Las Vegas gains new summer flight to Germany

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 1999 | 11:08 a.m.

When Condor German Airlines begins its summer season, it will fly passengers nonstop between Munich and Las Vegas for the first time.

An airline spokeswoman said Condor would increase its schedule from one to two flights a week to and from Germany beginning May 3.

On Fridays, the airline will continue its current flights between McCarran International Airport and Frankfurt. On Mondays, the airline will alternate Las Vegas flights to and from Munich and Cologne.

In previous summer seasons, Condor has offered the Cologne service.

Condor operates a twin-engine Boeing 767 jumbo jet with a capacity of 269 passengers. Business and economy classes are offered on the Las Vegas flights, which take 10 hours.

Spokeswoman Silvia Funke said the airline operates summer and winter seasons and is the holiday travel subsidiary of Lufthansa Airlines. The summer season runs through the end of October.

In the winter season, the airline designates the planes for operations to the Dominican Republic and on long-haul flights within Europe.

Funke said Condor evaluates its holiday destinations frequently.

"We're trying something new with the Munich flight," Funke said by phone from Condor USA's Chicago headquarters. "It'll be evaluated after a few months."

She said Las Vegas is considered a potential growth market for the company. The round-trip fare to Las Vegas for German tourists in the peak season: $1,800.

"We always bring another Las Vegas flight back for the summer season because we know it's popular for German tourists," she said.

Condor began as Lufthansa's charter subsidiary, then became a scheduled carrier specializing in leisure markets about five years ago.