Hastings1970

In April 2012, I booked the following DC redemption:

LAX-IAH-stopover-IAH-FRA-BHX, all in J, travelling in February 2013.

Viewing my itinerary on CheckMyTrip a few days before starting the trip showed that everything appeared to be in order.

Last weekend, having completed the LAX-IAH sector with United without any problems, I was denied boarding by Lufthansa staff when attempting to check in for the LH441 IAH-FRA flight.

The same explanation was given to me by the LH check-in agent, the LH duty manager and the LH ticketing agent - "bmi has been taken over by BA, therefore LH is not honouring any remaining bmi redemptions" (I paraphrase, but that was the clear gist of it).

The LH ticketing agent refused to enter into any meaningful discussion of the situation and insisted that I instead speak to BA ticketing staff (at the opposite end of the same terminal unfortunately - so no easy opportunity to bang LH & BA heads together, metaphorically).

The BA ticketing staff appeared to have no previous experience of such a situation. Their initial attitude was one of complete disinterest and to suggest that only LH could resolve the matter. After persistence on my part, the best help that the ticketing agent was prepared to offer was to give me BA's ticketing phone number and point me towards some payphones across the terminal.

Eventually, and only after enormous patience and further persistence on my part (including repeated requests to speak to the BA duty manager), I was able to fly (in J) on a BA IAH-LHR flight leaving 4 hours after my original LH flight.

Prior to this concession, I was offered other alternative Y-class flights on various days, including a preposterous IAH-LHR-NCL-BHX routing.

To minimise my out of pocket expenses, I reached my final destination in Northern England via a National Express coach (my pre-paid rail tickets from BHX being non-refundable).

While I feel LH & BA share the blame for what happened to me, it seems that my contractual relationship is solely with BA. Therefore I intend to seek redress from BA - for my additional costs and the manner in which I was treated at IAH (both the initial denial of boarding and the subsequent attempts to avoid responsibility).

I have searched recent threads in this forum, but have not seen any reports of LH refusing to honour bmi redemptions, so don't know if this was a one-off or whether LH really are taking this approach for all remaining DC redemptions on LH. In case it's the latter, I would strongly advise any forum members with such redemptions to double-check the status of their e-tickets directly with LH.

Any advice that forum members can offer me regarding the best way of pursuing my claim would, of course, be much appreciated.

Tiger_lily

I can't offer any help regarding pursuing your claim, but I am truly shocked although not surprised by what happened with LH. Hopefully you will get some salient advice on what to do next.

NickB

That seems quite extraordinary shabby on the part of LH, not the sort of thing you would expect from a reputable airline.

As I read it, you had a perfectly valid ticket to fly on that LH flight; you presented yourself on time and LH refused to let you board. In other words, this looks to me like a denied boarding situation, under which you should be allowed to €600 compensation under Reg 261/2004. This is irrespective of whom the contracting carrier is, since Reg 261/2004 imposes obligations on the operating carrier. Unless LH are seeking to argue that your ticket was invalid (but, if so, why should it be?), then this looks to me like a breach of Reg 261/2004.

I believe that you do have a contractual relationship with LH as well as with BA, to the extent that BA is acting as agent for LH when booking you on a flight under LH flight number. If the refusal to board by LH was unlawful, then they may well be liable for the consequences of this. You might want to seek reimbursement of your lost train tickets from LH and/or BA.

MAN Pax

Completely agree with this - clear denied boarding. It will be down to LH to prove your booking was revoked in some way - and you have the historical documentation to the contrary.

cornishsimon

Also if this was all one redemption ticket and the OP flew LAX-IAH how can the ticket of been invalid ?


cs

CheeseToastie

I had a nasty moment at ORD on the way back from my final redemption in June last year. The route had been DUB-EWR-SEA then SEA-ORD on UA followed by ORD-FRA-EDI on LH to get home.

The ticket had been reissued (I think) 3 times. First when CO dumped the 2nd daily flight out of DUB, then when CO/UA marged and finally one last time around May last year (for reasons I never understood) when BD left *A.

Now CMT showed all was OK, but when I got to check-in at ORD LH claimed the ticket was invalid. They never managed to explain why, and of course at 8pm Chicago time there was no way to get hold of anyone at bmi. But it was irredeemably broken in their systems.

On that occasion the LH duty manager was exceptionally helpful, and eventually let me fly ORD-FRA on an entirely fictitious paper ticket. (Oddly, the FRA-EDI leg had survived whatever problem there was.)

So something happened to break the ticket - I'm guessing that whatever it was originated somewhere in western India around the time redemption tickets were getting mysteriously reissued in May 2012. I reckon I just got lucky and dealt with a clued-up and helpful LH manager.

FlyerTalker7654

+1

The Op should really pursue this claim. The attitude showed by both LH and BA staff is also disgusting. No one can be bothered and just pass it onto someone else....because its not their problem. The thing is, if one of the staff at LH took some interest in the matter, it could probably have been resolved within minutes.

Dave_C

Wow. If ever there was a time to need to lawyer up, I'd argue this is it. Disgraceful treatment by LH. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

hugolover

Wow, that's really incredible! Outstations are often difficult unfortunately. Thankfully I maintain some contacts if I ever found myself in this situation. While you got a reasonable solution in the end (of sorts) I wouldn't have hesitated to buy a J ticket and claim that back from LH plus €600 through the courts if necessary.

NWIFlyer

Disgraceful, although predictable, behaviour from LH. I waited weeks for a response from them on an expense claim for a cancelled flight from BRU, and only started getting attention when I posted on their Facebook page.

Use the power of social media to shame them - sadly, that seems to be the only thing that gets a response from them these days.

G_G

Maybe LH is not a reputable airline or at least a lot of its representatives are not

EsherFlyer

I'd start with the 'normal' IDB (involuntary denied boarding) process. That ought to have the advantage of being well trodden ground and avoid any initial silly discussions about BD / BA / LH liability. I'd expect the staff dealing with that to have a better understanding of (and hence explanation to you) what happened.

Hastings1970

Thank you to everyone for all the advice given and the sympathy expressed for my predicament.

To address specifically a few points raised:

Just to confirm, yes, LAX-IAH-FRA-BHX was all on a single PNR.

My redemption was subject to 4 minor scheduling changes during the course of 2012 - each one resulting in a BMI TRAVEL CONFIRMATION e-mail being sent to me. Looking back, it's possible that the root cause of my problems lies with one of these amendments.

The LH manager I talked to was clued-up to the extent that she was clearly expecting my arrival - as soon as the check-in agent drew her attention to there being an issue with a passenger's ticket, I heard her ask the agent "is it Mr Hastings1970?" Sadly the help was limited to an informative lecture on bmi's ownership history.

I wish I'd been more up-to-speed on the EU 261/2004 regulations - would have resulted in considerably less stress and given me the confidence to follow your suggestion. Will be travelling with a laminated copy of the regs in future!

Could you clarify which airline's IDB process you're recommending I use? Thanks.

Tiger_lily

Lufty's own IDB info here

HIDDY

I suspect that might have something to do with it.

DC redemptions on LH ended on the 19th April last year did you book anywhere near that date?