This document provides an overview of Lufthansa Airlines, the largest airline in Europe. It discusses Lufthansa's history, operations, subsidiaries, and role as a founding member of the Star Alliance. It also describes the airline industry in general, noting it is fairly young but grew significantly during and after World War II due to advances in technology. The industry remains cyclical with typically low profit margins and is heavily impacted by fuel costs.

1.
Evaluation
of
Lufthansa
Airlines’
Mobile
Offerings
University
of
Washington
Mobile
Environment
and
User
Engagement
Mobiz
CP110
Instructor:
Jeff
Klonowski
November
10,
2012
Author:
KC
Dochtermann

2.
Overview:
Formed
in
1926
as
Deutsche
Luft
Hansa,
Lufthansa
(Deutsche
Lufthansa
AG)
is
a
German-­‐based
air
carrier
(and
is
the
‘flagship’
national
carrier),
and
is
currently
the
largest
airline
carrier
in
Europe,
as
well
as
the
fourth
largest
airline
in
the
world
in
terms
of
carried
passengers.
From
a
fleet
perspective,
including
all
of
its
subsidiaries,
it
is
the
largest
passenger
airline
fleet
on
the
globe,
with
over
870
aircraft
in
operation.
Current
headquarters
are
based
in
Cologne,
Germany,
with
it’s
main
passenger
traffic
hub
based
at
Frankfurt
Airport
in
Frankfurt
am
Main,
Germany.
The
organization
currently
has
12
subsidiaries,
which
includes
Lufthansa
Cargo,
an
air
cargo
company
that
is
wholly
owned
by
Lufthansa.
Lufthansa
has
9
(nine)
additional
operations,
including
LSG
Sky
Chefs,
which
is
the
largest
airline-­‐catering
group
on
the
globe.
LSG
accounts
for
one
third
of
the
world’s
airline
catered
meals.
Lufthansa
is
one
of
the
founding
members
of
the
Star
Alliance,
which
was
formed
in
1997,
and
is
the
world’s
largest
airline
alliance.
In
addition
to
Lufthansa,
the
founding
members
of
the
alliance
were
Air
Canada,
Scandinavian
Airlines,
Thai
Airways
International,
and
United
Airlines.
The
alliance
has
grown
to
include
28
member
airlines,
with
a
global
reach
of
1,356
airports
in
193
countries.
Industry
Description:
The
airline
industry
is
fairly
young
by
historical
standards.
The
first
attempt
to
launch
airlines
was
in
the
mid-­‐19th
century,
when
American
aviation
pioneers
tried
to
begin
commercial
runs
with
airships
from
New
York
to
California,
but
with
failure.
Accordingly
the
first
airline
was
DELAG
(Deutsche
Luftshciffahrts-­‐
Aktiengesellschaft),
which
was
founded
in
1909,
and
operated
airships.
European
countries
were
the
first
to
adopt
air
transport
on
a
commercial
basis;
the
USA
joined
shortly
thereafter,
with
its
first
commercial
airline
flight
taking
place
in
1914.
After
World
War
I,
the
industry
began
to
flourish.
During
the
following
decades,
the
adoption
of
airmail
service
served
to
greatly
expand
the
industry.
Most
routes
were
within
national
boundaries,
but
Pan
American
Airways
and
Northwest
Airlines
were
two
of
the
first
airlines
to
pioneer
standard
international
routes
during
the
1920s
and
‘30s.
World
War
II
was
instrumental
in
the
next
stage
of
expansion
due
to
the
high
number
of
air
industry
manufacturers
and
airlines
that
had
bloomed
due
to
military
contracts.
Advancements
in
technology
(pressurized
cabins,
advanced
propulsions
systems,
new
age
materials
and
procedures,
etc.)
ushered
in
a
boom
in
the
civilian
air
industry
growth
during
the
1940s
and
‘50s,
a
trend
that
has
continued
to
accelerate
on
through
into
the
modern
era
of
today.
2

