Lufthansa = There’s no better way to fly? Maybe, but better fly easyjet

                                                    

So after various circumstances outwith  my control, I found myself requiring a change of date and time for my flight home, twelve days before I am actually due to fly. My friend Abdul was in a similar situation but he had a month or more to change his flight, so he had sauntered along to the Lufthansa desk at the flughafen (airport) in Nuremberg, changed his date and flight time, paid the 100 Euros stipulated in their terms (50 Euros per flight, two flights to get to Edinburgh, Scotland from Nuremberg).

So off I go to the same desk today and the first thing the lady at the desk tells me: “your flight has been changed already, see here” and she showed me on her screen. Eh? “yes there is no actual flight at your booked time so you have been changed to an earlier flight”. When were they actually planning on telling me this? No matter, I need to fly at an earlier date anyway. So can I have a flight on Tuesday at this time (same time as Abdul). Sure they’ll check. So that will be £429 to change. How much?!?!? “£429.” Why? “Oh it was a special fare”. Special fare obviously. I should have thought of that. (Big dose of sarcasm to myself). Still my original ticket was not cheap at nearly £300 return and also I flew the same route for £150 about two months later at a busier time, so how was £300 a special fare? Oh and let’s not forget the 50 Euro flight change cost as per the terms on top of that as well. Now that I check the terms again:

To change or cancel a flight award a charge of €50 or CHF70 / USD60 is payable (€150 or CHF220 to change to a Same Day Award). This amount may vary or be waived for certain awards. A change of booking is only possible in respect of the date and time of the flight. A change of route is not possible.

Anyway Selective Apathy, I need to get home, I’ll find another way. So I jump on a waiting UBahn to get to my Nuremberg residence to search for another flight. But wait, some airlines will give you a partial refund if you cancel your flight! So I get off the train and race back up to the desk, where I posed that query. “No, No, you have to pay more to cancel”. Say what? “Yes and new fare is 700 Euros”. And very big laugh from her and her colleagues. Now I’m not the type to take offence at such things, and left straight away, managing to catch that same waiting UBahn. On reflection, there was no need to be laughing at my predicament.

                                                 

So back home at look at my options: easyjet from Munich or Ryanair from Frankfurt-Hahn. Both of which are not too far from Nuremberg.

I had flown easyjet from Munich during the recent family emergency. My return home on the same day I had planned would cost 87 Euros + Luggage charge + Card charge = 103 Euros. Add to that a train to Munich which would be 55 Euros by Intercity Express (ICE) Second class, which only takes one hour. Say 160 Euros, far cry from £429. If I took the flight a day later it was even cheaper and would still fit in my schedule. But I want to get home as soon as possible and I found nothing wrong with my previous easyjet flight.

Ryanair was even cheaper at 23 Euros for a flight a day earlier than planned or same for a day later (no flights on my chosen date). But was at a timw which meant I had to be in Frankfurt way too early in the morning which is difficult.

I don’t personally have any gripe with the Lufthansa flight service as they were quite professional but their ground service (i.e. the flight desk) is a bit wanting, there was really no need to laugh at my predicament. Also £429 for a change of flight on a route which is rarely busy! One of the flights I was on to Nuremberg earlier had less than 10 people (for a plane with capacity of at least 100). Now I understand the moans and calls to boycott in forums and on sites around the web directed at Lufthansa.

That charge was just too outrageous. Maybe they think the German ‘quality’ service must come at a price like their cars and electronics etc. but I’ll take the easyjet cheap and cheerful with their you have to pay for any extras (which you don’t need on a flight of less than two hours as in my case), and importantly their professional staff and quite new jets. I’m just glad I found a viable way to get home.

There’s no better way to fly? Maybe, but better fly easyjet.

P.s I’ll put an update to this post if they ever notify me (by email) of my original flight change to the earlier time or not, as I have not cancelled that flight.