Connecting the world's two biggest exporters
By Lu Feiran |
July 3, 2013, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
JUERG Christen, managing director of China of Lufthansa German Airlines, has worked in the industry right since graduation from a transport college in Switzerland.
Christen has very rich experiences working in foreign countries. Before coming to Shanghai in August, 2011, he had worked in other Asian countries such as India and South Korea.
Although he hasn't been in China for long, he said both him and the company will grow with the country market as well as the customers.
Lufthansa has a very long history and has deep connection with China. The company had its first flight from Germany to China in 1926, the year when the airline was founded. Now the Lufthansa Group, including Lufthansa Passenger Airlines, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines, has 81 flights every week between Europe and China.
Now the company has four daily flights from Shanghai, two to Frankfurt, one to Munich and one to Zurich.
"China and Germany are the two biggest export nations in the world," said Christen. "Lufthansa has a very important role linking the two nations. We have always wanted to provide safe, reliable and convenient transport between the two countries. This is our great achievement."
He said the biggest challenge for the company is that whether its investment will get rewards in the future and whether customers would love the service of the company.
"Customers now of course have many choices," said Christen. "We have to give our customers reasons to choose Lufthansa."
The long history of Lufthansa in China has allowed the company to witness the change of the country as well as its people. Christen said that now Chinese customers are eager to travel, love to see the world and independent. And Chinese customers value quality very much, so it is important that the airline company offering the service that values their money.
In total, Lufthansa employs 370 Chinese flight attendants. In addition, Frankfurt airport has Chinese language assistance so that passengers can easily find their way to transfer the flights.
And from September 26 Lufthansa will adopt the Airbus A380 to the flights between Shanghai and Frankfurt - which means additional capacity and additional comfort for the customers.
In April, the carrier allocated the Boeing 747-8 for the route between Hong Kong and Frankfurt.
Christen said the continuous communication between Chinese customers and the company has helped push it to improve services.
"A big realization for me after working here is that the communication means between Chinese customers and the country has changed for the past a few years," he said. "Chinese customers rely heavily on social media to communicate with the company."
Lufthansa is very active on some Chinese social media websites, such as weibo.com microblog, the most influential information-oriented social media website in the country.
"Chinese customers love to share their experiences and their travel stories with us, and we receive good reactions from our Chinese customers and fans," said Christen.
Before joining Lufthansa, Christen worked for Swissair and Swiss International Airlines for over 20 years.
"It was always a dream for me to be in the aviation industry," he said.
"And when I was young, it was really an ideal job for young people to join airlines."
When he first joined the company, everything to him was new. He had to learn to deal with the tickets and cargo and go through various training programs.
Before moving to Shanghai, Christen had been on several business trips to China and said Shanghai has always been his favorite.
"To me Shanghai is a very special place, a dynamic, open city," he said. "The people here are very cosmopolitan, open and business-minded. And also food in Shanghai is one of my favorites in the entire world."
Christen said every country he had lived was totally different, but wherever he lived, he enjoyed the place a lot. For now, he is more than content to live in China, particularly Shanghai.
"If there is a chance for me to choose a place to live, I'll definitely choose Shanghai," he said.
Q: What is your favorite holiday destination?
Now my favorite holiday destination is in China. I live here, so I really love to travel around and enjoy the country. For me, a holiday basically means traveling, seeing, learning and experiencing. It not only has something to do with tourism, but with all the senses of being human. China really has many things to offer.
Q: What in your opinion is ideal service?
There are three key elements: Safety, which is the No. 1 rule; reliability and convenience. It is always important to offer what customers need. You must have the connections, timing, service and other things that the customers expect.
Q: What is your favorite means of travel?
Of course, for me it's by air. Flying is fast and convenient, and I think it is particularly enjoyable to travel by the Airbus A380 because it's really smooth and silent. Flying for me is not only transport from one place to another, but it also gives me a special feeling to be above the world and above the clouds.
Q: What is your favorite destination in China?
Last summer we traveled to central China, including Xi'an, Pingyao and Yueyang. This was a very fantastic experience to see how ancient China was founded and built. So far those are my favorite destinations.
