IAN-UK

And, for me, receiving an unexpected (i.e. non rule-book) courtesy brings much greater pleasure than a funtionary doing what he/she has been instructed to do.

The couple of times a purser has come back to check that I'm OK in Y has been very welcome. Having her trudge back to find me in 55F on every flight would take the gloss off the few occasions one of her colleagues has had the time and the initiative to do so. OK, it would have been even nicer if she'd dragged me back to the front of the aircraft, but...

The birthday drink was a nice touch, too. But it might be a trial if it happened every birthday.

yapak2

a couple of comments from this side of town....

personal welcome: it certainly is a bit of a mixed bag experience, whether you are greated or not onboard a flight. I can confirm that on 9 out of 10 flights on LX most definitely the Maitre d� would walk up to me and personally welcome me onboard (and that would be me in Y for most of the times). With LH.....I would say 5 out of 10 times.
While it is nice to be recognized, I for one however could easily do without that soft perk, as I find it embarassing when all they do is walk up, introduce, shake hand....had other pax looking at me a bit puzzled on many occasions ...

the y into c thing: happened to me a number of times as well, but not to the extent that i could spot a pattern here. When it happens, great, if not, well, i guess i paid monkey class so i better stay put.

travelling together with a SEN: my wife is hardcore afraid of flying so no experience there....

jumping lines: again 7/10 times excellent experience, then again "my" airports, besides FRA, ZRH and VIE are nowhere near the madhouse experience of CDG.

general experience FCT: since i have only been spoiled for the past 9 months or so, i cant really confirm a decline (not in FRA at least). and yes, the security fellows are great, really!!!its them and the nuts that make the FCT worthwhile...^ oh and maybe a couple of other things.... (such as pulling up in front of the FCT in my dirty "vintage" Golf, seeing the LH and SIXT guys with puzzled expressions on their face)

a general comment: I guess everyone is different in his/her expectations, perceptions, sensitivities, etc. I for one am perfectly happy to have a hotline that answers within seconds, that listens, understands and fixes things, when things go wrong. and with the amount of travelling that comes with our chosen(?) lifestyles/jobs, that is what i appreciate big time. Also, when people "recognize" me in a way, that shows class (i.e. yesterday on OS in Y, regular FA serves me my Y meal, adresses me by name and hands me a mini Schlumberger and a real glass. classy, does the job but not in the "guidebook way. Or on LH the other day, again in Y, bringing me a magazine, rolled up in a pillow "here is the pillow you requested, sir. wink wink".).

quite honestly, when you have two legs and a brain, who needs a PA (i.e. in VIE), walking you from the lounge 30 metres down the terminal to the gate? and yet, whenever i out of curiosity try to sneak a view of other people�s BP, may have that sticker (typically for VIE) with the PA box ticked. a joke....now, that is my personal opinion and should illustrate the challenge for all those hundreds of mostly dedicated DO&CO, LH, OS, LX, etc HON Circle staff running around the airports of this world...How do you deliver the personalised service to a bunch of such different egos, that happened to qualify for HON?

The only criticisms I do have are (and that is really minor):
- Award booking guarantee for F pls!
- consistency as to when you can use the FCT (would understand if you cant do flights with LH code operated by, say KM or SK, but not with carrieres like LO, JP, that even share the same program)

All in all I can say, LH made me a happy and (most importantly) loyal traveller.



Happy diving,
yapak2

SleepOverGreenland

Not sure, whether this has to do with a gone HON privilege or is just a coincidence.

Waitlisted two O Upgrades on a D booking for FRA-SFO RT. Soon after reserving the upgrade checkmytrip shows the confirmed D per segment and the waitlisted O booking per segment. A couple hours later the waitlist indication for segment 1 has gone, but it doesn't show it as confirmed either. That segment on checkmytrip is just without any status assignment. Still the D booking shows as confirmed and the BIZ seat assignment stays. However, at the time the waitlist indication was removed (7 days before departure availability changed from A4 F4 downto A1 F1, C0 and D0 has been stabile for at least two weeks).

Maybe this means it didn't get confirmed yet, but then it should stay waitlisted, right?

In the past, a confirmed O upgraded did result in a confirmed O segment and removing the C/D segment completely from the itinerary.

Anyone observed similar behaviour?

berenike

Sorry, can't confirm exactly your experience, but upgrades to F seem to take longer to clear now than last year.


Christian

fradoc

Aha, at least there are people reading all my posts in this thread. ^

SleepOverGreenland

Well so far this year I had 3 or 4 upgrade requests and all cleared either within one day after request or on the 7day-before-departure rule. So almost same behaviour, than last year.

That new one seems to work slightly different, since I do see the upgrade request on checkmytrip, but it is neither labeled as waitlisted nor confirmed. Didn't know, there was any intermediate (other) status. But again, maybe it is just coincidence, because the booking situation looks really strange for that day (all classes sold out on all LH flights incl. the codeshares).

UPDATE: On segment 2 for the return the waitlist sign was removed today as well. Still not showing up as confirmed. The difference to segment 1 is, this is for a flight having F9 A9 C9 still. So this behaviour is either another IT gap, or LH really changed the process with upgrades (PPB upgrade here, but that shouldn't matter). I may call the HON line tommorow morning and ask about the status.

martona

The enthusiasm might have waned a bit; checkin personnel don't seem too eager to escort through security anymore when flying ex-US, and they seem to have genuine problems with fast-tracking through immigration upon arrival, but all things considered things are actually quite OK.

To put this in perspective: I do get greeted on board pretty much without exception and that adds a nice touch. I got 3 op-ups out of the past 3 possibilities. A couple of months back I got a M&M blue coworker upgraded to C just by asking if he could have a better seat than his preassigned fortysomething-supermiddle. Etc.

