Axelerator

A few days ago I was traveling on LH from BRE - LAX in Eco with my Parents. I am PE on UA and when I made the reservation the LH desk confirmed twice (!) that I would have access to LH's *G lounge in FRA with my parents as my guests. When I showed up at the LH lounge a totally *****y Receptionist (Ms. L.....z) told me that I would only be able to bring along one guest. I told her that these were my parents which btw. are 77 and 80 years old and that LH reservations confirmed twice that I would be able to get into the lounge with them. She insisted that I would have to choose and that I could only bring one of them into the lounge. How do you choose between your mom and dad or between your wife and kid? I begged and tried everything but she didn't move an inch. I asked to talk to her manager and she told me that she couldn't call him but that he was downstairs and the manager for my flight. So I went downstairs and asked for the flight manager who btw. was very nice and helpful however told me that he was in charge of the flight but not the lounge. So I went back upstairs and called LH reservations. I talked to a supervisor. She was very helpful, understanding and even apologized for the front desk clerk. However she wasn't her superior and proposed to move on to a Senator lounge which wasn't possible as we were already security cleared and it would have taken us too much time. Then I bumped into a women who is a LH senator and who was on the first segment with us from BRE - FRA. I explained the situation and asked if she could take one of my parents into the lounge. She agreed but when we reached the desk the LH ***** said: "No, no, no! You all have to be on the same flight. You can't just take whoever into the lounge! We're not on a bazar here!" and started interrogating the helpful LH Senator. I was very embarrassed about what this nice and helpful women had to go through just because she was trying to help me.
We ended up not getting into the lounge.

By now after several incidents I am used to very rude LH ground staff (though the flight attendants have always been very nice, helpful and polite) but this time I want to complain. BTW. I went into the lounge alone just to check - and it was almost empty!

After all I was wondering what would have happened if I would have ignored the front desk clerk and would have just "invaded" the lounge with these senior citizens. Would they have called the police? The supervisor? Would we have been banned from the flight?
And isn't family considered different than just a 'guest'?

Any ideas fellow flyers?

Thanks,
xl

btw. does anybody know what the address for complains would be? I am in the US or do I have to write to FRA?

Rudi

StarGold officially can bring in 1 (one only) guest and need a same day (Star-) boarding pass (which, in my experience, did not have to be the same flight.

But, I never had any problem bringing in more then one family member (to LH lounges as to UA RCC's as well) with the same last name as I have (with same day boarding passes for the same flights as I was booked on).

As a Senator (but not as 'another' StarGold where I have to show them a same day boarding pass) I have also access (with one guest) as an arriving passenger.

Axelerator

That's the information I got from LH. It's one guest only but not if it is your family! And yes my parents do have the same surname as I do.

Rudi, do you know where I have to complain to at LH? And what do you think would they have called the police or banned us from the connecting flight if we would have proceeded into the lounge with or without the helpful Senator?

Thanks,
xl

paulusst

Seems the MUC warden has moved to FRA?!

Didnt she offer to use the FTL lounge with two guests instead? What a shame! But rest assured that you didnt miss a lot, FRA LH lounges are kind of a dump nowadays, no better than waiting at the gate (if you dont want to get drunk for free!)

curt

OK, call me the next time when you take your shower at the gate waiting area..

Tirreg

If a *Gold member (let´s say a UA PremEx) uses the LH lounge the airline (UA) has to pay LH for it. If the *Alliance rules only allow one guest per member LH wouldn´t receive any money for it. These are the rules ! It´s another thing if you were a SEN because you are using the LH lounge anyhow (and no other airlines pays for it).

But I can´t understand the behavior of the receptionist.
1. They are your parents and I can´t imagine that you wanted to get liquored up in the lounge (it might have been another thing if you wanted to enter the lounge with two pals...)
2. Another SEN wanted to help you by accepting your mom/dad as one of her guests.

If I were you I would write a compaint. I would suggest to adress it to the station manager in FRA as he should be responisble for the lounge staff. Good luck.

peter42

We had different experiences in FRA several times - they clearly enforced 1 guest only, unless the others are your kids, parents do not count.

ozstamps

Wow. That woman at the desk sounds like a disgrace to LH.

