Polish low-cost carrier Centralwings has joined forces with Germanwings, even before its first flight has gotten off the ground.
It was never a surprise. Since the official launch of Centralwings just over a month ago, it's been clear that the similarity its name shares with that of its older German counterpart was no accident. Now the two carriers have made their partnership official, with the creation of an alliance that both companies see as the beginning of a pan-European airline platform, with other low-cost airlines invited to join.
Booking a Centralwings flight is now only a click away on Germanwings' website, and vice-versa. Their timetables have also been adjusted in order to allow comfortable connections. Company officials envision hopping seamlessly from Cologne through Warsaw and on to the Mediterranean. To stay out of each other's way, Centralwings will fly to Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, leaving hubs in Cologne and Bonn to its German partner.
"We are beginning the creation of a joint marketing strategy and image," says the CEO of Centralwings, Piotr Kociołek. Companies will share handling agents at airports and create a unified booking system-a one-stop shop for budget travelers.
The platform, dubbed 'the Wings concept', is open to other carriers, explain officials from both fliers. Analysts like Grzegorz Sobczak from air-market consultants MGN, predict that small, regional operators serving as shuttles for traditional national airlines will be the first candidates to step on board. For Air Dolomiti, Gandalf or bankrupt Volareweb, consolidation might be the only option left.
"We should remember what happened to Go! when it didn't agree to be taken over by easyJet," says Sobczak. The smaller operator could not withstand easyJet's London-market, low-price barrage.
The Polish-German alliance can hope to draw in some smaller players, but should not count on cooperating with Europe's number one and two. Analysts agree that Ryanair and easyJet will only consolidate under their own brands.