Lufthansa Stories on a Journey

A Trip to Whistler – and the Beginning of a Great Love Story  

People often get to know each other faster in unfamiliar surroundings than in everyday life. Everything feels a little more intense – new places, new experiences, a small group of people traveling together for a few days. That’s exactly how it was for Annette and Dennis Poyda. The flight attendant and the now-pilot met in 2016 on a flight to Vancouver. Today, ten years later, they’ve been married for five years – and their love story is immortalized on an airplane  

Annette and Dennis Poyda’s love story began in 2016 above the clouds between Munich and Vancouver. Both flight attendants at the time (Dennis is now a pilot for Lufthansa), they were assigned to the same flight but barely knew each other. That changed the very next day after their arrival, when they joined four colleagues on a trip from Vancouver to Whistler to go skiing. Annette spontaneously joined the group along with another colleague.  

Originally, they had planned to fly back to Vancouver afterwards on a seaplane that lands right at the crew hotel. But the weather threw a wrench in the works: the flight was canceled, and the group ended up staying longer in Whistler. They eventually drove back to Vancouver together, stopping at scenic viewpoints and going on short hikes. In the evening, they went out to dinner and later met up at a pool party at the hotel. “That’s where we really got to know each other,” Dennis recalls. “In our line of work, personal bonds form quickly. You’re on the road together for a few days and talk about things that would otherwise take much longer to come up in conversation.”  

Back in Munich, the two continued to see each other. Their friendship slowly turned into something more – and five years later, Annette and Dennis got married. A lot changed professionally in that time, too: Dennis left the cabin crew and began pilot training. After five years with Lufthansa CityLine, he now sits in the cockpit of a Lufthansa aircraft. Annette continues to work as a flight attendant for the airline – and occasionally, the schedule works out so that they’re on board together. So far, that’s happened twice, on flights to Stockholm and Porto. It feels completely normal to Annette now when her husband is in the cockpit. Only sometimes does she joke among friends: “It’s pretty amazing that he’s actually flying a plane up there.”  

A love of nature brought Annette and Dennis together from the very beginning – which is why Vancouver was the perfect place for them to meet: the city right by the ocean, the mountains in the background, and the wilderness just a short drive away. Working above the clouds continues to play a special role in their relationship. “Flying isn’t just a job for us, it’s a shared passion,” says Dennis. “And when friends see the drawing on the plane of us skiing as part of the ‘Involve Me’ special livery celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary, it will be a truly special moment.”  

Two Hands, One Family: the Message Behind the “100 Years – One Family” Design

The design by Andreas Spiewak, Torsten Susemihl, and Panagiotis Hatzizelidis, created to mark Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary, features two interlocking hands and symbolizes the team spirit that is fostered across many departments at Lufthansa

At the Lufthansa Technik paint shop in Hamburg, Andreas Spiewak, Torsten Susemihl, and Panagiotis Hatzizelidis witness every day how many people with different skills work on an aircraft. This inspired their design for the “Special Livery Iconic Moments”: two interlocking hands featuring people and symbols from the world of Lufthansa, such as a mechanic, a pilot, a flight attendant, landing gear, and an engine.

“We’re thrilled that our design made it onto the plane celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary,” says Andreas Spiewak. “It’s not something you experience every day.” There’s a good reason why their design features the tagline “100 Years – One Family”: “At Lufthansa, we see ourselves as one big family,” says Spiewak. “Not just because we experience every day in our jobs that we can only achieve our goals by working together, but also because the idea of family has personal significance for us. Torsten has been working at Lufthansa Technik for over 40 years. His daughter is now part of the team as well. Panagiotis has been at the company for 32 years, and his two sons work here too. I’ve been here for four years now.”

What particularly appealed to the three Lufthansa employees about the project was the chance to design their own concept rather than simply implementing someone else’s. To do so, they met several times after work and sketched out initial ideas with pen and paper. “We later finalized the design on the computer and submitted it. Now it’s being transferred to the aircraft with just minimal changes,” says Spiewak. “That fills us with pride and is a great honor. Especially because our design is located on the aircraft right near the entrance area. We can’t wait to board there for the first time.”

Over the coming weeks, more stories will be added – an article that grows piece by piece.