmi regional one-way fares from Bristol to Hamburg start from £91.

Frankfurt, Romerberg Square, Paulsplatz, and Mainkai:Frankfurt’s Christmas Market is one of the oldest and most popular in Germany and is a showcase for arts and crafts, and seasonal food and drink. With more than 200 stalls in the Romerberg market place and St Paul’s church, entertainment includes concerts, trumpet fanfares from the balcony of St. Nicholas’s Church and bell-ringing from the church carillon. The market runs from November 25 to December 22.bmi regional one-way fares from Bristol to Frankfurt start from £81 per person.

Dusseldorf: From November 19to December 23, there are Christmas-themed attractions in seven locations throughout the city, all within easy walking distance of each other. More than 200 stalls will be selling festive treats from handicrafts and decorations to mulled wine and Reibekuchen (potato pancakes). The market on Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz will have an ice rink and vintage merry-go-round. bmi regional one-way fares from Bristol to Dusseldorf from £79.

*Happy Christmas in German

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Up in the air ...

NORWEGIAN is to start #flights from Gatwick Airport to Puerto Rico and Boston, Massachusetts. Twice-weekly flights to Puerto Rico will start in November, and will be the UK’s only direct service to the Caribbean island. Fares start from £179 one way. The Boston flights – four a week – commence in May.

FLYBE has launched a year-round route service between Cardiff, Wales, and Munich, Germany. Flights to and from Munich will operate Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays, with one way fares available from £44.99 each way including taxes and charges.

DELTA and VIRGIN ATLANTIC Airways will start a daily service from Edinburgh
direct to New York JFK in May next year.

VLM AIRLINES is to introduce a #directflight service from Birmingham to Antwerp, Belgium in October. One-way fares start from £39.

RYANAIR has predicted a price war among European airlines as falling fuel prices see prices cut. The carrier thinks the cost of tickets could fall by between six and eight percent as airlines fight to attract passengers.

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Views from a train

#TRAINholiday company Railbookers shares its top picturesque routes in Europe:

Swiss lakes and mountains – In the summer months, verdant pastures roll from the edge of the tracks into the horizon, and in the winter, the country unfolds. Travel from Montreux to Interlaken on the Golden Pass Line. Rise up over Lake Geneva, gaze at the Swiss Riviera, plunge through a mountain tunnel and coast through resorts such as Gstaad and Châteaux d'Oex. Perhaps stop-over in Interlaken and take a trip to Europe's highest railway station at the summit of Jungfraujoch.

Norway in a nutshell – This is a route with no off season: snow-dusted in winter, set ablaze by autumn hues, verdant and sleepy in the spring and sparkling in the summer. Norway in a nutshell combines the Bergen Railway, the Flam railway, the Aurlandsfjord, the Nærøyfjord, and the Stalheimskleiva road. Hard to pronounce, easier to enjoy, the route is possible in a day but turning it into a holiday with a night or two in Oslo is worthwhile. From Oslo, it’s full steam ahead over the Flam railway, descending deep into the fjord along the world's steepest regular-track railway line. You drop hundreds of feet in an hour as the panorama shifts from mountains to waterfalls.

London to Fort William – Arrive at Euston after work, doze off after a dram of whiskey and wake up the next morning across the border. It is civilized, time-effective and harks back to a different, more romantic era. Fall asleep through London’s suburbia and wake up seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the sun glinting through the blinds and deer bounding past the window. After exploring Fort William, the treat begins. Often voted one of the world's most picturesque rail journeys, you will catch glimpses of crofter's cottages, tiny churches, the pristine coastline, and mountain panoramas, before crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct famous for its starring role in the Harry Potter films.

Germany's Rhineland – Catch the train from London to Brussels and change onto a high speed train to Cologne before moving on into the German countryside. Board a train winding down the Rhine Valley through greenery to Koblenz, abundant with palaces, churches, and fountains. Cruise down the river or take a daytrip to historic Rudesheim, before heading up the Moselle. The tracks trace the river bank along the Moselle Stretch from Koblenz to Trier, Germany's oldest city.

Munich to Verona, via the Brenner Pass –Combine some of Europe's most stunning cities with rail travel as scenic as anything the continent has to offer. The Bavarian capital of Munich plays host to every delightful Alpine cliché imaginable. There are fast trains that will take you from here to the Austrian skiing capital of Innsbruck, but why sacrifice scenery in favour of time when you are on holiday? Skirt around the bases of the Alps, meander past lakes and glide through the resort town of Garmsich-Partenkirchen on the regional train instead. Lap up the mountainous views before taking to the tracks once more, this time past the vineyards and mountains of the Brenner Pass to Verona.

Railbookers has offices in London, Los Angeles, and Auckland. www.railbookers.com

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Lufthansa offers the Porsche 911 Experience

LUFTHANSA’S First Class and Private Jet passengers can now kill the waiting time before their next take-off by taking a Porsche 911 or Panamera for a drive through Munich and around Lower Bavaria.

The Porsche First Class Excitement offer is available for all Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines passengers (and also Lufthansa HON Circle members and Lufthansa Private Jet guests) who have a First Class boarding ticket for that day.

“This is exclusive offer from Porsche turns the waiting period before take-off into a memorable experience,” said Thomas Klühr at Lufthansa.

For guests, the Lufthansa First Class Personal Assistant accepts reservations in the First Class Lounge and arranges the car rental. Passengers can book their sports car online before the flight, or make an on-the-spot decision, as long as the chosen offer is available.

Back at the airport, a First Class flight starts as usual: a limousine takes passengers straight to the aircraft.

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New routes to Munich

BMI REGIONAL will start flights from Rotterdam, Liege, and Bern, to Munich in March. The flights will operate in partnership with Lufthansa.

The airline has tailored the schedule from each city to ensure seamless travel connections for business and leisure travellers via Lufthansa’s Munich network of over 200 global destinations.

Cathal O’Connell, CEO of bmi regional, said: ‘These new routes represent a significant step forward for bmi regional and further strengthens our relationship with Lufthansa. 

Our experience with Munich from Bristol has shown that the airport is both a great destination and a major hub with excellent connection opportunities. We have researched the market extensively, and chose Rotterdam, Liege and Bern as the ideal cities to extend our presence in Europe.’

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Fast rides to the slopes

LUFTHANSA customers will be able to reach ski resorts even faster this winter, with a helicopter service from Munich starting in January.

Lufthansa’s hub in southern Germany is a departure point to reach ski centres resorts in the Alps that have helipads. The service can be booked now and will operate until the end of April.

Lufthansa passengers will be collected by HTM Helicopter Travel directly from their aircraft in Munich and flown to their skiing destination.

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More flights to Germany with bmi regional

BMI REGIONAL has boosted two core routes from Bristol ahead of its summer schedule launch next March. An additional 7,000 seats from Bristol to Frankfurt and Munich will enable three daily departures to Frankfurt from February 2 and two daily departures to Munich three days a week from February 3.

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