3. Though
a
few
countries
(Australia,
Brazil,
India,
Japan,
Mexico,
United
Kingdom
and
the
USA)
have
deregulated
their
airlines,
there
is
a
strong
tendency
for
a
number
of
countries
to
retain
a
national
airlines
that
is
owned
and
operated
by
the
respective
government.
This
was
true
of
Lufthansa
in
the
past;
prior
to
1997,
the
German
government
had
a
roughly
35%
stake
in
the
company.
The
air
travel
industry
has
historically
received
a
high
level
of
state
support,
and
is
a
highly
cyclical
industry
with
a
fairly
low
net
profit
level
–
(only
2-­‐3%
after
tax
and
interest).
Global
increases
in
petroleum
prices
have
not
helped
the
industry,
and
a
number
of
airlines
are
regularly
instituting
fuel
hedging
pricing
policies
in
order
to
remain
competitive.
Airline
Groups
Revenue/ProVits
-­‐
Year
2010
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-­‐5
Revenue
($B)
Operating
($B)
Net
($B)
Source:
Airline
Business,
2011
During
the
past
decade
a
number
of
airlines,
including
6
(six)
major
US
airlines
–
American
Airlines,
Continental
Airlines,
Delta
Air
Lines,
Northwest
Airlines,
United
Airlines
and
US
Airways
have
filed
for
Chapter
11
bankruptcy.
As
a
result,
a
number
of
mergers
and
acquisitions
have
taken
place;
two
of
the
most
prolific
were
Northwest
being
acquired
by
Delta
in
2008,
and
Continental
and
United
merging
in
2010.
With
all
of
the
continuing
turmoil
in
the
industry
(American
Airlines
filed
for
bankruptcy
again
in
July),
Lufthansa
is
still
one
of
the
leaders,
posting
the
highest
revenue
($36.1
Billion)
and
highest
net
profit
($1.49
Billion)
of
all
airline
groups
during
the
2010
year.
3

4.
Lufthansa
SWOT
Analysis
Strengths:
• Market
Leader
-­‐
largest
consolidated
global
carrier
group
• Biggest
Star
Alliance
member
–
largest
airline
alliance
group
• Most
profitable
of
all
global
carrier
groups
• Reputation
for
high
level
of
customer
service
• IT
Division
is
strong
• Strategic
capability
to
forecast
future
trends
and
patterns
• Broad
line
of
offerings
in
the
mobile
sector
Weaknesses:
• Big
ship
to
steer-­‐largest
consolidated
global
carrier
group
• Biggest
Star
Alliance
member
–
pulling
the
weight
for
other
partners
• Development
of
low
cost
airline
structure
in
some
sector
• Some
limits
to
‘lighter’
(entertainment)
mobile
offerings
Opportunities:
• Encourage
growth
of
Star
Alliance
partners
• Expand
presence
in
growing
market
sectors
• Use
strength
of
IT
division
to
continue
to
roll
out
innovative
mobile
offerings
• Continue
to
lead
user
engagement
market
trend
Threats:
• Continued
cost
increases
due
to
supply
and
regulatory
environment
• Competing
alliances
• Competing
low
cost
airlines
• Alternative
short
travel
distance
options
• Rapidity
and
fluid
nature
of
the
mobile
sector
4

5.
Competitive
Environment
in
Mobile
Sector
Like
a
number
of
other
industries,
competition
is
fierce
in
the
airline
sector.
Rising
consumer
expectations
combined
with
rising
cost
structures
require
a
large
global
organization
to
be
very
nimble
and
innovate
from
a
competitor’s
perspective.
This
is
increasingly
important
with
a
large
component
of
the
consumer
target
market
becoming
increasingly
cost
sensitive.
From
a
digital
perspective,
user
expectations
continue
to
increase
rapidly.
The
need
to
provide
real-­‐time
information
on
a
moment’s
notice
to
customers
is
tantamount
in
the
continuing
battle
for
‘seat
share’,
as
well
as
for
cargo-­‐related
needs.
The
tables
below
provides
a
breakdown
of
competitive
mobile
offerings
of
Lufthansa,
and
their
leading
global
competitors.
App
Availability
by
Platform
Airlines
iOS
Android
Blackb.
Symbian
Windows
Nook
Amazon
Lufthansa
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
United/Contin.
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Delta
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Air
France
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Oman
Air
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
AMR
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
(American)
Inter.
(British)
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Japan
Airlines
Yes^
No
No
No
No
No
No
ANA
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Emirates
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
^Japanese
language
only
It
is
interesting
to
note
that
American
Airlines
offers
an
app
for
the
broadest
range
of
mobile
device
platforms,
covering
both
the
Nook
and
Amazon
tablets,
while
omitting
offerings
for
Blackberry
and
Symbian
devices.
This
is
so
indicative
of
the
US
trend
of
mobile
platforms
that
may
potentially
arise
on
a
national
market
share
basis.
Delta
Airlines
and
British
Airways
are
the
two
other
global
carriers
that
currently
have
mobile
apps
available
for
the
Windows
platform,
obviously
recognizing
its
potential
for
market
growth.
Blackberry
is
a
platform
with
limited
market
share,
but
obviously
enough
on
a
global
basis
to
have
an
app
being
made
available
by
four
carriers.
iOS
and
Android
platforms
remain
the
mobile
stalwarts,
with
almost
every
major
carrier
offering
apps,
with
the
exception
of
Japan
Air
Lines,
Oman
Air,
and
Emirates.
Curiously,
to
date,
Oman
and
Emirates
has
not
made
a
mobile
app
available
for
any
platform.
5

