TRIP TO TORONTO BY LUFTHANSA AIRLINES – UNFORTUNATE INCIDENTS


I took the tickets in Lufthansa Airlines for my first entry trip from one Gulf country, where I was residing, to Toronto.

My return trip(with confirmed bookings) from Toronto was in flight No. LH 9625, ( operated by Air Canada on code sharing arrangement between the two airlines) on 07 August 2005, scheduled at 22.00 pm has been delayed and arrived at Frankfurt Airport two hours late ( on 08.08.05 ) so that connection flight has already left, half an hour earlier.

Lufthansa staff at Frankfurt Airport blamed Air Canada and directed to Air Canada staff, who rescheduled the flight via Cairo (despite objection from my side to travel through Egypt), and upon reaching Cairo at 9.00 pm on 08.08.05, we understood that the connection flight, confirmed and given by Air Canada, has been cancelled.

We were also shocked to hear that Air Canada doesn’t have an office in Cairo and Lufthansa Airlines staff refused to talk or assist us in any way. We were literally abandoned at Cairo International Airport moving from one counter to another for about five and half hours after which Egypt Air staff arranged accommodation for us after we made payment in advance. Also flight has been rescheduled at 12.30 pm on 09.08.05. In effect we have to stay in Cairo for about 15 hours under our expenses without any help or assistance from Lufthansa Airlines whose tickets we were carrying.

In addition to the material losses suffered/delay in joining duty/ Physical stress, the mental stress we experienced is difficult to express.

Upon reaching the destination, I wrote to the Local office of Lufthansa Airlines on 14 th August, 2005, through my travel agents giving details of the unfortunate incidents and requested to look in to the matter.

After about 50 days I received a reply from the Customer relations manager of Local office blaming Air Canada for the incidents and told my complaint has been forwarded to them.

Also I posted my complaint in the web site of Lufthansa “ Complaints “ many times and faxed/mailed my complaints to the Customer relations office at Germany and even to the Chief Executive officer, without any response.

So after about 135 days passed from the incident and raising the same, it is my observation that Lufthansa will not take any responsibility if any incidents happen during the flight, may blame on others, will not compensate its passengers and will not even express regret if any unfortunate incidents happen. The “Complaints box in web site” will receive only and will not deliver any results.

So it is my experience that if everything goes normal you will find no problem but if any unfortunate incidents happen you will be abandoned and will never be compensated.

I hope this post will help future travelers in deciding the airlines(which is providing good services)to be used.

Unfortunate Passenger