Lufthansa pilots to decide on new pay offer next week

German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit said it needed more time to examine a new pay offer from Lufthansa , lifting the threat of further strikes this week.

Lufthansa has proposed new details, and reviewing the offer will take a week, a spokesman for the union, which represents around 5,400 Lufthansa pilots, said on Monday.

Six days of stoppages over the last two weeks grounded 4,460 flights and disrupted the travel plans of more than 525,000 passengers, costing Lufthansa between 60 and 90 million euros ($64 million-$96 million) so far.

Lufthansa, which is seeking to cut costs, has repeatedly called on the pilots to talk, and last week made a new pay offer, dropping demands for concessions.

Its latest offer comprises an increase of 4.4 percent in two instalments in 2016 and 2017, plus a one-off payment worth 1.8 months' pay.

The pilots have asked for an average annual 3.7 percent increase over a five year period backdated to 2012, which is when their last collective bargaining contract with Lufthansa expired.

(Reporting by Peter Maushagen; Writing by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Keith Weir)