I figured some OMAAT readers would get a kick out of my recent experience trying to deal with customer relations at Eurowings Discover, which is Lufthansa’s low cost, long haul subsidiary.
Continue reading: Lousy Eurowings Discover Customer Service…
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
You will eventually receive a limited edition Eurowings holiday ornament I am thinking! Good luck.
I had a claim for EU261 from BA on a long haul flight so was entitled to the full amount. To give BA their due, the full amount was paid to my US account within 4 days of my request, and 3 days of their acknowledgement. I was able to put the compensation to good use and upgraded my AY flight back to LAX at no out of pocket cost!
That much obfuscation is practically criminal. I've never had to file an EU261, but I can't even wrap my head around how the Lufthansa group gets away with unconscionable crap like this. /outrage
Side question: Do you and/or Ford travel with AirTags when you check luggage? I can't imagine what it would be like to deal with them re: loss of a bag.
Actually, there is a timeline; You can complain about them at the Luftfahrt Bundesamt after 6 weeks if you have not received the compensation. In my experience, airlines react pretty fast once you let them know that you are about to complain about them.
Hi Ben,
the first message you received is standard Lufthansa group text. So as you correctly stated its just an acknowledgment and you get your case number. Ah, and the second mail just proves that its Lufthansa Group customer relations. You cold have as well sent your mail to [email protected] .
Another of hundreds of proofs why LH Group sucks. I am so glad that they kicked me out of the pilot application process some years ago. Lufthansa would have turned out to be the worst choice!
A friend recently submitted a EU261 claim to EW for a delay and diversion due Paderborn due to night flight ban in Düsseldorf. EW declined and he just fowarded his claim to flightright or one of the other agencies Even those agencies should be well-known at LH, they declined again and now it goes to court. So around 30% commission might be worth it when you can save the hassle with LH/EW.
Carsten Spohr should be forced to read every post and comment on this blog regarding Lufthansa. And no, it is not shaming giving all criticism is real.
ya really not looking forward to the Eurowings Discover A330 taking over the Toronto LH470/471 flights from the 747-400 later this month. 🙁 earlier this year LH paid me out the EU261 May 18th flight got paid to my Wise June 24th.
Hey Ben,
one remark: Please involve the national body of passenger rights. By law, this has to be provided and paid by the transport company and there is one body in each EU country. In Germany it is https://soep-online.de/ and they have an english website. Even though the processing time is slow, you will be amazed about their professionalism. A lawyer will be assigned to you and yxou will receive copys of the investigation. You do not have to pay for using the national body - either way, it is paid by the transports company.
Your report will be beneficial for other OMAAT readers.
Good luck
Klaus
Yes, that you can also do. But the LBA knows about the situation. It`s not like they will ground Lufthansa. It`s like sending a complaint to the DOT.
My recommendation is the national enforcement body (NEB) for public transport: soep-online.de.
Here is an overview of all european NEB
https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/passenger-rights/national-enforcement-bodies-neb_en
(off-topic Side note: Lufthansa has increased the fares for changing flights significantly...)
Hi Ben,
one more remark. According to european law, the airlines has to respond within
- 4 months for clear cases
- 6 months for complex cases
- more than 6 months that are being trialed in court.
Source:
https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/passenger-rights/national-enforcement-bodies-neb_en
Hello Felix,
why did he not involve Schlichtungsstelle Öffentlicher Personennahverkehr ( https://soep-online.de/), the National Enforcement Body of passenger rights? It is free of charge and if the case is denied, he could have still involved an agency afterwards.
Oh, it’s certainly not only Discover. I got the exact same text from Lufthansa after there were some issues (Lost baggage on inbound, damaged on return) with a First Class Flight. So even for a customer who paid for first it took them about 6-8 months to respond.
Currently waiting on another response from an Lufthansa EU261 in April 2022.
In general they pay, but it takes them months (or years).
Isn’t asking for personal details a big no no via email ? Also with so many scam emails flying around I never trust any organization that ask for personal info via email and request they provide a secured form platform. You could be scammed or risking your personal info being hacked. Be careful
I fully agree that involving SÖP in Germany is the way to go. I had to involve them earlier this year, when I had file an EU 261 with LH and nothing happened. Within 7 days from the moment I involved SÖP, I had the full compensation amount on my bank account.
