Missed check in and Swiss refuses to rebook
Dec 24, 2018, 6:22 am
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 6
Dec 24, 2018, 6:32 am
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 6
I sympathize with the OP as I live in NYC and have had some terrible unexpected traffic— as in leaving Manhattan for EWR flight on SAS and disabled cars in both the Holland and Lincoln tunnels— so driver had to take the GW Bridge which was backed up just as an example — but one thing I did was call the airline from the car to check the cut off time and ask about alternatives — but I made it.
The flight tire so called rule is not a worldwide concept — some posts about BA and it is a case by case basis.
Flat Tyre Rule | Cut Off For Meal Loading | Missed Flight
BA Condition of Carriage 3c4 – Is an `Event Beyond Your Control’ an `Act of God'
Dec 25, 2018, 4:09 am
#33
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,453
BUT.. I've had experienced LX going the extra kilometer when someone arrived at the checkin counter WAY too late (approx 15min after deadline) and LX still made it possible to catch the plane (the luggage didn't made it, so the cut-off deadline definitely made sense being 70min in that case)
Blaming LX for being customer-unfriendly is just plain wrong. It's always the individual outstations (or ZRH/GVA) that are deciding.
I've experienced similar situations (several flights at one counter area, one of them "closing soon") - where staff went around actively and got people on the "closing soon" one to a counter straight ahead. Sure, if they basically already arrived too late, it would have been too late anyway, but if they arrived 77min before departure, they could still have made it IF staff was proactive.
I found staff to be much more active in trying to get everyone onboard in (most) Asian airports, much less so in the Western world where they seem to not care. Probably has to do with most airport workers in the West being on low wages, while in Asia (very generally spoken!) working at an airport is still something to be proud of. And yes, positive example above was at an Asian airport.
So, in short, don't blame LX. They could have been more accomodating, but in Europe, and generally Switzerland (and Germany), rules aren't there for fun. They're meant to be honoured, in both ways. And that means, if you're too late, you're too late. I'd expect the same from SQ, and other "strict" airlines, and I wouldn't blame them on that.