Low-cost airlines information center
airberlin is Europe’s third largest low-cost airline. It is based in Berlin, Germany and operates scheduled services from a range of European airports.
airberlin destinations include Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
As of June 5, 2012, budget airline airberlin offers direct flights between Berlin and Kaliningrad, Russia. The initial schedule will be 3 flights per week, increasing to 4 flights per week in September 2012.
Before the inaugural flight, airberlin CEO Hartmut Mehdorn said: “The economic relations between Germany and Russia continue to grow and this means an increased demand for air travel, especially in the market sector of business travel. No other airline connects these two cities nonstop from Germany. Our new route between Berlin and Kaliningrad fills this gap in the European route network.”
Berlin – Kaliningrad flights are available every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Starting September 15, there will also be Saturday flights. One-way fares start from €59 with taxes.
Budget airline airberlin has announced its Summer 2012 schedule with added frequencies from their new base at Brandenberg Airport (BER) and new long-haul destinations. The new routes are to New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Windhoek and Abu Dhabi.
Direct service from Berlin to Abu Dhabi began in January 2012, but will increase to a daily flight with the summer schedule. A daily flight from Dusseldorf to Abu Dhabi will also begin March 25, 2012. Service to the three new destinations in the USA begin in May. Once-weekly flights from Berlin to Windhoek also start in May 2012.
airberlin is planning up to 750 weekly departures for the upcoming summer schdule. airberlin offers its passengers a total of nearly 70 direct flights and over 10,500 indirect flights from Berlin. By offering this range of connections, airberlin is confirming its intention to develop the new BER airport into an international hub with up to 40 aircraft will be in operation at this airport.
Airberlin, the German budget airline, will become a full member of the Oneworld airline alliance with effect from March 20, 2012. Austrian budget airline NIKI, which is a member of the Airberlin group, will also join Oneworld as an affiliate member.
This means Airberlin will offer the full range of services, such as frequent flyer points, available to Oneworld members. The addition of Airberlin substantially expands the alliance’s network in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, and throughout South and Central Europe. It will add almost 70 destinations to the alliance’s map, extending Oneworld’s global coverage to some 840 destinations in 150 countries.
oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby said: “airberlin makes an ideal oneworld partner. It has an excellent reputation for customer service – right in line with oneworld’s focus on quality. oneworld already features five of Europe’s best airlines. Adding the continent’s sixth biggest carrier and the second largest airline based in the continent’s biggest economy will greatly enhance our coverage throughout this region and, with the other airlines joining us this year, position oneworld more strongly still as the alliance of choice, particularly for global business travellers.”
airberlin CEO Hartmut Mehdorn added: “Becoming a member of oneworld is one of the most significant departures so far for airberlin. It will strengthen our competitive position considerably, enabling us to offer our customers a truly global network together with our partners who include some of the best and biggest airlines in the world, while enabling us also to tap into all the financial benefits that come from being part of a global alliance, through additional passenger feed and participation in various efficiency programmes. We are very pleased and proud to be lining up to join what is clearly the world’s top quality airline grouping on 20 March.”
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways is increasing its stake in Air Berlin to 29%, making it the largest single shareholder in the German low-cost carrier.
Under the agreement, Etihad will invest up to $255 million in Air Berlin over five years to support its fleet development and future network growth. Air Berlin will move its Middle East operation from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and will operate four Airbus A330-200 flights a week between Berlin and Abu Dhabi from 15 January 2012.
The two carriers will begin an extensive codesharing partnership, and the airlines’ frequent flyer programmes will be integrated. They will seek antitrust immunity to enable them to co-ordinate their route networks and sales and marketing activities.
“The strategic partnership with Etihad Airways opens up enormous opportunities for the future of our company,” said Air Berlin chief executive Hartmut Mehdorn.
“This applies especially to future market development and the realisation of synergies. One of the key components of the new partnership is the launch of Air Berlin services to Abu Dhabi, which will become our new gateway to Asia and Australia.”
airberlin‘s frequent flyer programme topbonus and the on-line travel service HolidayCheck will be working together in partnership from now on. Members of Germany‘s second-largest airline’s frequent flyer programme will earn 150 topbonus award miles for every hotel review published on the HotelCheck website. By writing hotel reviews holidaymakers will earn miles which can be redeemed on free flights with airberlin or on other exclusive offers. At the same time, by sharing their valuable travel experience, they will help other travellers to choose the right hotel.
About two weeks after the hotel review is published the award miles will be credited to the member’s topbonus mileage account and can be used to book an award flight on airberlin.com.
Marcus Puffer, Vice President Loyalty & Partnerships said: “We are very happy to welcome HolidayCheck as the latest partner on our topbonus frequent flier programme. topbonus members can now collect miles towards award flights, throughout their entire journey: they receive miles for the flight, for staying in a partner hotel, for their rental car booking and now they also get miles for writing a hotel review on HolidayCheck following their stay.“
Georg Ziegler, Manager B2B Marketing & Cooperations said: “We are very pleased about the partnership with airberlin and topbonus, because our website users come a little bit closer to their next holiday experience by sharing their previous one.”