6.
iPhone/iPad
Apps
Airlines
#
of
#
of
iPhone
iPad
Apps
Apps
Lufthansa
6
8
United/Contin.
1
1
Delta
1
0
Air
France
5
3
Oman
Air
0
0
AMR
(American)
1
1
Inter.
(British)
4
2
Japan
Airlines
6
0
ANA
1
1
Emirates
0
0
iOS
continues
to
be
the
dominant
player
in
the
field
of
mobile
applications
–
at
least
in
the
airline
sector.
As
an
example,
Lufthansa
offers
three
smartphone
apps
for
the
Android
platform
(the
‘flagship’
app,
Quartett
and
Cargo),
while
it
offers
six
apps
for
the
iPhone,
and
eight
for
the
iPad.
This
places
Lufthansa
by
far
in
the
lead,
not
only
from
a
quantity
perspective,
but
also
from
a
quality
perspective
–
especially
in
the
area
of
tablet
offerings
(more
on
that
in
the
review
of
the
mobile
offerings).
United
Airlines
offers
one
iPad
application
that
is
a
digital
version
of
its
inflight
magazine.
While
Air
France
has
a
nice
range
of
offerings
beyond
the
utility-­‐based
flagship
app,
and
cargo-­‐tracking
app,
including
three
travel
related
apps,
and
‘Travel
Book’,
an
app
that
is
integrated
with
Facebook
in
order
to
easily
share
trip
related
information
with
friends
and
family.
In
the
realm
of
iPad
offerings,
Air
France
provides
digital
versions
of
two
of
their
in-­‐flight
magazines,
as
well
as
a
specialty
news
related
app,
which
is
available
only
in
French
language.
British
Airways
has
a
few
novel
offerings
for
the
iPhone
beyond
the
norm,
including
an
app
with
travel
related
information,
as
well
as
two
apps
for
enjoying
digital
versions
of
both
the
standard
and
business
in-­‐flight
magazines;
these
two
magazines
are
also
available
in
iPad
optimized
versions.
Japan
Airlines
offers
a
broad
range
of
apps
for
the
iPhone,
ranging
from
productivity
apps
to
travel
enhancement;
unfortunately
all
of
these
apps
are
available
only
in
Japanese
language.
ANA
has
an
intriguing
offering
for
iPad;
the
‘Virtual
Airport’
app,
where
users
can
view
selected
content
from
the
company’s
in-­‐flight
magazine,
as
well
as
videos,
websites,
etc.
–
all
from
a
virtually
constructed
airport
interface.
6

7.
Mobile
Services
Airlines
SMS/
Mobile
App
MMS
Web*
Check-­‐
In
Lufthansa
Yes
Yes
Yes
United/Contin.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Delta
Yes
Yes
Yes
Air
France
No
Yes
Yes
Oman
Air
Yes
No
No
American
Yes
Yes
Yes
Inter.
(British)
Yes
No
Yes
Japan
Airlines
No
No
Yes^
ANA
No
No
Yes
Emirates
Yes
No
No
App
Mobile
Mobile
Flight
Check-­‐ Flight
Status
In
*
Status*
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes^
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Mobile
Boarding
Pass
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
*
Mobile-­‐optimized
experience
^Japanese
language
only
In
the
area
of
mobile
services,
Lufthansa
is
well
positioned,
offering
a
full
range.
Only
three
other
global
carriers
(United,
Delta
and
American)
present
a
similar
comprehensive
package
of
mobile
services,
making
Lufthansa
the
only
non-­‐US
based
global
carrier
group
to
make
such
a
broad
range
of
offerings
available.
Air
France
follows
a
close
second,
offering
a
very
nice
range
of
user-­‐friendly
services,
with
the
exception
of
text
messaging
alerts.
Lufthansa
Mobile
Offerings:
Mobile
applications
and
services
for
the
air
traveler
have
become
commonplace
with
the
heavy
adoption
rates
of
smartphone
and
tablet
devices
during
the
past
few
years.
Most
major
airlines
now
offer
a
variety
of
features
with
native
mobile
applications
and/or
mobile-­‐optimized
websites,
including
real
time
flight
information,
mobile
check-­‐in
and
boarding
passes,
airport
maps,
as
well
as
weather
for
both
departure
and
arrival
destinations.
Lufthansa
has
a
number
of
fantastic
mobile
offerings.
For
smartphones,
Lufthansa
offers
a
flagship
Lufthansa
native
application
for
the
iPhone,
Android,
Blackberry,
Nokia
(Symbian)
platforms.
While
the
new
Windows
App
lists
and
sells
as
a
new
‘Lufthansa’
app
for
the
Windows
Phone,
upon
closer
inspection,
it
is
nothing
but
a
link
to
the
standard
web
page.
7

