Why do European airlines have such lousy websites?
Mar 21, 2024, 10:35 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,231
Why do European airlines have such lousy websites?
The current object of my ire is Lufthansa, but I've experienced it with Swiss, and I think BA and others. I seem to recall something similar with Air New Zealand too but am not sure, it's been a while. Why is it that once you pay for seat selection (don't get me started on them charging to select your seat as an elite on a non-Basic fare) you can't modify your selected seat without calling their customer service desk? Compared to these, the US airlines are models of technological efficiency.
Also to add: I apparently have a Miles and More account but the website just tells me "A technical error occurred" when I try to log in.
Also to add: I apparently have a Miles and More account but the website just tells me "A technical error occurred" when I try to log in.
Last edited by gfunkdave; Mar 21, 2024 at 10:40 am
Mar 21, 2024, 1:04 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,333
At least there is one area where the USA airlines are indisputably the best in the world. Not to say they are perfect, but they are infinitely more useful than their overseas competitors If you think the European websites are bad, try some of the Asian airline websites, many of which feel like they were designed thirty years ago.
The LH group is absolutely maddening to deal with. You can access your flight information for any LH/LX/OS flight through any of their websites/apps, but what you can actually do in terms of managing the flight/trip info varies in wildly unpredictable ways between the six platforms, and it seems to change by the day.
The LH group is absolutely maddening to deal with. You can access your flight information for any LH/LX/OS flight through any of their websites/apps, but what you can actually do in terms of managing the flight/trip info varies in wildly unpredictable ways between the six platforms, and it seems to change by the day.
Mar 21, 2024, 3:58 pm
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
Programs: UA Gold & MM; DL & AA credit card dirt status; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Fool's Gold
Posts: 4,690
Recognize it takes some capital to present a quality airline website, but why aren't the carriers grasping the return on investment is high. Labor costs for staffing call centers and airport personnel, as an alternative to quality self service portals, should make the investment decision an easy one.
Mar 24, 2024, 8:26 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Programs: MB Ambassador, WOH Globalist, HH Diamond (Aspire), AA Gold, UA (*G) Gold
Posts: 5,188
I've had pretty good luck with Virgin Australia for domestic travel - it's usable enough to get you through with mobile passes, etc, and the booking experience is smooth enough. But, yes, I tried to look at setting up an ANA account for MR transfers, and I just gave up as I felt as if I needed to dust off my Windows XP desktop to better match the vibes.
LH Miles and More IT is just horrid - glad I realized I can just credit everything to UA.
LH Miles and More IT is just horrid - glad I realized I can just credit everything to UA.
Mar 24, 2024, 5:03 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,559
It seems some of the LCCs have better websites - probably because they'd rather you actually complete all your business online versus with a human. I frequently use easyJet when i bouncing around Europe on short-haul flights and I've always found it very simple to navigate the website.
Mar 24, 2024, 6:25 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,227
UA is years ahead of everyone on this but EasyJet is not bad. BA is truly shocking, making even LH look adequate. Given the LH Group and the IAG group are huge I cannot understand why they don’t spend the money and spread the cost savings and service enhancements across their respective brands.
Mar 25, 2024, 7:52 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,406
UA is years ahead of everyone on this but EasyJet is not bad. BA is truly shocking, making even LH look adequate. Given the LH Group and the IAG group are huge I cannot understand why they don’t spend the money and spread the cost savings and service enhancements across their respective brands.
I noticed my flight had a number of other passengers with “oversized” luggage. There’s definitely a cohort of travellers to be captured by offering this kind of user friendly interface.
Mar 28, 2024, 11:32 am
#9
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,735
The current object of my ire is Lufthansa, but I've experienced it with Swiss, and I think BA and others. I seem to recall something similar with Air New Zealand too but am not sure, it's been a while. Why is it that once you pay for seat selection (don't get me started on them charging to select your seat as an elite on a non-Basic fare) you can't modify your selected seat without calling their customer service desk? Compared to these, the US airlines are models of technological efficiency.
Also to add: I apparently have a Miles and More account but the website just tells me "A technical error occurred" when I try to log in.
Also to add: I apparently have a Miles and More account but the website just tells me "A technical error occurred" when I try to log in.
Mar 28, 2024, 12:14 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2024
Location: LBC
Posts: 5
I assume you can book those trips as well if you can search for them.
Mar 28, 2024, 2:07 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,735
1. first I try booking round trip PHL-MIL, then PHL-FCO
2. okay, things look good, each city pair has flights available on the days I want at acceptable fares
3. now I try booking multi city, trying to get flights that I have confirmed exist and have seats available.
RESULT: "No flights available for this city pair"
I've seen that same thing on multiple airlines, including most recently EI, FI and SK.
Apr 1, 2024, 10:24 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,575
It's wild because, while I don't think any airline in the world has a perfect website and app with ALL the functionality a traveler needs, I am forced to admit that United comes pretty close.
And there was an era where "united dot bomb" was a running joke on Flyertalk.
And there was an era where "united dot bomb" was a running joke on Flyertalk.
Apr 1, 2024, 12:25 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,449
About 12 years ago I used DL's website to rebook a delayed flight, sort out seats and OLCI. I remember being wow-ed then...time has passed and that is still an impossible dream for most airlines in Europe and indeed outside North America.
Apr 2, 2024, 5:57 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: EMA (how boring) but BHX is more convenient.
Posts: 2,376
I was thinking the same. So many airlines around the world have absolutely terrible websites, with lots of putative functionality not working.
Apr 3, 2024, 7:42 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oregon
Programs: AA EXP, AS 75K, UA 1MM Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Plat, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 4,001
The demise of UA Connection software
I had to fly ANA last year and was absolutely shocked at how cumbersome it was. I think they are 15-20 years behind the American carriers.