airoli

I think the meaning of "sack" here is that with your ratio of complaints to revenue, LH Group will most likely simply put you on the "ignore" list.

I mean, if you are that unhappy and yet you keep buying tickets from them, you are the quintessential captive customer and I wouldn't waste a second of my company's time dealing with your complaints....

ermis177

You must be joking! With IAG group if you complain you usually get a copy and paste general email telling how sad they are they did not meet your expectations and maybe a few avios if you manage to escalate it. LH group has much more solid reimbursement policy and sometimes you get it on the spot. ie downgrade from F to C you get 1000 euros voucher on the spot. Took me 6 months to take my money back when i got downgraded from C to Economy with BA...oh and plus 20 pounds voucher...

worldclubber

MichielR

swiss_global

Just to be clear, I'm not mainly after compensation. The main thing is to get to the booked destination as quickly and comfortably as possible. In case of the one (1) IB IRROP I was rebooked on BA without any issue. In case of the slightly more frequent BA IRROPS I have been rebooked onto IB/EI, but if this wasn't an option also on KL or LH ... In contrast, LX for instance refused several times to rebook on LH or OS, let alone airlines outside the alliance, even if seats had been available. Usually "system incompatability" was cited as the reason from failing to rebook onto the next connection. Consequently, delays on LH Group tend to have more significant consequences.

fassy

Well, I think there might be a note in your profile "don't do anything for this customer"

To be honest, I had about 250 flights on LH, LX and OS over the last 10 years, and had reason to complain like 5 times? Mostly for delay compensation and one time as they lost my baggage. All of that happens... with every airline. On the other hand, I never had any issues with IROPS handling on M&M airlines, often enough I land in FRA, MUC, ZRH or VIE and get a SMS that I have been rebooked on flight X with airline Y. Most of the times, with the next logical option which include SK, OS, LX, LO or UA. I was not refused to be rebooked onto another *A carrier once. (or to be honest, just once... but it was UA which didn't want to put me on the direct SFO-CPH and insisted I had to go SFO-FRA-CPH with LH, which I think is rather an issue of the transatlanic JV)

That said, being a 90% Y traveler with SK*G, not even SEN status.

Often1

At this point, I doubt that LH Group would "fire" OP as a customer, although it certainly could as it has a reason and is presumably not discriminating based on one of the protected categories of EU law. Rather, CRM software simply sends serial complainers submissions to the "ignore" file so that the business can focus on customers who can be helped.

Without reviewing every complaint on its facts, it is impossible to say whether OP is overly sensitive or just terribly unlucky or some combination. But, in customer-facing businesses, there comes a point where one is throwing good money after bad and it is easiest to just hope that the customer takes the hint and books away.

Flying Lawyer

This is really amazing. I take about at least two return flights a week with LH group, so this adds up to more than 200 flights a year and they never lost any piece of luggage, any booking or any seat reservation. I had three damaged bags in my history, all cases were handled very professional. Your story brings up memories of weero, who suffered from a similar painful relationship with LH.

Flying Lawyer

But there is no reason to complain as this is part of the product. You get what you pay for.

hugolover

Flying Lawyer

No hate at all. I am and have been a BA Gold member for the last 20 or so years. You get what you pay for. And I normally pay at the utmost 2/3 on BA premium classes of what I pay on LH. Little deficiencies are part of the game.

rossmacd

I find this all very odd.

Like the OP, I am also based in ZRH, therefore an automatic LH Group captive. I've taken significantly more flights than the OP but have maybe only complained 3 times maximum. Once was broken IFE for the duration of a ZRH-DXB flight which was annoying. I cannot even remember what the other 2 complaints were about - they must have been insignificant.

I am also a BA GGL/CCR member - I for sure have more complaints to be made about the BA product versus LH/LX, but then again BA actually get very little of my spend since I use AA/QR/CX far more often. I am shorthaul Y and longaul J/F flyer.

Give me an LX flight any day of the week versus a BA flight, in all cabins.

skywalkerLAX

To be fair: Irrop handling with LH can be horrible if one gets caught up in the massive cancellations that often happen in the German domestic market (based on whatever circumstances).

I recently had one in TXL (flight cancelled after check-in) which was an absolute zoo. At the same time they could give passengers their baggage back. I havent received my bag until today and the flight was mid-December. LH claims they have 100 days to regulate the claim or even update the passenger. Zero customer service!

But the complaint:flight ratio of the OP is incredible. Assuming that LH will indeed stop compensating at some point unless it's a EC261 case I'm surprised he puts that much energy into it. For example I stopped complaining to Thai Airways because I know how useless they are. Just beat them with cheap fares.

Btw: weero loves LH again. And the product really got a lot better in recent years while the decade of 2005-2015 was indeed a disaster in both product and management.

txirish

I think on nearly every flight one could find at least one thing to complain about. But, few of those minor issues are important enough to take the time to write a complaint. Personally, I've got more important stuff to do, whether it's work or watching the IFE. I end up on Lufthansa moderately often and the experience has usually been normal/fine for whichever class I booked. The one time I upgraded to first class was quite nice.

Airlines are regulated and no doubt have defined rules about when they can refuse to carry a customer. When I was in the computer business years ago, we had an unreasonable, obnoxious customer who complained about every order, wasting time and making our phone reps miserable. I flagged his account as "do not accept orders." When he called to place an order, and then protest, the rep sent him to me. I explained that we set the bar high for customer service, but that his standards were clearly higher than ours. Rather than disappoint him again, I suggested he contact our (most hated) competitor and gave him their phone number. Never heard from him. I almost felt sorry for whomever he transferred his business to. (But the OP seems like a nicer person than this guy.)

jrpallante

Never mind