The union which represents around two thirds of Lufthansa's 19,000 cabin crew, would not say which locations will be targeted or give the exact timing of strikes, saying only it would give six hours' notice.

"We do not want to give Lufthansa the opportunity to prepare for the strike by getting replacement crews ready," UFO head Nicoley Baublies told Reuters on Thursday.

Lufthansa has previously said it would seek to keep disruptions to a minimum by using cabin crew who were not part of the union or by drafting staff from other units.

A spokesman for the airline said it had several strategies to mitigate the impact of striking staff.

Germany's leading airline, which operates around 1,850 flights daily, and the UFO union have been negotiating for 13 months over pay and working conditions.

The union wants a 5 percent pay rise and guarantees that Lufthansa will not outsource jobs and use temporary workers.

Lufthansa says it needs to cut costs to battle rising fuel prices and increased competition.

(Reporting By Andreas Cremer and Marilyn Gerlach; Editing by Dan Lalor)

• A Permanent Economic Emergency