My complaint:
We issued the tickets online on the website of Lufthansa on 21.09.2021 from Larnaca (Cyprus) to Almaty (Kazakhstan) through transit in Vienna and Frankfurt on the following dates:
16.12.2021
06:05-08:25 Larnaca- Vienna
09:10-10:40 Vienna – Frankfurt
13:20-00:50 Frankfurt- Almaty
On 13.12.2021 we were informed that the flight destination from Larnaca to Vienna had been cancelled and we were offered with another transit connections through Munich and Frankfurt on the following dates:
15.12.2021
17:10-19:55 Larnaca-Munich
16.12.2021
11:00-12:05 Munich-Frankfurt
13:20-00:50 Frankfurt-Almaty
Since I was travelling with my child the most worry was about overnight in Munich and I was asking the representative of Lufthansa Mr Alekkos if I am able to sleep somewhere during that night. He recommended me to use either Hilton Transit hotel or sleeping cabin in the airport of Munich. Also he said that it will be compensated by the company, since the flight cancellation took place.
On 14.12.2021 we both with my son made PCR tests and started the procedure of online check-in immediately after getting the negative results.
Unfortunately, I was denied by the system several times and I started calling Lufthansa line in Cyprus at tel: 77788116.
The First call I made at PM 18:59 and the representative of Lufthansa told me, that sometimes these technical issues arise and I should go to the airport to proceed with check-in registration 3 hours before the departure.
The Second call I made at PM 19:22 and asked the representative of Lufthansa to check if the tickets and everything is fine with my trip, because I was worried that I may face some problems in the airport. However, he assured me that everything is fine, the ticket is fine and I should just go to the airport.
The Third call I made on 15.12.2021 at PM 1:06 and asked the representative of Lufthansa about the Hilton Transit Hotel in Munich, if any visa would be required for me and he assured me that “NO IT WONT BE ANY VISA REQUIRED, SINCE YOU ARE A TRANSIT PASSENGER AND WILL BE LESS THAN 24 HOURS THERE!”
Finally we arrived to the airport for the departure and were informed that we CANT TRAVEL (!), because we don’t have SCHENGEN VISA! The explanation of the Lufthansa representative was the following: since you are changing the airports inside the Schengen-zone (in Munich and in Frankfurt), you are required to have the Schengen visas in the passports. Also he recommended to speak with our agent, who issued the tickets for us.
We called to the representative of the company Mrs Lisa at PM 03:03 to find the connection with one stop only (as recommended by the representative in the airport) to avoid the visa issues, she said that there is a flight on 18.12.2021 through Frankfurt (one stop only) to Almaty. She also told me that we should pay the fee more than 200 EUR for the date changes in the tickets.
Since we didn’t had much time, we provided her the card details, but then I started calling to the other representatives to clarify how reasonable it was to pay in this situation.
At PM 08:45 Mrs Molli told me that by the rules of the company the passenger supposed to check the visa regime himself by calling to the embassy. When I explained that I am a transit passenger I was not having any intention to go out of the airport and the only purpose I had is to reach Kazakhstan, she said that they do not the visa regimes for transit passengers (!!!) and its my responsibility to check it.
If this is the case WHY NOBODY TOLD IT TO US BEFORE THE ARRIVAL TO THE AIRPORT? Especially when I was asking them specifically about the visa requirements in Munich, they were trying to convince me that everything is fine instead!
I believe that instead of providing the qualified support they are just trying to get rid of the passengers who are calling them with their problems. On 14.12.2021 I heard the women were laughing out loud on at the background while I was trying to speak with the representative and obviously he was not very willing to answer my questions.
I believe that if someone was going to clearly tell me to call the embassy before the flight, I was not going have these issues now!
Having the transit flight, I believe that it is only responsibility of Lufthansa to inform its passengers on the rules of transit travel and changing the airports inside the Schengen zone. And definitely we should not be charged for the changing the dates in such a situation, because it’s the least the company can do for us.
In addition to the hotel reservation, we also had expenses for the PCR tests, which we are required to make again now.
Finally, my son was shocked and started crying right in the airport, he could not calm down even when we came back home.
This is definitely not that experience I expected with Lufthansa. I faced the situation and all the agents I spoke were completely ignorant and not professional.
Therefore, I believe it is reasonable to reimburse the fee of the dates changing at least.
Suggested solution:
FIRST OF ALL I AM EXPECTING SOMEONE OF HIGHER RANK TO CONTACT US, LIKE A MANAGER OR EVEN A DIRECTOR OF THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES, IN ADDITION, THE FEES WE PAID FOR THE CHANGING THE DATES SHOULD BE REFUNDED AND FINALLY BECAUSE I DONT HAVE ANY INTENTION TO USE THE SERVICES OF THE COMPANY TO AT LEAST APOLOGISE FOR THE SITUATION.