8.
Text
Messaging
Lufthansa
offers
a
very
complete
range
of
SMS
service
in
order
to
enhance
user
experience:
• Mobile
check-­‐in
invitation
• Gate
change
alerts
• Seat
changes
due
to
aircraft
change
• Flight
delay
alerts
(over
30
minutes)
• Flight
cancellation
alerts
• Flight
relocation
information
due
to
flight
disruptions,
including
notification
of
new
mobile
boarding
pass
This
variety
of
messaging
services
by
Lufthansa
is
one
of
the
most
comprehensive
sets
of
any
global
industry
carrier.
Mobile
Optimized
Website
Mobile
Optimized
Webpages
The
mobile
optimized
website
for
smartphones
presents
an
excellent
user
experience
for
travelers.
Users
are
directed
to
the
mobile
site
and
are
afforded
the
choice
to
select
a
country
preference.
The
next
thing
to
load
is
an
automatic
message
that
concisely
describes
the
Lufthansa
App,
and
provides
a
link
to
allow
the
user
to
download
the
app.
The
next
screen
that
appears
is
the
home
screen.
The
navigation
is
simple
and
quick,
and
allows
the
user
to
jump
to
a
variety
of
services,
including
flight
status,
timetables,
check-­‐in,
flight
booking,
Miles
&
More
(frequent
8

9. flyer
program)
and
My
Bookings,
for
accessing
existing
reservations.
There
is
also
a
direct
link
to
the
full
version
website,
as
well
as
links
at
the
bottom
of
the
page
for
contact,
terms
and
conditions,
etc.
The
second
tab
is
the
Info
&
Service
section,
where
customers
can
learn
about
current
flight
information,
airport
transport
services,
check-­‐in,
route
hubs,
lounge
directory
and
boarding.
The
one
limitation
is
that
the
transport
services
are
limited
to
Germany
and
Austria
airports
only.
The
entertainment
tab
offers
ringtones,
wallpapers
and
a
screensaver
to
download.
Overall
the
experience
provides
all
the
primary
services
that
a
traveler
would
need
when
looking
to
access
the
website
via
smartphone.
iPad
Optimized
Website
For
the
iPad,
the
‘optimized’
version
of
the
site
is
actually
the
standard
desktop
version
website.
It
has
the
exact
same
functionality,
look
and
feel
of
the
full
website,
with
the
exception
that
the
features
and
navigation
are
controlled
via
the
touchscreen.
Lufthansa
may
want
to
look
into
providing
a
customized
version
for
the
iPad,
but
the
question
would
be
necessity.
If
the
basic
wants
and
needs
of
the
user
are
met
by
the
full
version
on
such
devices,
it
comes
into
question
whether
a
different
version
is
truly
necessary.
9

