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Tuesday, 04.09.2007
Germanwings: Bringing Russia nearer to Europe
Moscow. At a press conference in Moscow’s Marriott Grand Hotel, representatives of Germanwings explained their new “Smart Connect” strategy: Using flight connections to make even more destinations available at still lower prices.
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Smart Connect is the new product from low cost carrier Germanwings that is destined to make flying between Russia and Western a whole heap cheaper.
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Passengers book both first flight and then connecting flight. If Mr. Ivanov from Moscow wants to fly to Zurich, he first books online for Moscow-Berlin and then Berlin-Zurich.
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Up to 20% cheaper
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Marc-Kristian Gerdes, Germanwings’ Eastern Europe marketing manager (photo: cj/rufo)
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According to Marc-Kristian Gerdes, Germanwings’ marketing manager for Eastern Europe, Smart Connect booking is 20% cheaper than booking two separate individual flights. The manager could not, however, specify a number, because the ticket price with budget airlines depends on the time of booking – the earlier the cheaper. So book your Smart Connect flight early!
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Streamlined check-in
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THe Smart Connect product has one further decisive advantage for passengers. When changing from the first flight to the connecting flight, you do not have to check in your luggage again. There is a simplified check-in procedure.
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Germanwings tries to keep waiting times between flight and connecting flight as short as possible. As a passenger, you have to allow, however, for at least one and half hours wait.
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Moscow-Madrid or St. Petersburg-Bologne
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The number of cities flown to has not grown per se – but combining flights and connecting flights means that Germanwings has created 140 new routes at budget prices.
From Moscow, passengers can fly to Barcelona, Madrid, Zurich, Paris, and London - or vice versa – with a transfer in Germany in either direction.
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From Petersburg you can fly to Bologna or Madrid, or vice versa – transferring in Germany. Germanwings anticipates a 76% increase in passenger numbers, reaching 91,000 by 2009.
(cj/.rufo/Moscow)
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