well... all you naysayers are wrong. i've delt with American carriers delaying me. They are much more communicative and they compensate. They also have a rep standing outside the jetway to direct you where to go when there is a problem. So all the agro posters standing up for the lame airline. Wrong. AB at no time made an attempt to do anything the American carriers have done for me in the past.
Yep, i don't know to go to the help desk. Last i knew i was "going to make the connection" and were about to race across the airport to the gate our connection was assigned to. A long, far way away. I only caught the desk way down a hall on our way running to the gate. So i diverted. Of course the pilot/flight attendant had me believing i'd make the connection so i have to assume i need to race to the gate. Did they hold the flight? Was it delayed anyway? I HAVE NO IDEA 'CAUSE NO ONE IS SAYING ANYTHING!!! So we went running.
Like i've said, it wasn't their first rodeo. You know, i know, the airline knows EXACTLY what was going to happen. If you fly a route every day for years you've missed the departure windows before and know passengers won't make it. Come on! Don't be silly.
Stop making excuses for poor customer care. Stop defending bad policy at an airline. Start standing up for your rights as a traveler and customer. Go ahead and make excuses and you'll continue to experience poor quality. Decide that the actions are unacceptable and your wallet will speak volumes to an airline and their practices.
Please don't continue to lecture me on "i don't see how the airline lied" and "i don't see it as that bad" or "American carriers are worse." that's your opinion. Start your own thread to praise the airline. Share your amazing experiences with Air Berlin. Have at it. Mine is an honest account of a faulty practice. Continued excuses for them, acceptance of their failed customer service isn't going to change this one person's opinion and many many others. Connecting me through an extra city... getting there way way late with no food voucher, no compensation, nothing... Spending 2 hours at 1am at an empty airport to acquire our luggage... No transportation help... No response from the airline when i contacted them by mail.... Uh.. yeah... i'm so very lucky to have experienced such a wonderful airline. Let me ask you naysayers. Given a choice... you'd fly them again. Easy answer for me: no