Christmas, New Year ticket bargains on offer in Lufthansa's live internet auction

Bids for flights to London, Paris, Rome and other European cities start at HK$500 and NT$ 399.

Lufthansa is offering travellers from Hong Kong and Taipei the chance to fly to some of the most exciting cities in Europe for as little as HK$500 and NT$399 a pair when its second "live" internet auction in Greater China gets under way on November 23.

Fifteen pairs of return tickets from Hong Kong and eight from Taipei will be on offer via Lufthansa's internet site, www.lufthansa-greaterchina.com, when the auctioneer starts the bidding, which will be open for 7 hours (10:00am – 5:00pm).

They give travellers the chance to go Christmas shopping in London spend Christmas Day in Paris, New Year's Eve in Rome or enjoy the sights in some of Europe's most historic cities when 2001 gets underway.

Also on the list from Hong Kong are Germany's three top destinations, Berlin, Munich and Hamburg and capital cities such as Athens, Prague, Budapest and Vienna. Milan and Zurich are included as well.

Taipei office offers ticket from Hong Kong to Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Paris, London, Zurich and Rome.

"Our first Greater China internet auction in June, 1998 was a great success," said Juergen Thomsen, Lufthansa’s General Manager for Southern China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. "This time we want to offer our customers the chance to see the beauty of European cities in the winter when they offer a whole new world of winter delights for Asian visitors.

"There should be some real bargains to be had. Bidding starts as low as HK$500 and NT$399 for economy class tickets worth HK$9,080 or NT$35,000. Bids go up at as little as HK$20 or NT$100 increments.

"Lufthansa's internet sites are of increasing importance to our customers. They can already book tickets from them, plan their trips and check their schedules. Now, as a way of thanking them for their loyalty, we are offering the chance to buy these tickets at low prices."

Potential bidders must register in advance at the Lufthansa website before joining the auction. They will be able to obtain the schedule, details of flight destinations and bidding times from the site. Departure dates run from early December to the middle of February.

As soon as the virtual site is opened by the Lufthansa auctioneer, users can enter with a mouse click. Then they will be invited to place a bid. The auctioneer will lead the proceedings.

The winners will be announced after the third strike of the virtual hammer, once a successful bid has been made. Confirmation of purchase will be sent by e-mail or telephone. Tickets can be picked up at Lufthansa's Hong Kong or Taipei offices.

The first live auction on Lufthansa InfoFlyway took place in June 1997 in Germany and subsequent auctions have attracted large numbers of bidders.

More information is available from the Lufthansa Greater China website: www.lufthansa-greaterchina.com

Lufthansa German Airlines has been named “Airline of the Year 2000” by Air Transport World, the internationally famous aviation magazine and is the official airline for EXPO 2000 at Hannover. It was recently placed fourth in the airline section of Fortune magazine's list of the world's most admired companies and corporations.

It operates 10 non-stop flights a week from Hong Kong to its Frankfurt hub and is the only airline offering passengers a choice of day or night flights from Hong Kong to Europe.

As a founding member of the Star Alliance, Lufthansa has developed one of the most comprehensive alliance networks in the industry, with partnerships serving all six continents.