10.
Mobile
Version
on
Full
Website
One
of
the
most
interesting
revelations
is
the
mobile
version
of
the
website
that
can
be
accessed
through
the
full
desktop
version
website.
Users
can
literally
click
on
a
link
at
the
top
right
side
of
the
home
page
menu
to
access
this
page.
It
appears
on
a
grey
screen,
with
what
look
to
be
an
image
of
an
iPhone.
But
once
the
user
begins
to
run
the
cursor
over
it
with
the
mouse,
they
realize
that
it
is
a
fully
functioning,
virtual
version
of
the
smartphone
version.
This
is
indeed
reverse
engineering
at
its
best.
iPhone
Apps
‘Flagship’
App
The
‘flagship’
app
provides
a
number
of
features,
including
news,
flight
booking,
timetables,
flight
status,
check-­‐in,
and
mileage
program
tracking;
it
also
stores
electronic
boarding
passes
for
rapid
check-­‐in,
security
and
gate
screening.
It
also
provides
direct
links
to
Facebook
and
Twitter,
fields
for
providing
feedback,
as
well
as
a
means
for
reviewing
the
Lufthansa
app.
It
has
an
elegant
look
and
interface,
and
has
been
built
smartly
in
order
to
quickly
fit
all
the
essential
and
immediate
needs
of
the
passenger.
10

11.
LH
Quartett
App
LH
Cargo
App
Including
the
standard
flagship
app,
Lufthansa
offers
two
additional
apps
for
the
Android
platform,
the
LHQuartett
app
and
the
LH
Cargo
app;
this
makes
for
a
total
of
three
native
applications
for
the
Android
platform.
The
Quartett
app
is
purely
a
game-­‐based
entertainment
app;
users
have
the
opportunity
to
play
the
computer,
or
play
another
player.
It
is
a
card
game
where
the
object
is
to
guess
the
better/larger
statistics
of
the
various
model
planes
in
the
fleet.
It
is
mixture
of
skill,
memory
and
luck,
and
is
an
enticing
offering
for
customers
that
are
seeking
an
avenue
for
staying
entertained
while
waiting
in
airports
or
on
long-­‐haul
flights.
It
is
the
modern
day
equivalent
of
the
packs
of
cards
that
airlines
used
to
distribute
to
passengers
in
the
past.
The
Cargo
app
is
on
the
other
side
of
the
spectrum
of
offerings;
it
is
purely
a
utility
app
for
tracking
cargo
shipment
status
via
waybill
numbers.
The
only
element
of
interactivity
besides
the
tracking
function
is
the
ability
to
provide
feedback
about
the
app.
A
possible
improvement
could
be
to
add
a
locator
map
of
the
various
cargo
destinations
that
the
Lufthansa
network
serves.
11

12.
Miles
&
More
App
Smart
Opinion
App
LTT-­‐Viewer
App
The
remainder
of
the
smartphone
apps
is
available
solely
for
the
iOS
platform.
There
is
a
‘Miles
&
More’
App
that
is
another
utility
app.
It
provides
a
wide
variety
of
services
for
the
frequent
flyer;
users
can
access
their
mileage
account
info,
locate
airport
lounges,
find
partner
shops,
as
well
as
access
the
‘Member
Scout’
app
that
was
recently
integrated.
This
function
is
a
social
media
tool
that
allows
users
to
exchange
insider
tips
with
other
frequent
flyers
in
the
network.
The
‘Smart
Opinion’
app
functions
as
a
users
own
personal
feedback
portal
–
anytime
and
anywhere.
One
has
the
ability
to
select
from
a
wide
variety
of
Lufthansa’s
products
and
services
in
order
to
rate
and
provide
feedback.
It
is
an
ingenious
app
that
encourages
direct
engagement
by
the
user,
and
provides
the
company
the
ability
to
gain
direct
insights
into
the
perceived
performance
of
its
offerings.
Last
in
the
smartphone
app
lineup
is
the
LTT-­‐
Viewer
App.
This
offering
is
targeted
for
two
variants
of
users:
Aviation
enthusiasts
and
aviation
professionals.
This
app
is
a
very
rich
program
that
supplies
a
wide
variety
of
technical
information
about
civil
aircraft,
specifically
those
currently
in
operation
with
the
Lufthansa
fleet.
Considering
the
audience
for
which
it
was
intended,
while
it
is
a
fine
tool
for
devotees,
the
real
power
of
the
program
is
to
serve
as
a
technical
training
manual
for
technical
industry
specialists;
with
over
50
years
of
flight
operations
contributing
to
the
knowledge
base,
it
makes
for
a
superb
training
repository.
The
various
elements
of
the
program
are
organized
in
modules
for
easy
of
accessibility;
bearing
in
mind
the
volume
of
information
available,
and
the
audience
it
is
directed,
the
structure
and
usability
of
the
app
is
exemplary.
12

