The Hindu : Lufthansa becoming more cyber-friendly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

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National

Lufthansa becoming more cyber-friendly

By T.S. Shankar

CHENNAI, MARCH 13. The German carrier, Lufthansa, is on the threshold of making itself more cyber-friendly at a time when global and domestic airlines are vying with one another to provide "customised service" to retain their market share.

Giving details of the "Fly-Net Project" at a news conference to a group of journalists from the Asia-Pacific region at the airline's main maintenance base at Frankfurt airport, Hoger Hatty, executive vice-president, Network Management, Information Technology and Purchasing, said Lufthansa technicians were working on improvements to the first Internet system worldwide aboard passenger aircraft.

Six Airbus-340s are now being provided with a new, technically more refined "antenna system." To be launched with the Connexion of Boeing being the service provider, the facility will enable the traveller while cruising on board to have access to the network via a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

"We have taken up this work on a war-footing to make the frequent flyers to feel more at home — you can be in touch with your family with the help of web cameras or meet the requirements of any demanding bosses at the official end," Dr. Hatty says. The passenger can enter the Internet with his personal laptop via a special Lufthansa Fly Net Portal, offered both in German and English. With the portal, the inter-continental traveller will be provided with a range of information coordinated with the in-flight situation, updated by the hour via satellite. "We are planning to provide news content in German and English, travel information, shopping possibilities and comprehensive data of the services offered by the European carrier."

While the entry of the Lufthansa portal is free of charge, the Internet access is subject to a payment of fee. A flat rate for the entire long-haul journey will be $29.95.

Apart from informing the frequent flyers through the mobile phones about the current status of the flight departures and arrivals, setting up E-ticketing kiosks which act as quick boarding hubs at Frankfurt and Munich airports, a new SMS Push Alert Service is in the process of being introduced covering all aspects of a passenger's journey with Lufthansa including changes in air traffic relevant to the passenger.

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