So I am definitely happy right now w/ LH and M&M.

SenAOI

Just my two cts.:
1. As written before, I've got the impression, that the FRA FCT is smooth but continuously declining in both sections PA and catering-service. I noticed that last week again.
2. As written before: The MUC team (PA and LSG) is doing a steadily perfect job since opening the F-lounge. They really are great and everything got very, very warm and personal during the last years.
3. GVA HON-service: absolutely perfect, ZRH HON-serveice just mediocre
4. AOI HON-service: There is nothing official, but whenever possible I get my private transfer to the plane with a Fiat Punto or something else; the check-in- and security-prcedures are mediocre belause you always have to queue (no fast lanes) and nobody cares about the Business check-in-line.
4. Greatings on board: longhaul ever, shorthaul LH 35%, shorthaul cityline never, shorthaul Swiss 80%, shorthaul Air Dolomiti now nearly perfect.
As I know a lot of the Air Dolomiti staff personally they are extremely polite and -if possible- are inviting me or my wife into C.
5. LH-Upgrades: poor, but I'm mostly travelling in C within Europe. For me it doesn't matter as I can use the pre eveing check in.
6. German HON Circle Hotline is really good and helpful.
7. Austrian HON Circle Hotline is even better because the have more possibilities than their german collegues.
8. The normal check-in hotline 0561 993399 is worse. I use it with my mobile phone as I have a flat rate into the german "Festnetz". It's extremely rare to get a real fast and competent person at the phone there. I don't know how LH is training this staff.
Result: I like the HON status very much but LH has to take care about the level of service standard.
Salve Luigi

SmilingBoy

Not sure if it helps much, but the fixed line number for the FTL line is +4956199337016. Might be a bit better than the general one. Don't know the SEN fixed line number - if anyone has it, I would appreciate it!

SmilingBoy.

flysurfer

Knowing LH, their way of taking care of things will be to reduce the number of HONs by enhancing (re-)qualification requirements.

SleepOverGreenland

Okay, finally I quote myself in order to explain the thing.

PPB has changed their processes. They do not deduct miles anymore, when waitlisting an upgrade (...and credit it back, when upgrading fails). Once the upgrade gets confirmed now it is an internal (hidden) confirmation. That's what I have seen on checkmytrip in my booking showing no status anymore. Once it gets confirmed internally it is send back to PPB in order to complete the mileage deduction and make the upgrades fully confirmed. Sounds a little bit complicated to me, but as long as it works.

Overal, the upgrade cleared (internally) as fast as always even on fully booked flights and even when an upgrade reduces F availability down to A1 F1 one week before departure. So, this "soft" HON privilege still exists. ^

Togo001

I got the same experiences during the last 6 months. The hard benefits are the same as before, but the soft privileges are mostly gone. It started 5 months ago. I'm twice a week at the FCT or 2-3 times at the FCL in FRA and 2-3 times in the FCL in MUC.

1) FCL and HON service MUC
The MUC FCL crew is at the same high level as always with one exception: During the 3 months the limo service wasn't available. They said they are missing drivers..... And finally: I'm always surprised how dirty and used some of the chairs are in FCL MUC. Maybe some visitors don't care what they are doing...
In all: The MUC team is are great. I got everything in a very warm and personal way during the last years.

2) FCT
There are some PA I know quite good after nearly 3 years. But the catering crew isn't such enthustiastic as 2 years ago. There isn't anymore the special very personal service as last year. Of course: It is great and very convenient, but PA and the service staff areN#t so much involved in their job as 1-2 years ago.

3) FCL A FRA
I like the lounge very much, even a bit more than the FCT. And I don't recognize any change of the service level here. Like in MUC I got everything what I asked for and what I didn't asked for.

4) HON service HKG
They changed the service team a few months ago, but perfect like always. Smooth, friendly, smart. From plan arrival to airport airpress I need not more than 20 mins.

5) Greatings on board:
Longhaul at F: ever
Longhaul at C: Until April: Ever, since April: Never (5x2 flights)
Shorthaul LH at C and Y: At routes FRA-LEJ: 100%, at main routes: MUC-FRA: never
Shorthaul cityline: 5%
Shorthaul Air Dolomiti: 5%

6) Delayed flights, short connection time:
Always perfect, they managed several times to carry me in FRA and MUC directly from the outside position to the next flight, closed the door and went to the runway.... Great.

7) Special HON gifts and invitations:
During 2005 I got monthly an invitation for different types of events. In 2006 only a few, in 2007 nothing. I didn't attend such an event, but I recognized that LH modified this activity plan.

In all: HON is a great thing, it helped me to travel in a very convenient way and it brought me closer to LH, AUA and LX. Nevertheless this is a high level program - you will see every weakness...

alfahund

I love the AOI HON-Service. You wouldn't expect that from that tiny airport.

In addition I have to say that service in ZRH is getting better all the time. They seem to emulate MUC.

San Gottardo

Really? I am writing this as I sit in the F lounge in ZRH. I just heard explanation number 35 of why this time I wouldn't qualify for limo transfer to open stand, the food is the same since 2 years, all the other offerins as well (and some of them not that great...). All in all, somewhat disappointed. Let's see what the new lounge will bring.

Having said that, the places where I miss HON privileges most are the tiresome EUropean airports like CDG or LHR, where things like speeding through security would be highly appreciated.

SleepOverGreenland

You like the Lindor chocolate balls, do you?

The ZRH offers in the F lounge are still far far away from the HONdeh�tte in MUC. The staff is nice and friendly and they try to make the stay comfortable. But that lounge has really limited possibilities and I'm looking forward to see, what the new one will bring.