13.
iPad
Apps
‘Flagship’
iPad
App
While
a
number
of
apps
that
have
been
optimized
for
iPad
many
times
appear
to
be
just
a
‘larger’
version
of
the
smartphone
version,
this
is
not
the
case
with
Lufthansa’s
flagship
offering.
And
while
a
number
of
other
major
global
carriers
offer
similar
services,
they
tend
to
be
spread
over
a
number
of
apps.
But
this
offering
has
managed
to
consolidate
all
the
major
features
into
one
very
elegant
interface
that
users
can
enjoy
while
experiencing
the
world
of
Lufthansa.
Customers
can
use
this
app
not
only
to
enrich
their
experience
while
traveling
with
Lufthansa
(check-­‐in,
bookings,
seat
selection,
mileage
account,
flight
information,
weather
reports,
news,
etc.)
but
can
also
use
it
as
a
planner
for
their
future
travel
needs.
The
intuitive
touch
screen
interface
allows
users
to
search
image
galleries
and
access
information
of
over
70
cities
that
are
within
the
carrier’s
network.
Users
can
search
by
destination,
or
even
by
interests
(beach,
diving,
shopping,
etc.)
The
app
is
chocked
full
of
rich
content,
including
wallpaper,
videos
and
even
3D
animations.
It
appears
to
be
one
of
the
state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art
offerings
currently
available
that
enriches
the
experience
and
enhances
engagement
for
today’s
traveler.
13

14.
Magazin
App
Lufthansa’s
second
iPad
offering
is
a
digital
version
of
their
in-­‐flight
magazine,
Magazin.
The
content
is
the
same
as
the
hard
copy
edition,
providing
news
on
a
wide
variety
of
subjects,
including
travel,
locations,
sports,
culture,
etc.
A
number
of
additional
features
in
this
mobile
version
is
an
interactive
map
that
allows
users
to
access
in-­‐depth
information
and
imagery
of
multiple
global
destinations
that
have
been
featured
in
past
and
current
issues
of
the
magazine;
users
have
the
ability
to
even
access
background
and
contact
information
for
popular
locales.
Accompanying
music
and
videos
are
elements
of
rich
media
that
have
also
been
added
to
enhance
the
experience
and
encourage
interactivity.
An
interesting
element
is
that
the
latest
version
of
the
app
provides
statistical
user
information
data
back
to
Lufthansa,
which
no
doubt
serves
to
measure
engagement,
as
well
as
helps
to
refine
the
elements
of
the
app
to
better
serve
the
needs
of
the
user.
14

15.
Planet
App
The
third
iPad
offering
is
a
digital
version
of
the
Planet
magazine,
a
publication
geared
for
airfreight
professionals.
This
is
appears
to
be
a
fairly
new
app,
and
by
looking
at
the
details
on
the
App
Store
site,
one
would
expect
another
elegant
and
interactive
offering
from
Lufthansa.
Unfortunately,
the
app
would
not
download
data
and
continued
to
repeat
a
“failed
to
connect
to
server”
error,
even
after
reloading
the
app
from
the
store.
It
appears
that
the
organization
has
some
‘bugs’
to
work
out
with
this
contribution
to
their
mobile
services.
15

16.
Smart/Opinion
App
The
Smart/Opinion
app
for
the
iPad
is
essentially
the
same
app
as
the
one
developed
for
smartphones.
It
provides
a
very
similar
experience,
with
the
exception
that
the
interface
has
been
expanded
for
iPad
users.
16

17.
LTT
Viewer
App
The
LTT
Viewer
app
for
the
iPad
is
structured
very
similarly
to
the
version
for
the
smartphone,
though
it
has
been
optimized
for
iPad
users.
Essentially
the
larger
screen
size
of
a
tablet
provides
more
‘real
estate’
for
more
expansive
views
of
the
various
menu
categories.
It
also
has
an
additional
screen
that
provides
direct
links
to
the
Lufthansa
Technical
Training
(LTT)
company
optimized
website
(see
image
at
upper
right
hand
of
page),
which
provides
a
plethora
of
information
about
the
organization
and
its
program
and
services.
This
is
a
worthwhile
upgrade
for
serious
technical
users
that
are
utilizing
a
tablet
as
a
connection.
17