Hi Klaus,
I guess he does not know SOEP and values simplicity. I had a case with SOEP. Besides that it took ages until they finally worked on my case, the initial form was pretty annoying to fill out for complex cases. Maybe it is different when you have a standard EU261 delay where the airline cannot argument with extraordinary circumstances.
My dispute was with LATAM. In March 21, hey cancelled my 150 Euro bargain ticket from MAD-FRA-LUX-DUS on LATAM C, LH C and Hahn Air (very close to a private jet).
Par for the course for all LHG companies, they will try their very best to weasel out of the money the owe you by law, even bending the truth or simply making up new rules. In the end they probably succeed in making some people just give up, so please do not give up, keep at it and keep us posted.
You should also send your claim information here. https://www.lba.de/EN/AirPassengersRights/Complaint_Form/Complaint_Form_node.html
Lufthansa has been perhaps the worst offender of these types of issues. I have heard horror stories from friends and totally feel they should be boycotted at all costs.
Small correction: Eurowings Discover will operate the Philadelphia and Canada routes as pure wet lease flights for Lufthansa with the original LH flight numbers. In case of any problems Lufthansa mainline is going to be your point of contact. This is different to the conventional 4Y flights. Lufthansa should make that clearer though.
There are a lot of companies out there which will do the EU261 process for you costing a small share of the reimbursement. And they transfer the money quickly.
Just not worth the hassle to deal with companies with bad costumer service directly. I once claimed back taxes for not taking a flight on TAP and had my money within 1-2 weeks through flightright. Didn’t have to deal with TAP‘s aweful costumer service.
The October email looks like a phishing attempt. Are you certain of its source? I've see real phishing emails that were more professional looking than it. There's no way that I would provide my bank account information in response to this email
I think the ridiculous language in the third email makes it clear it's been outsourced to a lazy call centre in india. Either that or it's a scam email
In either case, It looks like it's progressing backwards
But in any case at least when it does finally get somewhere you'll at least get back a useful payment, not like the third-world service the USA offers - giving refunds to international passengers as antiquated cheques (and even then misspelling it)
If the AirTags ban wasn’t enough, yet another reason to never fly anything associated with LH Group.
Had a similar issue, but once I found the email address customer.relations“at“lufthansa.com and threatened with a lawyer, I received an answer within a couple of days and the promise that will provide the full 1200€ to me and my partner. Money is not there yet….
I recently booked an LH YVR-FRA flight, only to find out a few weeks later that it’s now a Eurowings Discover flight. After finding that out I cancelled the flight, rebooked with another carrier and still saved $ after the cancellation fee.
Makes me wonder though if they can make that kind of carrier switch without telling you or allowing cancellation without charge?
@Klaus
“Lufthansa has increased the fares for changing flights significantly...”
I’m having difficulty re-booking a full fare F ticket on LH. I just want to change by one day and I'm being told nothing is available; TONS of space is available.
I think my LH fanboy days are over.
We are a group of 5 people facing the same issue with Lufthansa. We filed a complaint a month ago over a missed flight to Addis Ababa due to delayed previous flight. A month after the claim, I received an email from an Indian customer service agent saying something like personal data should be handled directly by LH ?!? (of course, it should, that's the company which online form I filled in). My friend got: you need to send us your personal ID with bleakened sensitive data ?!? I immediately answered that I want to get a response from their management so now I'm waiting. Lots of useful tips here, hope it doesn't come to to need them 🙂 Good luck with your claim 🙂
Actually it is 2*600€=1200€ = 1167 USD - and I guess that is how to become a millionaire.
What I do not understand is the general rush when it comes to EU261. To me it doesn’t/wouldn’t matter whether it takes 6 or 12 months. But yes, it should be completed within 6 months and it would be funny if EU would double the compensation in case the airline does boot respond within this timeframe
Hi Felix,
Well…30% of 1200€ is 360€. Why give that away if you have a national body of lawyers that work for free (in the sense that Lufthansa has to pay them either way)?
But yes, the SÖP form is comprehensive and you have to upload the original booking and a proof of the change (e.g. new boarding passes or cancellation note).
If you want/need the compensation quickly and do not care about the 30% fee, then a
Private company is the way to go
I've also had problems with claming compensation after cancelled flights with Ryanair and Wizzair.
