My girlfriend is currently in Crete and was supposed to fly back to Canada in about 5 hours. When she tried to check in today, she discovered Lufthansa had moved her return flight to one day earlier and she had already missed it.
Apparently they sent an email notification about the schedule change, but she never saw it and no one from the airline attempted to call or otherwise confirm she was aware of such a major change.
Now Lufthansa is saying the only option is to buy a new ticket at the current fare difference, which is almost $4,000.
I honestly cannot understand how this is considered acceptable. This wasn’t a minor time adjustment. They moved the entire departure to the previous day. That completely changes accommodation, transportation, and travel plans.
What frustrates me most is that airlines seem to think sending one automated email is enough for something this important. They had her phone number and contact details. Why is there no requirement to actually confirm the passenger received and acknowledged the change?
I’ve flown Lufthansa for years whenever traveling to Europe, but this experience has seriously damaged my trust in them.
And before people jump in defending the airline: yes, travelers should check emails while traveling. But at the same time, customers should also have protections against involuntary itinerary changes that fundamentally alter their trip. Not everyone is constantly online while abroad. Some people are backpacking, hiking, camping, or simply disconnected for periods of time.
If an airline changes your flight by an entire day without your explicit agreement, it feels unreasonable that the burden and financial consequences fall entirely on the customer.
Has anyone dealt with something similar or successfully escalated it?
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