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Whereas travelers used to rely on staying in hotels or crashing with friends and family, Airbnb has quite literally opened the doors to strangers’ homes. Now, the booking site is taking its listings a step further by allowing travelers to book a “stay” with Lufthansa — you read that right — on a round-trip flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to New York in its premium economy cabin.
The listing appears to be the first of its kind. And while it’s an exciting option for travelers — especially those looking to fly transatlantic — there are some interesting intricacies listed in the “House Rules.” First, the listing includes a round-trip ticket in Lufthansa’s premium economy cabin from Frankfurt to New York, but not the other way around, so you must get to Frankfurt on your own. In addition, although the price you pay does include a round-trip ticket, you will only be able to book the outbound leg through Airbnb’s website as a one-night stay. Once booked, a representative from Lufthansa will contact you to book the return date.
You can book this ticket now for travel between August 23 and December 15, 2016. Keep in mind that there is a minimum stay of four days and a maximum stay of one month required.
Where Lufthansa’s terms differ from those of Airbnb is in the cancellation policy. Lufthansa’s terms state that the flight cannot be canceled and is nonrefundable, but it “can be altered for a fee.” However, Airbnb lists the cancellation policy as “Flexible,” meaning that you’ll get a full refund up to one day prior to arrival, with the exception of some fees. We reached out to Lufthansa on Airbnb for a comment, but haven’t heard back from either company yet.
As for the price of the “stay,” it looks to be a pretty great deal. Fares for the round-trip ticket are going for $791 plus $95 in service fees for a total of $886. To compare, the same ticket (with a return date of October 25 — a five-day stay), is going for 933 euros (or about $1,027) — saving you around $321 just for booking it through Airbnb.
The main photo for the listing shows a Lufthansa 747, however, the sample listing for the same date lists the aircraft as an A380. On the A380, Lufthansa’s premium economy product offers 38 inches of pitch and 19 inches of width in a 2-4-2 configuration. Not too shabby.
Overall, this looks to be quite a good deal — and a fun way to go about doing it on Lufthansa’s part. The only major hold-up is that the round-trip flight must originate in Frankfurt, so US-based travelers probably won’t be able to take advantage unless their plans match up. Nevertheless, this “Luxury Awaits Above the Clouds” listing is something new and exciting.
Source: thepointsguy.com