News and notes from around the interweb:
- Hotels have brand standards. I’ve received compensation when a hotel didn’t have water (because of city issues, not the hotel’s fault). And they provided bottled water. In contrast, Airbnb says hosts aren’t obligated to provide hot water.
- Lufthansa being Lufthansa New York Times reporter gets visibly frustrated trying to get answers for customers who are legally entitled to compensation. Lufthansa takes its inspiration from Franz Kafka, clearly.
Lufthansa said customers should read terms and conditions before clicking accept, but this wa sa booking made over the phone. They used European data privacy as an excuse to ignore the Times though the customer had signed a release. They said they contacted the customers but they didn’t. And there’s more.
If I had a nickel for every time someone wrote me saying they’d been stiffed by a major European airline, I’d be rich — unless I had to collect the money from a major European airline, in which case I’d probably still be waiting.
- Stop it, people. (And this is definitely not just a ‘Southwest thing’ by any means.)
we gotta talk @SouthwestAir this ain’t it pic.twitter.com/PDXFMdsSTq
— Mike was here (@bellikemike) February 20, 2023
- Singapore Airlines will drop its seasonal Vancouver – Singapore service in October.
- Spain follows U.K. announcement, will end War On Water at security checkpoints in 2024.
- Star Alliance airline Avianca moved to an ‘everything counts’ model for earning elite status but in most cases still requires that half of qualifying miles still be earned from flying – and indeed flying on Avianca.
When American AAdvantage moved to their ‘most mileage activity counts’ towards status model, they held back some benefits for those flying a minimum of 30 segments on American (including award travel on American redeemed through AAdvantage) and partners. And that requirement goes away for the status-earning year that starts March 1.
That why you get a court order and have every Lufthansa plane impounded until they pay.
Jeez, usually after a large news outlet calls you out, the PR time gets right on it and makes things right (even if it wasn’t completely their fault). Got it hand it to LH though – following the dumpster fire policies all the way to the end.
@Ed – If you think a court will impound a plane because the airline won’t issue refunds, I want some of what you’re drinking.
@Brian,
It seems you are not familiar with Juris Prudence. I suggest you Google the NBC News article: “Court Rules Jet Can Be Impounded Over Compensation to Passenger”.
And now our “friends” at LH are trying to charge $40 for an advance seat assignment saying they will give you a “free” seat assignment when you check in for your flight. No thanks and I cancelled and booked a UA flight .
FYI. Those flying to Finland. For more than a year, you can depart from HEL without removing computers and liquids from your carry-ons. A true godsend when walking through security at 5:30AM, while still sleeping.
Let’s not talk about the war
I have complained against Lufthansa 4 months ago and they have accepted that I am entitled to compensation but they offered me only € 50 when they should pay me ten times that amount. Disgrace the way their customer experience has deteriorated. German authorities are fully aware of what is going on with pending cases and do nothing.
German customer service at its finest at Lufthansa… I thought I was alone in my battle with them recently. Too bad they are the only airline that flys the 747 routes I can take for work.. I really want to experience that plane just not bad enough to experience Lufthansa again. Thank goodness AMERICAN Express got my money back to me!!