LHrelate

OPERATIONAL - as of 10:45 ET 22APR

* Interkont schedule operating fully and stably
* Kont schedule back in place today
* Pax with confirmed bookings have first boarding priority, followed by waitlisted pax according to date of their canceled flight (transit waitlisted pax may be prioritized over local waitlisted pax); HON/SEN status etc helps as always
* Waitlist 50% improved today from yesterday
* Web/online check-in should be reopened all locations
* LH.com arrival/departure information is updated and may be relied upon now that schedule is more stable
* Stations operating normally again

I will leave latest version of rebooking policy below for reference


REBOOKING/REFUND POLICY - Version 6 20APR 06:59 ET

Eligibility:
1. Pax holding tickets issued before 16APR2010 for canceled LH flights scheduled for 15-21APR2010 (SEE REBOOKING/REFUND)
2. Pax holding tickets issued on/before 19APR2010 for ALL LH flights scheduled for 20-24APR2010 (SEE REBOOKING; REFUND only permitted in case of flight cancellation)

Rebooking (without cost):
* New travel date must be on/before 31DEC2010 or within ticket's original validity (maximum stay).
* For passengers beginning their journey, change of fare bucket/compartment is not permitted
* For passengers returning to their origin (going home), change of fare bucket within same compartment is permitted when booking new flight date on/before 02MAY ONLY
* Ticketed fare rules respective to allowed operating carriers must be observed in all cases!

Refund (Applies only in cases of cancellation):
* Tickets issued by OAL must contact OAL for refund processing
* LH-issued tickets (unused) are eligible for full refund without penalty or administrative fee
* LH-issued tickets (used) are eligible for pro-rated refund without penalty or administrative fee

Rambuster

EDIT: Thanks Michelle for all your hard work over the last week providing us with all this valuable information !
I'd love to send you some cash, but all I can spare is some ash !



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Thanks for the info !
...I have been on hold with the HON hotline for 20 minutes now ... They must be really busy. Even during the last strike I never had to wait more than 30 seconds or so to get through.

NightFly

Any estimation how likely is MUC to shut down tomorrow?

LHrelate

Rambuster, that's probably because a lot of info just came out and they need to brief everyone / agents need to check the updated info because it changed. Hang in there! Let me know how the hold time is, I like to keep an ear on that.

NightFly, they were initially talking about rerouting some flights to MUC but now that's off the table for all of those cancellations so I'm not sure what that means exactly. Could be that MUC will also be hit or it could be we didn't have resources to handle that at MUC... in any case ops is in constant contact with the weather guys in FRA and they adjust the flight schedules accordingly.

This seems like a once in a lifetime experience for an enthusiastic environmental scientist but not so much for already overstressed passengers and airline workers

I will post when I can whatever info I have.


Best,
Michelle

Rambuster

22 minutes waiting, but it was worth it. They sorted me out for tomorrow, provided the longhaul to BKK will operate. ^

KIXJNB

About 25 min waiting time on the German SEN hotline. Friendly staff. Rebooked - now hoping that the ash moves on...

mamb0

First their banks implode and now their volcanoes explode. Thank you, Bjoerk!

Got stranded in NCE because my original flight LH 4155 was canceled (tech I guess) then rebooked on LH 4157 by Kapstadt and then got an IDG without letting me know courtesy competent Avia Partner gate agents, which led to an IDB. They killed c-class to be able to carry the dead head crew of defunct LH4155.

NCE station is really the worst and when hit by IROP crawling home on your knee is the better alternative.

If they would have asked for VDBs I would have had raised my hand. They did not communicate anything. Just IDB'ed two poor schmucks and IDG'ed 3 C pax without telling, stuffed their 5 dead heads in and that was that.

I asked the station manager why he handled it that way, he said he asked Ops if the dead heads could stay the night in NCE but was forced to take them on.

Thank you very much LH for again putting the priority on your employees and not on your paying pax..

Oh and btw: After rebooking Kapstadt Hon Circle CC went unreachable (0n both, 0800 and 0180). It rang 10 times and hit a german error announcement: "Der Teilnehmer ist nicht erreichbar" Overflow or did calling a servicenumber from France via mobile phone become to sophisticated?

Rambuster

To be fair, they do need to make sure crew members get to where they are needed. Otherwise some other flights will have to be cancelled in addition.

I had the same issue with the HON line. It kept ringing and then I got the "the number you have dialed is unavailable" too. I kept on dialing and then finally got into the waiting line.

The Wolf

FRA is said to be closed as from 05:00 CET.

Can this be confirmed?

Rambuster

says who ?

mamb0

Hmm, Rambuster, LH4155 and 4157 went to MUC, the crew was local from Munich, they where shuttled into their "Feierabend"/leisure time. With all the IROPs going on they might have been short on jumpers but I doubt it, I bet they will have crew sitting around tomorrow, not knowing what to do with them.

Again, my frustration is with them not communicating. Asking for VDBs or informing of IDG is not that complicated. The cool invention of PA systems has made it even to the south of France.

I called the sen line instead hon line and was helped by a friendly agent.

mamb0

NCE Station Manager warned me, that this might happen, would be his worst nightmare.

Reminded me, that I obviously was too well behaved towards him, because I planned on earning that title by him.

Rambuster

DUS now also closed:
"Am Flughafen Düsseldorf findet deshalb bis auf weiteres kein Flugverkehr statt. "

The Wolf

Sorry, friend of mine updated me without source, which is why I need confirmation

Rambuster

It's quite possible the way this cloud of ash is moving.