Peter.GM - 12/11/2011 08:48 GMT
I had an awful and ridiculous experience.
I am a Dutch expat, living in Moscow but I have a small apartment near Barcelona.
So to sometimes escape the cold winters in Moscow, I travel for a long weekend from Moscow to Barcelona.
So also on Friday 11 nov with the flight LH 2529 from Moscow to Munich.
The flight was delayed (can happen), but we still landed at a time that allowed me to catch my next flight to Barcelona (LH 1816).
But NOTHING was arranged. I am frequent flyer from 3 alliances, fly at least twice per month with various airlines, but I have never seen such a lack of service and lack of information.
So, there was no gate, no bus, so we had to wait. Finally the bus came….wait and when I was in the terminal…I run, run and run.
Then nothing was mentioned on the bill boards. Gate to Barcelona was changed, I didn’t get information (normally the purser tells you in the plane where to go) and it was a miracle…but I arrived at the gate 10 min before time (G17). Almost all airlines even mention on the boarding pass that the gate will close 10 min before departure time but apparently Lufthansa is not adhering to the international practice. Because the ladies decided that the gate was closed and whatever I asked, nothing was possible. The arrogance, the lack of help….unbelievable. If looks like that the ‘madams’ wanted to celebrate weekend and hence it was decided to close the gate earlier while they knew I was coming (and not only me). TERRIBLE!!!
I am platinum elite from KLM/Airfrance, fly often with Swiss Air and Austrian airlines, Singapore Airlines and now the first time again Lufthansa (after a previous terrible experience in Frankfurt last year due to 5cm snow).
My dear fellow bloggers….I give you one advice….NEVER FLY LUFTHANSA. The service on board may be nice, the ground staff is horrible!!!
Fortunately, there are a lot of airlines to choose, so they need us more than we need them. Good luck Lufthansa!!!
The only thing….It went into my back, I am in a hernia patient. Instead of playing golf, I have now to lie on bed for the whole weekend in Barcelona. Many thanks, Lufhansa and the ‘lovely’ extremely arrogant ladies from G17 (maybe they should have a course how to become customer focused) from G17….is this what you wanted? My whole trip is completely gone……
Bullfrog - 12/11/2011 09:04 GMT
Peter .. I sympathise with your predicament. I only hope an accountable member of senior staff fom Lufthansa can investigate & deal with the issues you faced.
I presume the flight from Munich to Barcelona, LH 1816 of Nov 11 departed without you. How did you manage to get to Barcelona ?
Peter.GM - 12/11/2011 09:14 GMT
Thanks so much for your support.
I arrived in Barcelona hours later, which is not nice if you only go for three days. The main issue is also that people were waiting for me which is far from nice (I had dinner with friends planned). The most awful thing is that it was not needed if Lufthansa would have handled this correctly like other airlines do. I fly almost every week and normally the purser tells you via fax received from ground staff what to do and with air france busses are waiting. And finally I managed to be 10 min before boarding time at the gate. It is just ridiculous and it is not the first time this happens with Lufthansa (I had two times more similar awful experience at the Frankfurt airport in the past). That's why I want to share my experiences and ndeed senior managers of Lufthansa have to react. And for now....I am on bed now instead of playing golf as all the anger went into my back (I have kind of hernia).
But thanks again for feeling with me...I do appreciate this.
VintageKrug - 12/11/2011 09:16 GMT
There's always a risk taking an indirect service.
Did you ask the Purser on your delayed inbound flight what the gate number was? It's sensible to pro-actively ask for assistance in such circumstances.
Of course we've all been in similar situations, and sympathise.
However, I'm not certain they should have waited an extra 5, 10, 15 minutes for you as delaying the departure of the flight could have affected someone else's connection in Barcelona, and in any event it's usually the case that while the gate closes ten minutes before departure, you are required to be at the gate and available for boarding up to 35 minutes prior to departure time.
I have found Tiger Balm is excellent for a tight back.
I see there's a direct Aeroflot flight which leaves late Friday and returns late Sunday; is the Aeroflot experience really that bad that you'd avoid using them?
Peter.GM - 12/11/2011 09:22 GMT
Yes, I asked the purser but he said that he has no information but that I should reach the flight. Normally you need 30 min for transfer in Munich. I do understand that a full flight will not wait for one person is the person is late. But the issue is that I was not late....I was 10 min at the gate before departure time. So normally you should board esp if they would have assisted me. I was, by the way, not the only person...there were more and of course they were angry as well. But the 'customer friendly' ladies mentioned that 'boarding was closed, you have to go to the service counter'. I looked later on flight track...gues what....flight left 15 min later....it has stood there all the time at the gate. I hopr you understand my fustration about the lack of service and eagerness to help. I have never encountered this before while I fly a lot.
VintageKrug - 12/11/2011 09:32 GMT
Sounds horrid; never a good start to the weekend when that happens.
Will you be taking Aeroflot in future?
Have to agree with you Peter. The problem is mainly Frankfurt as at most of their stations worldwide the staff are pretty helpful and efficient. It's the main reason I don't fly with them anymore unless I really have to.
I also find the LH Frankfurt staff not very pleasant EXCEPT for the FIRST CLASS terminal.
The lounge Dragon Ladies are far worse than some of the BA T5 species!
