Horrific customer service hotline wait times
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN, SQ Gold
Posts: 479
Horrific customer service hotline wait times
No matter when I call (morning, mid-day, evenings, nights) - I have consistently experienced wait times of over an hour each time, then I gave up several times. To add insult to injury, on the way into the call the best estimate the system gives is that the wait time "will exceed 10 minutes". If they were to say "more than an hour", at least I could hang up and call again later.
But thanks to the way they are doing it now, I am forced to waste hour after hour for getting something fixed which AB caused.
Any better way to reach a human at this joke of an airline? I would LOVE to go with a self-serve solution, but (of course) for a rebooking due to a time change in departure time caused by AB I must call them because there is not other way to get it fixed, they say on the website.
But thanks to the way they are doing it now, I am forced to waste hour after hour for getting something fixed which AB caused.
Any better way to reach a human at this joke of an airline? I would LOVE to go with a self-serve solution, but (of course) for a rebooking due to a time change in departure time caused by AB I must call them because there is not other way to get it fixed, they say on the website.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,619
So far I haven't found it quite as bad as that, although bad it certainly is. One question, are you calling the English speaking line only? I always call the German speaking one, so maybe that's why.
#7
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Providence RI
Programs: American Exec Plat, Hyatt Refugeeist, Marriot Gold, Air Canada Cattle Class, Korean Air Morning Plat
Posts: 988
If you guys want long hold times, try calling Air Canada in Canada. One guy on the Air Canada board waited on hold for 2 hours, to get a seat for a flight that took 1 hour.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,619
Well I'm not in the slightest bit surprised about that. Air Canada, along with UNITED and British Airways, is an airline I boycott as much as is reasonably possible which is pretty much all the time. Not so difficult because of my geographical location.
Something needs to be done about this problem at airberlin though. I get the feeling AB is somewhat sliding down the tubes, like Alitalia. We all know that, of course, but it's really beginning to feel like it.
Something needs to be done about this problem at airberlin though. I get the feeling AB is somewhat sliding down the tubes, like Alitalia. We all know that, of course, but it's really beginning to feel like it.
#9
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: YYZ, HKG, MFM
Programs: AC35K, AS MVP, WS Gold, ITA EP, Marriott Plat, Hyatt-Explorist, IHG Diamond
Posts: 2,019
I only have 6 TB miles left, and will unlikely to use this program in the future...
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,619
Don't really blame you. I've found it more than slightly burdensome working out what to do with the miles before they expire. I'm not in a desperate hurry to keep collecting. Think I'll make Iberia Plus my main OW program from now.
#11
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 1
Air Berlin SUCKS
I made the mistake of booking flights to Germany next month on AirBerlin. There is contradictory information on their website regarding baggage costs versus what the online third party ticket sales company Justfly told me. I've called AirBerlin 6 times in the last month at various times of day and despite holding for an hour at a time I've never reached a human being. Instead I've been subjected to hours of some idiotic James Bond soundtrack song while on hold. AirBerlin sucks, I haven't flown with them, but I will NEVER book a flight with them in the future.
#14
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: AC, A3*G AB-G
Posts: 155
I have had the most luck calling the English number during German working hours, especially in the morning.