The Financial Times Deutschland reported on Thursday that corporate customers had been forced to give the airline sensitive information about its competitors in order to receive discounts.
“The contracts are set up so that to get a rebate companies are compelled to hand over extensive flight data offering insight into the pricing of competitors,” a spokeswoman for competition authority, the Bundeskartellamt, told the paper.
Among other information, Lufthansa reportedly wanted to know what business travellers paid to fly with Air Berlin and Air France-KLM. The airline also apparently wanted data on all flights paid with company credit cards.
The FTD said the contracts had been forced on all companies looking for corporate discounts with Lufthansa.
Although many firms agreed to give Lufthansa the information, others including Volkswagen and engine maker Deutz reportedly refused.
“Handing over all data is something that’s simply impossible,” Christa Degen-Kodinger, travel manager for Deutz, told the paper.
The paper said a spokesman for the airline would not comment on the allegations.
The Local/mry
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