New Bristol to Frankfurt service connects South West

A new service from Bristol to the German city of Frankfurt will offer a quick and easy connection into Lufthansa’s ‘Gateway to the World’ for both business and leisure travellers in the South West.

Lufthansa German Airlines will introduce the new three times a day service on 30th March 2008 to coincide with the start of the Summer 2008 timetable. The timings of the new flights, offering 94 seats in a two class configuration, have been scheduled to enable passengers to access the quickest onward connections to Lufthansa’s worldwide network which currently offers 13,272 flights a week to 188 destinations in 79 countries.

“This new service is a direct response to business traveller demand“, said Marianne Sammann, Lufthansa General Manager UK and Ireland. “The Bristol area includes the headquarters of a number of global companies - including Airbus, HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland), Hewlett-Packard, Knorr-Bremse, Orange and Rolls-Royce – and they will now be able to take advantage of Lufthansa’ s reputation for punctuality and efficiency from their local airport.

“The Lufthansa frequent flyer programme ’Miles and More’ already has 11,000 members within an hour of Bristol International Airport and the new service proves we have listened to what our customers have said. We have ensured that the timetable provides excellent connections to both our European and world-wide network from our Frankfurt hub.

“Lufthansa offers a range of highly competitive fares for both business and leisure travellers. We will be offering one way fares from Bristol to Frankfurt from just £39, inclusive of all taxes and charges, as well as highly competitive Business Class fares to all our destinations. For example, a return Business Class ticket to Shanghai will be available from £1,649.”

Frankfurt itself remains a popular destination, especially for those wishing to visit the numerous trade fairs and exhibitions that take place there every year. The city also boasts an excellent cultural pedigree with first rate museums, high-calibre performance groups, local festivals and beautiful surrounding countryside as well as the traditional German markets, especially popular during the weeks leading up to Christmas

Tony Hallwood, Aviation Development Director at Bristol International Airport, said:

“The introduction of direct daily services between Bristol International and Frankfurt is fantastic news, once again linking the South West with Germany’s financial centre and Europe’s most prosperous city. Operated by one of Europe’s leading international flag carriers, Lufthansa, with its world renowned reputation for reliability and high service standards, this route really delivers for the South West’s business community.

“The three-times daily frequency will make day-long business trips to Frankfurt a reality. As well as providing onward connections to Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Far East, Australasia, USA, Canada and South America, this key new service will further reduce the need for road and rail journeys to Heathrow. This connectivity is also great news for the region’s inbound tourism industry, as it opens up new markets for German visitors to Bristol, Bath and beyond.”

With a flight time of under two hours, the early departure from Bristol at 6.20am will get passengers into Frankfurt at 9.05am local time and with the railway station located directly beneath the airport, Frankfurt city centre can be easily reached in only 10 minutes. Day trip travellers then have a choice of return services at 4.15pm and 9.30pm, giving up to twelve hours in the city to carry out business or take in the sights with the later flight arriving back in Bristol at 10.20pm.