Lufthansa Airlines shameful customer service, Internet

November 4, 2012

ATTN:  LUFTHANSA AIRLINES

Customer service USA and Canada

Corporate Offices: Europe/USA

Internet sites that document airline complaints

One Travel Corporate offices

RE:  Lufthansa Locator: 
69SQM2/Annette McManus

One Travel Booking number 12829527

Dear Sir,

It has been a month since my horrific experience with the lack of professional customer service as well as basic humanitarian compassion from Lufthansa Airlines.

At the time I was laying in a hospital bed in GOA, India.  I had just undergone major surgery and was unable to get doctors clearance to travel.  I had purchased a BCN-GOA roundtrip ticket through ONETRAVEL, but upon making a call to their New York office I was instructed to call your customer service office in Toronto to request a change of return date.  On September 28, 2012   I called 1 705 872 3087 and was unlucky enough to speak to ERIN (EM).  She was cold and sharp with her instructions:  Basically there is nothing we can do to change your return date. If you want to try you can FAX a letter from your doctor and a customer service supervisor may document your record with an approval to change the date.

Dr. Kolwalker of Galaxy Hospital in Mapusa, India wrote a very formal  letter but there was NO PLACE in this remote village to send an international fax.

It is unforgiveable that Lufthansa customer care does not accept emails.

The stress level for me was unbearable, but I came up with a solution:  The hospital scanned the letter and I emailed it to Sherwood at One Travel and then he faxed it to:

705 872-3086.  Sherwood made a follow up call to Lufthansa customer service and was told that my travel record #69sqm2 would be documented within 48 hours.

This was on September 30^th.   NO ONE AT LUFTHANSA EVER BOTHERED TO ANSWER MY REQUEST.

I also sent an urgent message to your internet customer service web site and NEVER received a reply.

How can you, in good conscience, treat your customers in this manner?  It is shameful.

Since 2003 I have lived overseas, in Kuwait, Bahrain, Hong Kong and Barcelona. 

Each and EVERY time I travelled I ONLY used Lufthansa.  I expected so much more from you, especially since I was lying on my back in a hospital, all by myself, in the middle of India.  Where is your humanity?

In the end, by October 10^th I gave up and bought a ticket on Qatar Air, which, by the way, has much better in-flight service and customer service.

Even if Lufthansa was not willing to change my return date it was only professional that

you follow through and make a response.

So, I am sharing this disappointing experience with all of you, hoping that, perhaps, you make some major adjustments in your customer care department, and that you train all staff in kindness and compassion, especially in situations like this.

Sincerely,

Annette ****, M. A. Ed.