In the case of Wizzair they cancelled my flight from LPL to Warsaw, put me on a flight 3 days earlier with a different flight number and claimed it was a time change. When I asked for a refund for a replacement flight that i booked for the same day Wizzair claimed that I was requesting a refund and said that I was not entitled to a refund and, next time I book a ticket on their flights I should pay extra so I can claim a Wizzair credit.
The European Commission need to stop these pratices by low cost airlines refusing to pay compensation. They know they can get away so, due to their greed, they do. No longer do I fly low cost as you get what you pay for.
When it comes to EU compensation in particular I have had just as bad or even worse experiences with BA and others. Seems you have to actually sue them all nowadays to get that compensation. Anyway LH absolutely does deserve a "boycot at all cost" for a lot of other issues besides EU compensation refusals.
@Klaus
Generally, I share your point of view and I don‘t like to promote these claim agencies.
I would always try it on my own first. Regarding my friend, I did not specify the amount. It was only an intra-German flight, so he is only entitled to 250€. So 30% of that is not so much in absolute numbers.
It is huge mistake to wait for the compensation directly from the airline and in due time.
I always face such problems and you hsve to follow these steps
1. File the claim to the airline and keep a copy or thei reply handy.
2. After a week file a claim attaching the original claim to the airline and all requested data such as flight number, company, date etc... at the national aeronautical service of the country involved, in your case Germany
3. You will get your money in two weeks time
Airlines can foolish individuals but not goverment services wich are handling these issues strictly.
The language of the last two emails is almost word for word what I received from my Lufthansa claim, except they did say the amount of the payment.
I was very surprised that I didn’t need to put up a fight at all.
Flight was in May, I claimed in July. Got paid in September.
I was kind of wondering the same thing, especially when he is/was a local at TPA...
1. Because, like Maxwell Berry whose parents (allegedly) have, a net worth of $2 million is flying Frontier.
2. Being wealthy doesn't mean that person have better things to do.
Is Ben a millionaire? How do you know that? (Not that a million goes very far these days... or even two...)
Similar issue with Deutsche Bahn, months after a significant train delay which results in compensation, I haven't heard word one from them after mailing (yes, post is the only way to deal with it apparently) the paperwork in.
German customer service generally isn't a thing anyways. Not always, sometimes you get lucky, but as a customer I often get the feeling (and impression from the interactions) that I'm bothering whoever I have to deal with. Airline employees, car dealers, restaurants, grocery store workers, etc.
It's not a slam against Germans, it's simply a cultural difference that is quite different from most other countries I've visited or lived in. I don't particularly like it, but it's their country, not mine lol
Yes Eurowings Discovery is the Worst. I have had same problems. I even was Stranded this year June at Frankfurt Airport making several calls where nobody picks up the Phone. Right now I fly peacefully with Qatar Airways which is easier for me. If I miss, I go with Turkish Airlines. Very friendly, they Respond very quickly and have many options to cater for their clients. IAM in Hospitality Industry for over a decade, but what Eurowings Discovery is doing to Clients is disgusting. It is very disappointing that such a big company with many personalities cannot solve clients problems. I miss Air Berlin so much. It was one of the best flights I’ve ever used since I started flying in and out of the country. Big thumb for Qatar airlines and Turkish Airlines. I have used them severally and have no problem. Thank you for bringing out this topic, I was eargerly waiting for this.
Eurowings and Condor are the worst. They are low cost carriers often outsourcing everything. With a questionable safety record its best to stay away from them.
Absolutely. Every EEC country has national aeronatical service. What are the chances between an individual vs the airline or goverment vs the airline ?
So simple
Airline can delay as much as they want but they can not foolish goverment services.
About Deutsche Bahn I cannot agree, you can submit your claim via the app and money should be on your account within a week,
Hi Neuron, that's interesting, but are you sure? I have 2 separate bookings from Vancouver to Germany, in November and in March, and they have replaced the flights to Eurowings Discover and have changed the flight numbers as well, now clearly LH codeshare flight numbers.
Regardless of whatever hoops one has to jump through to get a refund you are due, months is not an acceptable timeframe to wait.
Having lived in Germany 13 years now one must understand that customer service is non existent in Germany.
Most companies look at it as an expensive undertaking but the main problem is that German people don’t know better and accept it.
Very frustrating at times.