You're right, the F class lounge staff are wonderful, but then considering what LH charges they ought to be.
The problem is getting to the lounge when transiting. No one seems to know where it is and no one wants to assist you.
And the LH staff tend to steer you to one of the First Class lounges at FRA while nice but not the same experience!
As it is no where near the main terminal, I think you will need to exit Immigration and take a taxi there! It is worth one's while if you have 3 hours of transit time.
LondonCity - 13/11/2011 01:00 GMT
I sympathise but as VK notes above "there's always a risk in taking an indirect service."
Had you travelled this route the previous Friday you would also have become unstuck with the SQ incident closing one of the runways leading to numerous delays:
http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Delays-at-MUC-today-SQ-incident
Potakas - 13/11/2011 03:02 GMT
I only had Lufthansa once.
I was flying J and when I was at one of their Lounges at FRA, I asked the lounge agent if there is a password for WI-FI.. She replied to me, of course Sir, it's your CC number....
The WiFi is now FREE in the lounge!!
Did you not like German humour!!!
Over the years I've had a few very tight connections at both FRA and MUC using LH. I have never had the experience of failing to connect when the gate has still been staffed and even had a bus called especially for me on one occasion when I was late inbound to MUC from LHR. I've also had direct airside transfers at MUC on occasions when a connection has been especially tight.
I do think the 30 minute connection time at MUC is too short as it only needs one thing to go wrong and your chances of connecting become almost impossible, I always try to allow an hour.
LH pride themselves on punctuality and generally get it right. The ground staff can come across as curt but often speaking German to them and as ever understanding their problem while making your own needs known helps immeasurably and I usually find they will go the extra mile for you. The worst problem I've ever had was a bag that failed to connect but it was delivered to me within eight hours of arriving at my destination.
RichHI1 - 16/11/2011 13:00 GMT
My experience with Lufthansa is much the same as Lan Chile (not surprising given Chilean German Heritage). When things go well 95% of the time they are excellent. They do things very correctly and offer a high quality product. When things go wrong they get confused and do not know what to do next. Unlike Air France who visibly cannot care you have missed a connection, LH seem genuinely ashamed they have screwed up (FRA experiences here) but seem incapable of fixing it. Always lots of agitated phone calls in German with no end result unless there is a flight on another carrier and you rebook yourself.
I would follow VK's advice and go Aeroflot who have improved a lot over the years and it would be much safer than connecting through FRA or LHR. Also if you are Sky Team Elite, that would count for something on Aeroflot.
LeTigre - 16/11/2011 13:15 GMT
I'm not sure 'safer' is the best word to use when describing Aeroflot...
6875 fatalities
127 accidents
They are known as Aeroflop in my family.
Peter.GM - 16/11/2011 13:24 GMT
I do fly with Aeroflot and their service is quite good, but sometimes the times will not fit my schedule. They don't have too many flights to Barcelona and hence there is not a lot of felxibilty.
But also to be clear....if there is a delay, then there is a delay...no problems....that is the risk of a transfer. The issue is the lack of service and ability to help and esp when I am on time to board...why could I not board???
But to continue the story.....I had my flight back from Barcelona to Moscow via Munich. I had 1,5 hours delay as the slot was missed (I have to say that the pilot really did his best to make it but unfortunately due to slow boarding (the LH staff at the gate complaint to everyone that there was lack of LH staff to board fast), the slot was missed. Can happen. Again same situtation when we landed in Munich...no information at all. I was relaxed, because the purser mentioned that I will surely miss my flight, but other passengers...angry, shouting...it was really terrible. Then I went with the bus to the main terminal (again no gate) and guess what....plane to Moscow was delayed and I had 10 min. I run, run and run and just could make it. As such all nice...but again...I am just amazed on the lack of information and the lack of support. I remain on my opinion...LH service on board can be good (no complaints from my side) but the service from ground staff, esp when there is a delay, is just terrible and not acceptable. I have encountered this 6 times and I am sure that I am not the only one.....
RichHI1 - 16/11/2011 13:45 GMT
Hengli when using statistics it is important to know how to interpret them. Aeroflot has change over the years and is now a commercial operation using western aircraft. Incorporating historic information from effectively a different organization and mixing internal flights and international which operate with different equipment and standards adds little to a discussion.
Just reread this post and siounds patronizing, not meant to but as GBS said lies d***ed lies and statistics.."
Swissdiver - 16/11/2011 13:55 GMT
Peter,
I also sympathise... Actually I only fly Lufthansa when nothing else is available! And unfortunately it will happen twice in the coming months (JED and IKA)...
That said, I consider the attitude of the ground staff unacceptable and would definitively complain if I were you. A similar story happen to me 10 years ago at LHR. Got wrongly off-loaded because the staff believed "I would not make it". I made it. I called the supervisor but still had to fly MS that night... Bottom line: a free business class ticket any destination from BA...
Peter.GM - 16/11/2011 14:17 GMT
I fly Aeroflot often myself, living in Russia, and they have indeed changed a lot. All planes are (fairly) new (most are new airbus planes) and the service on board is good (staff is well trained by the same trainers as Singapore Airlines). And, not un-important, they have always been on time when I was flying with them....tough wood.
So I really can recommend Aeroflot.
