Lufthansa Cargo wants to give you a free trip to Frankfurt — Again!

Last year Lufthansa Cargo held what it called “The Air Cargo Innovation Challenge,” in which it asked for new and interesting air cargo ideas, with an all-expenses-paid trip to Frankfurt and flight training with a Lufthansa Cargo pilot as the first prize. This year, they’re doing it again, with the additional incentive that three winners will get that top prize (as well as frequent flyer miles on parent airline Lufthansa).

We at Cargo Facts are a bit jealous, because all we can afford to offer as a prize in our occasional contests is coffee and a doughnut, but we like Lufthansa Cargo’s idea and are happy to give it a bit of a push.  Here’s what LH Cargo has to say about this year’s event:

• Without the efficient and precise handling of thousands of tons of air cargo every day, we would need a lot more patience waiting for our new flat screens, iPhones, designer clothes, etc. from overseas. Customer service plays a major role in the air cargo process, linking the customer, shipper and airline. The 2nd Air Cargo Innovation Challenge seeks your new and creative ideas about how customer service should look and function in the coming years. The contest especially focuses on customer touchpoints, where the customer and the customer service department have specific contact; apps / all means of new technology communication and customer loyalty programs. There is also an area called the “Blank Room”, where the contestant is invited to submit their most exciting and out-of-the-box ideas which do not fit into the other three categories.

Full details are available on the Lufthansa Cargo contest website and I won’t cover them all here, but the basic concept is that a panel of senior executives at Lufthansa cargo will consider all the entries, and select the winning ideas, with prizes going to the top three. The deadline for entries is 7 November, so you’ve got a little over a month to come up with your winning submission.

And even if you’re not interested in boosting LHC’s bottom line, you can check out the website to see if you can use some of the ideas in your own operation.