To abuse and clearly embarrass that kind lady who offered to sign your elderly parent in was over the top. And I bet your parents were also embarrassed about it all. I would write to whomever is in charge as that woman is costing LH business and goodwill IMO.

I am not sure about the "one guest" rule or whether it is always applied. I was able to invite both Rudi and Gisela into the SQ First Class Lounge at MEL last week as my guests, and they allowed it. Of course with Rudi and I doing the spiel she had no realistic hope of stopping us probably, but it was pretty painless actually. SQ gatekeepers to F lounges have a "tougher" reputation than LH for sure.

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~ Glen ~

Come and visit the most ** FRIENDLY FORUM ** on FlyerTalk. No flame wars, no personal abuse, no substance abuse. Not much of anything really!

djohannw

YOu can complain to LH, and they will then call you and tell you that you are right, offer you some mileage (12K in my case), but the next time in FRA (and ONLY FRA to my experience) you will find the situtation being the same. And because they called you and did not write a letter you will not be able to prove anything to the lounge attendant. In my case they insisted that my handicaped wife and my son could not access the SEN-lounge together.

Sad story, and if you have a solution, I'd be very interested in it...

Greetings - DIrk

Peter M

First of all I am sorry for your experiences. The "lounge wardens" at every airport and every airline seem to get a kick out of embarrasing passengers whenever they possibly can. But this does not excuse LH or make the situation acceptable. I've learned over the years not to accept any cr@p, and if they do start to say anything a sharp response means they generally back off quickly!

Not being able to find a manager to resolve your problem is not acceptable. Generally, the people with the most "power" are located behing the transfer/ticket desks. These are NOT the gate agents or lounge wardens, in addition to working magic on tickets, they can place a telephone call and change a situation or call a manager with appropriate authority.

Perhaps you could have taken your parents into the lounge one by one?

Please find LH USA contact details and instructions for writing and email;

http://cms.lufthansa.com/us/fly/en/g...461713,00.html

paulusst

I tend to shower at home / destination hotel and not at FRA airport. I really never understood why you would need a shower in a lounge, but then that maybe because I would never ever take two long hauls in a row without a stopover and a night in a hotel room. In my eyes that borders on self-destruction.

Thinking about it, I just found my travel mantra: Life is too short to shower/overnight in an airline lounge.

ws8n

Considering you are flying on SQ FC, SQ gatekeepers will bow head over heels to satisfy your every needs

Try flying SQ economy and enter Changi's Silver Kris without a PPS card....anyway you slice or dice it, you'll be sent off to the lowly premier lounge.

FWIW, I managed to bring in my mom and bro at NRT RCC. The reception conceirge kindly reminded of the 1 guest rule, but she obliged eventually.

BlondeBomber

"is too short to shower/overnight in an airline lounge"

I'd rather keep moving and regularly use the shower facilities in airports when travelling from N. America to Africa and vice versa transiting through Europe. A great way to freshen up and keep on moving. I feel just as dragged out after two days of travel as I do after one long continuous day.

MapleLeaf

[/Bold]
If you want to get the attention of the folks that matter at LH, contact:

LUFTHANSA GERMAN AIRLINES
1640 HEMPSTEAD TPKE
EAST MEADOW, NY
(516)296-9200

If I can find the VP's name (have it somewhere) I will post it as well. Much quicker response that using the regular mail channels.

ozstamps

Not 'always'.

Rudi and Gisela were indeed on SQ coach/eco tickets MEL-SIN last week as they could not get (as we all discover!) Biz or F when they booked AFAIK.

And I did NOT actually fly First Class (or any class!) with Singapore Airlines that day (or any day) ..... they just "thought" I was. This involved me going through customs and immigration with passport, security checks, etc. I'd flown down to MEL to have lunch with them, so I had time to kill before my flight home a couple hours later.

Interesting story. But Rudi and I bypassed the "warden" - using many years of accumulated lounge entering skills.

The Moet Chandon was very nice I can assure you.

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~ Glen ~

Come and visit the most ** FRIENDLY FORUM ** on FlyerTalk. No flame wars, no personal abuse, no substance abuse. Not much of anything really!



[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 02-07-2003).]