On Tuesday evening, the Kookfabriek in Amsterdam was filled with guests for Lufthansa Group’s Culinary & Inspiriring Event. The event was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the group’s presence (and secretly also the 65th of Austrian Airlines) at Schiphol Airport. Among the guests were (business) travel agents, tourist boards, DMCs and tour operators, who would compete with each other in groups. First flight of Allegris product The evening kicked off with a thank you to the partners and a short opening by Victoria Bubmann (general manager sales Netherlands) and Sven Thaler (head of regional sales Northern Europe), starting with the news that on 1 May, the first Airbus A350 with the long-awaited premium product on long-haul routes, ‘Allegris’, will depart from Munich to Vancouver. Allegris has been developed exclusively for the Lufthansa Group, with new suites in First and Business Class, and upgrades such as wider seat selection in Premium Economy and Economy, among others. 
Stability and renewed cooperation Bubmann indicates that after ‘ups and downs’, the group is looking forward to a ‘very good 2024 with great collaborations, new destinations and even more focus on sustainability.’
Tahler continues: “In 2024, we will focus entirely on stability, which will allow our customers to experience a much more stable product. This is not only a celebration of 60 years at Schiphol, but also the birth of a renewed partnership with Schiphol that will result in an even better experience for Dutch travellers.’ The Netherlands leads the way (in terms of sustainability) Apart from the group’s home countries, the Dutch market is a leader in Europe, says Bubmann.
“What we are seeing at the moment is a strong popularity of sun destinations around the Mediterranean and Bangkok in particular. We expect a good booking year with a lot of leisure, but what is still a little behind is the real return of business travel.’ Where the Netherlands is also leading the way are in sustainable collaborations. “The Netherlands is our biggest success story when it comes to our commitment to sustainability,” Thaler said earlier. Bubmann: ‘We see the highest number of B2B customers who are willing to offset their footprint by purchasing SAF, including some big names who even fully compensate for all flights.’ Photo above: Marcel Rohring (senior account manager), Victoria Bubmann and Sven Thaler