18.
Lido/iRoute
App
&
Lido
Enroute
The
last
three
of
Lufthansa’s
app
offerings
for
the
iPad
app
were
not
designed
for
the
‘average’
consumer.
These
apps
are
highly
specialized
navigation
programs
that
were
developed
for
pilots
and
flight
enthusiasts.
While
all
the
other
apps
that
are
marketing
by
Lufthansa
are
free,
the
standard
version
of
the
Lido/iRouteManual
app
is
priced
at
$19.99.
This
program
delivers
professional
level
aeronautical
charts
for
40
major
airports.
This
offering
is
geared
for
three
major
user
groups:
• Airline
pilots
that
require
navigation
charts
and
would
be
inclined
to
use
preflight
briefing
convenience.
• Professional
pilots
that
are
inclined
to
be
acquainted
with
the
Lido
navigation
charts.
• Aviation
enthusiasts
and
flight
simulator
operators
that
would
desire
to
use
professional
navigation
charts
while
they
‘fly’.
The
‘Pro’
version
of
this
app
was
intended
for
‘power’
Lido
users
that
require
more
extensive
information
(for
airline
and
professional
pilots)
for
more
efficient
flight
and
navigation
operations.
The
final
offering
is
the
Lido/Enroute
app;
this
program
provides
the
actual
charts
for
the
Lido/RouteManual
navigation
system.
The
charts
are
considered
as
the
top
choice
for
instrument
flight
systems
within
the
entire
global
industry.
These
charts
can
be
downloaded
and
stored
locally
on
the
device
so
that
they
are
always
available
for
use,
regardless
of
an
internet
or
cellular
connection.
It
is
interesting
to
note
that
Lufthansa
has
created
this
state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art
system
of
iPad
suite
of
apps
that
are
available
not
only
for
their
own
fleet
pilots,
but
also
for
users
that
are
employed
by
their
direct
competitors.
18

19. These
products
demonstrate
once
again
that
Lufthansa
continues
to
be
a
market
leader
and
a
highly
visionary
organization
within
its
industry,
providing
state
of
the
art
mobile
applications
for
a
wide
variety
of
users,
and
delivering
exemplary
experiences
unparalleled
by
any
competitor’s
offerings.
Future
State
of
Mobile
Offerings
While
Lufthansa
has
a
very
broad
line
of
products
that
do
an
outstanding
job
serving
the
needs
of
a
variety
of
different
user
groups,
it
was
noted
during
the
evaluation
that
none
of
the
mobile
technologies
provided
strong
promotions
efforts
or
offer-­‐
based
incentives
outside
the
norm.
Such
promotional
efforts
may
have
been
omitted
purposely
in
order
to
stay
within
the
strategic
focus
of
providing
an
uncluttered
and
customer–driven
experience;
this
would
be
in
a
similar
vein
of
a
strategy
by
other
luxury
brands
–
to
focus
on
outstanding
products
and
services,
avoiding
the
more
price
sensitive
consumer
segment.
Still,
there
may
be
value
in
offering
special
promotions
through
messaging
and
other
mobile
services.
It
was
notable
that
Lufthansa
was
the
first
air
carrier
to
be
launched
with
Apple’s
new
Passbook
app,
once
again
leading
the
charge
in
providing
cutting
edge
services
through
mobile
devices.
There
is
no
doubt
that
Lufthansa,
with
it’s
very
technically
rich
brand,
will
continue
to
lead
the
industry
in
adopting
advanced
level
technology
to
enhance
engagement
and
user
experience.
It’s
team
of
specialists
are
probably
busy
testing
and
developing
new
technologies
to
enhance
its
mobile
product
line,
including
augmented
reality
(identifying
and
defining
seat
selection
on
aircraft),
rich
media
(expanding
its
line
of
streaming
informational
and
entertainment
videos),
and
geolocation
(adding
real
time
positioning
to
navigation
charts/providing
real-­‐time
location
services
for
passenger
as
they
travel
through
unfamiliar
airports/cargo
shipment
tracking)
services.
Near
Field
Communications
(NFC)
systems
is
another
technology
that
will
surely
be
utilized
with
their
offerings
in
the
very
near
future
(onsite
mobile
payment
both
at
airports
and
during
inflight).
And
with
the
launch
of
Microsoft’s
new
Windows
8
platform
that
is
accompanied
by
the
new
line
of
tablets,
it
is
certain
that
Lufthansa
will
soon
be
expanding
its
mobile
product
line
for
the
Windows
Phone
and
Surface
tablet.
Check
back
soon
to
see
what
this
visionary
company
offers
its
customers
and
users
next.
Lufthansa
should
be
perceived
as
way
more
than
‘just
an
airline’
–
they
are
a
leader
in
‘global
and
mobile’
transportation
services.
19