LauraS
April 20th, 2010, 09:10 AM
Cruise Critic has just posted the following news:
Day 6: European Flight Chaos Continues
Read the entire news article... (http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3818)
Bels
April 21st, 2010, 06:47 AM
I just returned yesterday from Munich to Charlotte via Lufthansa. I was told it was the first plane from Europe to touch down in the USA in six days.
I had been in Europe since April 3rd, on MSC Melody cruise April 7-18 from Genoa through the Black Sea to the Ukraine. I had flown United Business Class to Munich and my return flight yesterday was of course cancelled. When I went to the airport and tried to rebook, the United agent said that stranded "award" travelers would not be rebooked for a week or so, with flights maybe two to three weeks on, as they had 15,000 paying customers to rebook first, that I should come back in ten days and they would "try" then to get me a flight. So I went to Lufthansa and they put me on the Charlotte flight, business class, with less than a hour before departure, honoring my award ticket, no problems. Lufthansa were very smart. They knew most of their booked passengers were stranded in other places so they wait-listed quite a few of us knowing that seats would be available.
Bxc53
April 21st, 2010, 11:44 AM
Lufthansa did show good customer relations smarts.
I'm reminded of the 9/11 tragedy. I was traveling for business when it occurred and all flights were grounded for many days. Hertz announced a program where an existing renter, as I was, could drive home with no penalty charging only the normal daily rate. This no doubt cost them a bunch of money in the short term, but made me a customer for life- and I travel over 150 days a year...