German LCC to take on the Gulf with super low cost challenge

German critics of Gulf carriers' relatively low cost fares will be celebrating today as German carrier Eurowings announced it is to launch flights to Dubai in October with tickets costing less than 100 Euros ($111).
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The Eurowings intercontinental flights depart from Cologne/Bonn Airport and the airline will also be offering similar priced fares to the Caribbean and to Thailand.
The new Eurowings is building on the successful Germanwings concept, which is positioned as a “low-cost” brand and innovative quality low-cost airline in Germany and Europe.
The new Eurowings intercontinental connections will be flown by long-haul route aircraft Airbus A330-200. From the coming winter season onwards, the fleet will initially consist of two aircraft and will be expanded to a total of seven Airbus A330s. SunExpress Deutschland, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will operate the long-haul route aircraft on behalf of the new Eurowings.
“Our new Eurowings strategy is to strengthen our position in private and business travel-oriented point-to-point traffic,” says Karl Ulrich Garnadt, CEO of Lufthansa German Airlines and member of the Executive Board of Lufthansa AG. “The new Eurowings will tackle the private travel segment on long-haul routes with a new brand launch, affordable ticket prices and an attractive route network. Our customers rightly expect a high standard of quality from us. With Germanwings, we have demonstrated that we can successfully connect low prices with good quality. We will continue to fulfil this aim in the expanded route network of the new Eurowings as well,” Garnadt continued.
The fares will correspond to Germanwings’ popular “fly à la carte” principle, which was successfully introduced in 2013. The fares BEST, SMART and BASIC, which have been extremely popular with passengers, will also be used by the new Eurowings. The fare classes include various levels of services and service packages. The BEST fare is offered to the most demanding private customers who value comfort and exclusiveness. This offer includes comfortable seating in an extra-wide seat with lots of leg-room in the exclusive forward cabin area. The BEST fare also includes two free items of luggage each of up to 23 kg, à la carte menus on board, priority check-in, lounge access and the chance to collect miles (including HON Circle miles). The cheaper SMART fare includes extra services such as one piece of luggage of up to 23 kg, two meals and soft drinks on board, as well as the chance to collect miles. The BASIC fair offers a straightforward travel experience at a reasonable price, to which further services can be added on an individual basis.
On long-haul routes, the new Eurowings offers a BEST and economy service. The exclusive BEST area comprises the first three seating rows and offers the latest ZIM seats. These seats correspond to the new Lufthansa premium economy class model, which offers seat pitch of 115 cm, has a backrest that can be adjusted by up to 20 cm, allows a 130° angle, and offers every guest their own armrest as well as comfortable leg and foot rests. Economy tickets can be booked with both SMART and BASIC fares. The “More Comfort” option, which can be booked as an add-on, offers seats with greater seat pitch along with a blanket and a pillow. State-of-the-art in-flight entertainment is offered on all intercontinental flights across all fares, which can be enjoyed both on screens in the backrest of the seat in front as well as on passengers’ own electronic devices such as notebook computers, tablets and smartphones. All long-haul aircrafts will also have Wi-Fi on board.