Hi Guys,
It was really funny.
Continuing with this policy, Lufthansa will lose many other Customers like me.
Please, read what I wrote and the (amazing) answer I received.
Do you think I will travel with LH AGAIN?
(Don't make me laugh!!!!)
See blw my mail and the answer: it represents a classic example to follow if you want to lose a Customer definitively.

MY MAIL:

Dear All

I am a Senator Lufthansa since 2007, card number 2200xxxxxxxx, Frequent Flyer since 2005, I started to use Lufthansa in 2003.

You can verify how many flights to Turkey, India, Brazil and China I had: dozens.

This was my choice until March 2012.

Sincerely I expected to be contacted by You, but no one from Customer Service called me asking what happened…but it was evident, my choice wasn’t Lufthansa anymore as clearly reported in my mileage account.

As nobody asked it to me until now, I will tell you anyway.

Your quality service dropped dramatically: overbooking in all flights, no attention to your high fidelity Customers as Senators, no chance to get an upgrade to Business Class, no offer of an Economy Premium as your Competitors are offering with higher baggage allowance too, Economy Class with high prices and very low comfort level.

The flight in which I decided it will be my last on Lufthansa was on March 2012, Munich – Hong Kong, a true nightmare. I asked for an upgrade to Business, brutally denied by your flight attendant at Munich airport, that answer to me “don’t be ridiculous: the flight is overbooked, don’t you see it?”. I still have 2 e-vouchers that will expire this month, and I will not use anymore because of my choice to fly with other circuits.

On the return flight, Pudong-Munich, the story did not change: same situation, same answers.

So, I decided to change, and sincerely I was sad doing it because after many years I had a real affection to Lufthansa Airline.

I changed to Turkish Airlines, same Star Alliance circuit, Economy Premium available, good service, Istanbul – Turin flights daily. Now, you can verify: during 2012 I had FIVE more flights from Shanghai to Turin.

I was confirmed Senator until 2016, but make no mistake: I will not use your card anymore.

Indeed, from 2013 I am an Air France Customer, Platinum Sky Team, travelling in Premium Economy with 2x23 kg of baggage allowance and 1x23kg more because of my Status, and more than this, 2 times over 3 I can have a last minute upgrade to Business Class using miles and/or a small amount of money.

I am an expat, living and working in Shanghai and every 35/50 days I come back to my hometown in Turin, Italy; during this year I had EIGHT flights from China to Italy and ONE from China to USA (I have proof of all these flights, of course) and I will continue travelling with this frequency until my contract will expire.

Next year I will have to travel from China to Italy, India, Brazil and USA many times, even more often than the past years.

What I have received from Lufthansa this week? A mail informing me that I will have only the 25% of Status Miles recognized in case I will travel using Turkish Airlines on the future, and this happened because I reconfirmed my Senator Status using this Airline and not Lufthansa; I will be honest with you: don’t worry I will not use your Senator card anymore on next years.

You shouldn’t be worried on that, but you should ask yourself WHY it happened.

At the end of the story, I kindly ask you to consider how many flights Lufthansa has lost because of my choice: 5 intercontinental flights on 2012 with Turkish, 9 intercontinental flights on 2013 and many more on the next years to come.

I will receive very soon the new Lufthansa Senator Card with one Star. The Stars, the new invention of your Company… in the Miles and More Site is reported: “We will be providing further information about the award of these status stars from this November”…unfortunately today is the 5th of December and nothing has happened yet, you can verify.

Last but not least: what I expect from you after this mail? Nothing, and I don’t expect to receive any answer too.

I’d just like to make you think about my case and I suppose many others as well: continuing with this policy and considering the strong competition on your sector the future will not be so bright for Lufthansa, and I am very sorry for that.

Best Regards



THE AMAZING ANSWER FROM LUFTHANSA RECEIVED TODAY:

Dear Dr. XXXXXX,

Thank you very much for your online feedback.

We are truly sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with our service and please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

It was with great regret that your upgrade requests in March 2012 could not be confirmed before flight departure and your disappointment is fully understandable. Please do believe that Lufthansa allows all our members to use their e-vouchers whenever possible. However, the capacities for upgrade are limited. Particularly, during the peak traveling time, we are not always able to comply with every customer’s wishes. We kindly ask for your understanding in this matter.

In terms of overbooking, such a situation is extremely unpleasant and we certainly understand that you were upset. We would like to give you some background information because it is very important to us that you continue to trust us.

In principle overbooking is relatively unusual. However, the practice of overbooking flights has been in use by all notable airlines for decades and is unfortunately an indispensable practice. Last year alone, more than three million passengers did not turn up for their booked flights. Without overbooking this would have meant that another three million aircraft passengers would not have been able to travel on the flight they wanted, although seats would still have been free. By overbooking our flights, we therefore increase the likelihood that a passenger can obtain a reservation for the flight he wants. This does not simply mean that Lufthansa generally sells more tickets than the amount of seats available. We rely on complex and constantly updated calculations which are based on carefully analyzed data. In the extremely rare cases where overbooking actually does occur, we naturally pay the appropriate compensation to the aircraft passengers concerned.

We do apologize if the situation had not been explained carefully at the Munich Airport counter, which failed to leave you some good impression. In fact, personal attentiveness and helpfulness are most important elements of our corporate philosophy and our employees are required to be courteous and attentive in every situation. Your comments have already been forwarded to our Munich Airport office for internal review and improvements.

In terms of Economy Premium Class, Lufthansa will be fitting out the entire its long-haul fleet with a Premium Economy in the immediate future. As part of Economy Class, this significantly upgraded Economy product will fill the gap between the superior Business Class segment and the ‘classic’ Economy Class.

As to the Miles & More Status Stars, the information has been published on www.miles-and-more.com è News è Enhancing your status: Miles & More status stars published on November 07, 2013.

Dear Dr. Xxxxx, thank you for your time writing this feedback so that we have the chance for explanation. Hopefully, the email may allow you to view the whole situation in a slightly different light. Please be assured that every customer is important to us at Lufthansa, not to mention our loyal Senators as you. We assure you that we will do our utmost to make certain your future travel with Lufthansa proceeds as smoothly as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Fiona Lxxx

Manager Customer Relations (Greater China)

Lufthansa German Airlines
Customer Service and Support Center, SHAXR
Unit 1-3, 8/F, Henderson Metropolitan
300 East Nanjing Road, Huangpu District
200001 Shanghai, China
Phone: +86 (0) 21 5352 4999
Fax: +86 (0) 21 6340 6900
E-Mail: [email protected]