Lufthansa has been exploiting customers with it"s outrageous prices in the name of so called date changes and rigid policies. Please think twice before choosing to fly Lufthansa specially from U.S to India .
I for one am thoroughly disappointed with their services and policies. There has to be some flexibility in rules regarding cancellation credit specially when it involves a medical reason that can be proved. My TA also felt that the Airlines could manage that in some cases as an exception if they so desired. But Lufthansa is not even open to talks. After all who would want to waste their money and cancel at the last moment unless there is a genuine reason. But Lufthansa is so rigid and does not empathise at all even to make efforts in resolving the matter with alternatives.
Their managers are not reachable even to discuss matters like these. I asked to discuss this matter with the Manager on duty but I was not allowed to. I worked as a Manager in States and I would always try to work with the customers to retain them as loyal customers. Here I have spent money, time and energy on calling Lufthansa U.S and Delhi several times but to my immense disappointment they were not even open to discuss the matter. While I respect policies there still ought to be some loopholes in exceptional cases.
I am sure that Managers must be given some powers to make exceptions in such cases and give back some amount of credit even if the ticket may be non refundable or a customer must be allowed to claim the amount later if one can prove that there was a medical reason to change or cancel flight. If not then Lufthansa could easily issue an open ticket for even a restricted period for the same fare in medical cases where the customer cannot provide a definite date of travel as it all depends on the recovery process.
Leave alone that, Lufthansa is charging outrageously for date changes lately which is coming to $900 and above which is as good as buying a new ticket ! ANA on the other hand works with the customers to reach a mutually suitable resolution if a customer is flexible about dates. In Oct. 2018 I changed an ANA ticket San Fran-Del.
ANA just charged $70 even when on other dates it was fluctuating and coming to $400. But Lufthansa does not want to waste their time in working with customers at all or resolve their grievances once they have sold their tickets. In due course Lufthansa will lose many loyal customers not that it would matter to them because I find they are so rigid and arrogant in their approach in dealing with their customers. Their cancellation process is also so time consuming ! The representative was not wanting to help me at all with the cancellation considering that I do not have the energy to waste more time on this as I am not well at all. At least in such cases cancellations should happen promptly on the phone or they can help the customer by communicating it to the Sales team themselves. I am so unwell and yet I am going back and forth just to do a simple cancellation.
I don't think I will ever fly Lufthansa. And I will not recommend flying Lufthansa to anyone. Even on board I noticed that some of their staff was exhibiting impatience with some customers specially Asian senior citizens.
