Look For The Silver Lining...

This past week, several major European airlines announced decreases in flights to and within Europe. Air France KLM has announced a reduction in capacity of “-3.4 percent on the long-haul network and -3.4 percent on the medium-haul network,” and Lufthansa announced that it would cancel “certain frequencies and [combine] routes and flights.”

It’s bad news, sure, but just a sign of the times. Every belt is tightening, and as we’ve mentioned before, supply and demand must be kept in balance.

But not every story spells gloom and doom. In the same article announcing their reduction in capacity, however, Lufthansa also announces that it will “expand its route network in Eastern Europe,” with flights to and from Poland, Ukraine, Dusseldorf and Dubrovnik, among other destinations. Reuters also reported that the new Lufthansa Italia carrier would help the company’s overall capacity rise by 0.6 percent.

So for every story you hear about service being cut, take a closer look. Some routes are being eliminated or combined, true, but the proverb about closing doors and opening windows remains true. If it becomes too cumbersome for your clients to visit Paris, maybe they’ll have an easier (and more affordable) time visiting Prague. Don’t be afraid to look for the silver lining. Your clients may get a more memorable vacation for it.