I'm flying YVR to Fra in November. My flight booking changes daily. (Actually, from YXS to Amman via FRA). I lost my seat booking which cost $52. Lufthansa can't reserve seats, but they told me to call Eurowings. If that doesn't work, Lufthansa did say I'm entitled to a seat fee refund as they initiated the airline change. I'm seeing more and more disgruntled posts about it. Not much choices for a single ticket booking from where I live. I don't want to make a separate booking from Vancouver, so I am covered if flight from yxs is delayed it cancelled.
My recent EU 261 claim with Delta for a flight cancellation out of Munich this summer was resolved in about two months, which seems to be a pretty common data point for that airline. They also reimbursed in full an eye-wateringly high walk up price at the Munich Airport Hilton when I noted that the Delta desk at the airport was shut down after lunch so I couldn’t get a voucher and ended up just checking back into the place we’d spent the previous night. Once claim was approved, the e-credit was in my SkyMiles account instantly (Delta lets you take a 800 euro e-credit instead of the 600 cash) and I had $500+ in my bank account for duty of care reimbursement the next day.
Lufthansa (and by extension SWISS) seems to be circling the drain, service wise.
I’m trying to move as much travel as possible to AF (F/LP tickets) as a result.
I’m sorry for the markets that are getting “Lufthansa Light” in replacement of mainline LH flights. Good luck to those customers.
You should maybe consider trying resolver. A uk based site that helps resolve all sorts of customer service issues, especially airline claims, for free. They ask you for details about the claim, generate an email and have escalation scenarios too. It does behave as if you’re based in the UK but just carry on entering your actual details from any country. Have used them successfully and speedily for eu261. Give it a try resolver.co.uk
Small share. Sometimes it’s 30%. There are also many fraudulent no win no fee companies out there operating offshore. As compensation is free money it’s better to wait for the airline to respond, as opposed to refunding accommodation. And would you want one these companies taking a percentage of your additional costs ?
My experience both with LH and LX (in separate cases) is that the will only pay based on EU261 if you involve the respective civil aviation authority. They have the power to fine the airline in case of non-compliance and I understand both LH and LX have been fined in recent history. They are really bad, both of them.
Sorry, the winner in bad airline customer service goes hands down to TAP Air Portugal or "Take Another Plane".
You've had a better experience with LH group customer service than I did! I suffered an injury at FRA when the inbound LOT aircraft was late and I had to run through the terminal to make the last connection to ABZ. It was a coach transfer to the aircraft. The coach floor was soaking wet and there were no warning signs. I slipped and fell badly. I was wearing cream trousers so it was obvious that I had slipped and fallen on the wet floor as they were covered in mud. Nevertheless, the LH gate agent was shouting and screaming at me. I complained on the flight and numerous times by email. LH ignored and ignored me and then finally proclaimed that the time period for complaints had expired and the case would not be considered. I have not flown with LH since - and would do everything to avoid them.
Thank you for all the valuable informations. Should I apply in the country of my origin, origin of the flight or country where the airline is based?
Hi Ben,
Just wanted to thank you for this post. I'm one of the people you mentioned who had booked Lufthansa out of Vancouver, but surprise, ended up on Eurowings Discover. And yes, the day before departure they cancelled my flight. But I had remembered reading your post and immediately searched for it, which made applying for compensation much easier! So far the process has been a lot more straightforward for me, though I guess I should wait until the money arrives. I submitted the form, and the first response arrived 14 days later, offering me 600€. I replied instantly with banking details, now another 14 days have passed with no reply (or bank transfer). But I'm optimistic!
Update: no money, no further reply (though I've added a couple of messages) and my optimism has waned).
We had a terrible experience with Eurowings Discover and are still suffering the consequences. The pilot decided to leave Lanzarote Airport without all of the passengers luggage. Our luggage is now in Limbo with no updates from the airline and no response to our messages. We will never fly Lufthansa or Eurowings Discover again.
Hi guys..I am in a similar situation.I seem to be stuck at the stage where I was asked to submit my account number.I live in England and submitted the name,sort code and account number of my Barclays account .After not hearing from them for months...I sent another message.I got the reply that after they initiated the pay,it got cancelled. I WAS ASKER TO SUBMIT another set of correct bank details. ANYONE has any idea what I might be doing wrong?