Latest: Experience with Lufthansa and Air India 

Experience with Lufthansa and Air India 

Hi! This past week, I had the undesired chance to experience the hospitality, professional work ethic and customer service of two of worlds air carriers. The German airline Lufthansa, and the Indian airline Air India.

My wife was traveling from US to India, and for the first time, so I was very concerned. Having taken multiple airlines before on the same travel destination, I was very determined to choose a airline which would be comforting. With that in mind, I categorically eliminated Air France - purely for my personal experience at the Charles De Gaulle (CDG) airport. The long walks and no service, with treatment of unwanted customers being the prime reason in avoiding it.

To my surprise, Frankfurt airport is no good either. She had to walk 50 minutes to her gate, and then was stopped for 'random security check'. Frankfurt airport authorities checked every nook and corner of her carry-on bag. Not just that, they also opened her laptop, asked her for information that was in the computer, checked and matched her fingerprints. Wow! World has advanced, but it took them another hour do all these, which made her to almost miss her onward connecting flight. Again, she had to take a hike in the airport to reach to her gate, with few minutes left to board. I wonder what would have happened if it was for some elderly, or physically challenged person.

Already frustrated with the meaningless questions that were asked during the security check (ex. Why are you carrying the laptop? - as if it were not allowed), little did she know or realized that her bad experience with the airline was just starting. 

Upon reaching New Delhi airport, and after waiting for almost 40 minutes at the baggage carousel, it became clear that her bags were mishandled or lost in transit. Frantically she rushed to find any authorities. Lufthansa, the airline who sold the ticket, had no one at the airport. The connecting flight from Frankfurt was operated by Air India, and they had some really lazy and clueless people at the counters. They straight away tried to shake their hands off the whole situation and asked her to contact Lufthansa. With no one from Lufthansa at the airport, and bags not to be found, she had to raise her voice for them to understand. Finally, someone gave her the form to file her complaint, and gave her the file reference number.

Next morning, she had her further onward journey which she took, sans her bags. We both did our best to reach out to Lufthansa and Air India to get status on bags, but had no response. All their numbers, specially the one's listed on their website go unanswered forever. I sometimes wonder if airlines do that on purpose.

I am assuming that mishandling of bags is a common occurrence, and if so, why don't have airlines made online ways for tracking, filing complaints, filing for claims, etc. The only logical conclusion that I reach is the one explained by human psychology. The more difficult you make a process, more number of people will give up on it. However, their are few who also get determination to overcome those just because of it. May be airlines don't realize the latter.

She, without her belongings for the trip, went from airport to the offices of Air India, and back to Air Port only to check the status on her bags. The paper pusher officers ('Sarkari Babus' as they are called in India) made sure that she never came to know who the right people are to file the complaint with, and where to check the status of her bags. All phone numbers that they provided were unanswered, and useless.

Finally on her third visit to the airport on the third day after her arrival, she saw her bags, and had to plead them to release the same. The joy of seeing her bags was short lived, as lot of her belongings in the bags were missing (read stolen) during the three day ordeal. And again, there was no process to file a complaint or claim for it. The same babu's again gave their list of numbers which will never get picked or answered.

Till date, we are searching for the process to file 'Lost Baggage Claim' and 'Delayed Baggage Claim'. Air India website list proudly that they follow Warsaw and other conventions, however notoriously doesn't list about how the passengers can file their complaints. The contact us page probably goes to black hole, and the customer service call center lines are for new bookings only.

So with exhausting all possible ways to file claim, we are left with only one option - write to Ministry of Civil Aviation and Indian Union Minister of Aviation - Mr. Praful Patel. Please feel free to send Mr. Praful Patel as many emails as you can about your problems with Air India and air travel in India. He is the ultimate authority of aviation in India, and state run carriers like Air India and Indian Airlines (now Indian).

For all you passengers, and the ones who haven't been able to hear anything from Air India, you can write to Mr. Patel directly at his email address (praful@sansad.nic.in). Also, you can write to all the under secretaries, and etc. Though I cannot assure that you will get a reply back, or your problems will get resolved, but at least you will be able to voice it in front of the decision makers.

Besides, other email addresses where you may file complaints are

Air India Baggage Lost / Mishandled - del.bagsvcs@airindia.in, bagsvcs_bom@airindia.com

Lufthansa India Baggage Lost / Mishandled - delstmail@dlh.de, ypqbcc.xr@dlh.de

Lufthansa India Customer Relations - crelation.in@dlh.de

Air India call center - call.del@airindia.in; Air India call center phone number (New Delhi) - 011 91 11 25652050.

Air India Complaints fax number - 011 91 22 66301947.

The details of all the important people you can reach, and write to are

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Secretary's Office

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Additional Secretary

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Joint Secretaries

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Directors/Deputy Secretaries

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Under Secretaries

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Section Officers/Staff

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Pay & Accounts Office

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National Informatics Centre

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Hopefully this will help you!

 

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