to not wait for Lufthansa to get in contact with me?

[busynotbored]

Hi, I hve 3 children aged 23 months, 8 and 9. My 9 year old son has cerebral palsy which afects his mobility although he can walk short distances. Last week we flew manchester to frankfurt with lufthansa where we had only an hour to make the connection to palermo. Last year we had a long way to walk and DS ended up having to be carried so this year i booked wheelchair assistance. When we landed we were met by a lady who proceeded to put the hand luggage onto the wheelchair, I told her it was DS who needed the chair but she ignored me, told me we had to hurry so offf we went. She was going really fast and we were struggling to keep up (at one point she even told me to take the pushchair with DD in it down the escalator but I refused and got in the lift). She kept telling us to hurry and I asked a number of times for her to stop and let DS get in the chair but she just said no or ignored me. DS started to get upset as he couldn't go fast and was worried we would miss our flight, in the end i had to SHOUT (in a very busy terminal full of people) "My son is disabled and cannot keep up, put him in the wheelcahir!!" which she did. Poor DS was mortified. At the gate another woman told me I'd have to make my own way to the aircraft with everything although she wasn't even sure we'd be allowed to board as we were late. I demanded help to get down the stairs with bags, baby ,pushchair and disabled son to which she did and we then sat on the shuttle bus with all the other passengers for about ten minutes before we set off !!!!! I was livid, had a moan to the stewardess who said we had to complain as it was disgraceful. I sent an email via Lufthansa's website over a week ago, received an automated reply saying someone will get in touch with me but still not heard anything. I know it's not lufthansa (who by the way have lovely cabin crew) but the more I think about what happened the more I realise what an idiot the woman was and I want some explanation or apology. DS says he does't want to go back there again, luckily we fly home via Munch! So what should I do send them aother email even though it says on there website not to keep sending emails???

What an awful experience. I would be livid.

Is there a phone number? Can you call to chase? Given that you've waited a week, I don't see that a short email citing any reference number asking what timeframe to escape a response in would be inappropriate.

I would go back again especially as you have a retun flight- i would be livid as well. You booked wheelchair assistance and that is what you should have got. I would try LH in Germany however not via the Italian contact number.
Poor ds.....( and you)

Expect an answer, I should say. And yes, also quote your return flight details, even if going via a different airport.

You've made me think that we need to chase our own email. We complained weeks ago about the wheelchair assistance for DSD that completely failed to appear at King's Cross.

I am still boggling at her using the wheelchair for hand baggage. Even more so when you said it was for your son. Definitely complain.

The ground crew might be employed by the airport and not Lufthansa though.

This is awful. I think you should bypass all the "customer service" malarkey and go right to the top.

Wait a sec

Here you go OP - I would write directly to these two companies:

LUFTHANSA

Mr. Carsten Spohr
Member of the Executive Board
Chief Executive Officer Lufthansa German Airlines

Dr. Christoph Franz
Chairman of the Executive Board
Lufthansa German Airlines

Deutsche Lufthansa AG
FRA CI
Lufthansa Aviation Center
Airportring
60546 Frankfurt/Main

Hold on, Frankfurt airport coming in a minute if I can find it.

The airport is responsible for assistance through the airport not the airline. You need to complain directly to theairport / assistance company. It's not really the fault of Lufthansa.................

Thanks everyone ! I've just sent another email to lufthansa, if they would just get in touch with me and put me in contact with the right people at Frankfurt airport then I can take it from there. I have to say the cabin crew were fantastic and very helpful and when I told he stewardess what had happened she was shocked!

Fraport AG owns and operates Frankfurt Airport.

Fraport AG
Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide
60547 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

Dr. Stefan Schulte
Chairman of the Executive Board

Peter Schmitz
Executive Director Operations

x post OP - good luck - stuff like this makes my blood boil! Let us know how you get on.

Busy, was the connecting flight FRA to Palermo with Lufthansa too? If yes, then the wheelchair assistance will have been Lufthansa's ground handling agent and as such the airline is responsible to you for their acts and omissions. You do not need to complain separately to the airport. The fact that the airline has already admitted that the service was awful is also something worth mentioning.

It is extremely odd that a wheelchair provider would not understand that a person has to go in the wheelchair.

The EU has very strict regulations re access to air travel by persons of reduced mobility, so you can tell them that you will complain to the regulator (UK CAA as you flew from MAN but perhaps the German equivalent better as it is Lufthansa's home regulator) . You don't actually have to make the complaint, just tell them that you are minded to do so. That will get their attention.

However, you need to think about what you want. A guarantee of better service on the return transfer? An upgrade? A partial refund? (you'll never get a big payout as thy did transport you a to b as per your contract). The more specific you can be, the better your chances of recompense. And make sure that all your e-mails are rational and calm and set out all the facts.

Good luck.

Jessie yes it was a connecting flight, there really was a very short time to make the connection and were prepared to rush, hence booking the wheelchair as my big DD can run fast and little DD was in the pushchair so could be pushed fast !! I've called lufthansa reservations in uk and they've suggested I send another email, which I've done, she seemed suprised I still hadn't heard anything after a week. I have no idea what I want, I'm just so angry at the distress it caused DS at a time when he's trying to come to terms with his disability, at 8 he's very aware people look at him when he walks, he was happy to use the wheelchair as he remembered how hard it was last year ! I plan on using lufthansa next year as it's the easiest route to take us to Sicily, maybe a discount on DS's flight next year? Do you think that's too cheeky?

Busy, you might not get it but it's not too cheeky to ask. I've PM'd you.

Jessie much better advice from you than me