Q: What is your motto for life?
Every day you have the chance to make it the best in your life. Every day is special in our lives.
Christen has very rich experiences working in foreign countries. Before coming to Shanghai in August, 2011, he had worked in other Asian countries such as India and South Korea.
Although he hasn't been in China for long, he said both him and the company will grow with the country market as well as the customers.
Lufthansa has a very long history and has deep connection with China. The company had its first flight from Germany to China in 1926, the year when the airline was founded. Now the Lufthansa Group, including Lufthansa Passenger Airlines, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines, has 81 flights every week between Europe and China.
Now the company has four daily flights from Shanghai, two to Frankfurt, one to Munich and one to Zurich.
"China and Germany are the two biggest export nations in the world," said Christen. "Lufthansa has a very important role linking the two nations. We have always wanted to provide safe, reliable and convenient transport between the two countries. This is our great achievement."
He said the biggest challenge for the company is that whether its investment will get rewards in the future and whether customers would love the service of the company.
"Customers now of course have many choices," said Christen. "We have to give our customers reasons to choose Lufthansa."
The long history of Lufthansa in China has allowed the company to witness the change of the country as well as its people. Christen said that now Chinese customers are eager to travel, love to see the world and independent. And Chinese customers value quality very much, so it is important that the airline company offering the service that values their money.
In total, Lufthansa employs 370 Chinese flight attendants. In addition, Frankfurt airport has Chinese language assistance so that passengers can easily find their way to transfer the flights.
And from September 26 Lufthansa will adopt the Airbus A380 to the flights between Shanghai and Frankfurt - which means additional capacity and additional comfort for the customers.
In April, the carrier allocated the Boeing 747-8 for the route between Hong Kong and Frankfurt.
Christen said the continuous communication between Chinese customers and the company has helped push it to improve services.
"A big realization for me after working here is that the communication means between Chinese customers and the country has changed for the past a few years," he said. "Chinese customers rely heavily on social media to communicate with the company."
Lufthansa is very active on some Chinese social media websites, such as weibo.com microblog, the most influential information-oriented social media website in the country.
"Chinese customers love to share their experiences and their travel stories with us, and we receive good reactions from our Chinese customers and fans," said Christen.
Before joining Lufthansa, Christen worked for Swissair and Swiss International Airlines for over 20 years.
"It was always a dream for me to be in the aviation industry," he said.
"And when I was young, it was really an ideal job for young people to join airlines."
When he first joined the company, everything to him was new. He had to learn to deal with the tickets and cargo and go through various training programs.
Before moving to Shanghai, Christen had been on several business trips to China and said Shanghai has always been his favorite.
"To me Shanghai is a very special place, a dynamic, open city," he said. "The people here are very cosmopolitan, open and business-minded. And also food in Shanghai is one of my favorites in the entire world."
Christen said every country he had lived was totally different, but wherever he lived, he enjoyed the place a lot. For now, he is more than content to live in China, particularly Shanghai.
"If there is a chance for me to choose a place to live, I'll definitely choose Shanghai," he said.
Q: What is your favorite holiday destination?
Now my favorite holiday destination is in China. I live here, so I really love to travel around and enjoy the country. For me, a holiday basically means traveling, seeing, learning and experiencing. It not only has something to do with tourism, but with all the senses of being human. China really has many things to offer.
Q: What in your opinion is ideal service?
There are three key elements: Safety, which is the No. 1 rule; reliability and convenience. It is always important to offer what customers need. You must have the connections, timing, service and other things that the customers expect.
Q: What is your favorite means of travel?
Of course, for me it's by air. Flying is fast and convenient, and I think it is particularly enjoyable to travel by the Airbus A380 because it's really smooth and silent. Flying for me is not only transport from one place to another, but it also gives me a special feeling to be above the world and above the clouds.
Q: What is your favorite destination in China?
Last summer we traveled to central China, including Xi'an, Pingyao and Yueyang. This was a very fantastic experience to see how ancient China was founded and built. So far those are my favorite destinations.
Q: What is your motto for life?
Every day you have the chance to make it the best in your life. Every day is special in our lives.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
