Lufthansa is an airline I’ve been consistently traveling with for several years. As a loyal customer I’ve been a member of their frequent flyer program Miles and More since 2014, which makes this situation that much more upsetting and unacceptable.
Note: Jenny Karakaya is a freelance photographer and producer who was on a Voluntourist shoot and this was her personal experience.
By: Jenny Karakaya
If you have been to Morocco, you will know and agree that it’s nothing short of an adventure, especially when you are producing a travel shoot cross country from Marrakech to the desert. Was it a challenge? Yes! Was it exciting? Hell, yes! Was it an easy and smooth ride? No, and that’s not because of the strenuous walk through the hot desert and sand-storms, nor long car rides through flash-floods. That part we managed just fine – it was not having my bag and all of our necessities, for the duration of our travel shoot, that nearly ruined our journey.
Marrakech
Photo by: Jenny Karakaya
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Lufthansa has become notorious for losing baggage, among other things. Many of my friends have complained about losing their bags on a Lufthansa flight and judging by the long queues at the service desks, this has been an ongoing issue for a long time now. It is one thing to lose your luggage and retrieve it in a few days, but another thing to be left stranded for your entire trip! This is how it went down for me. Not only did Lufthansa lose my luggage, but they also failed to retrieve it from their massive pile of lost bags in Frankfurt and deliver it to me within the 10 days I was in Morocco! That’s 10 days and my entire journey/shoot in an emerging country without my bare essentials, clothes, certain production necessities, talent make-up and more.
My missing backpack that I didn’t have for the full 10 days I was in Morocco.
Photo by: Jenny Karakaya
I had a couple of hours upon landing in Marrakech to run through the overwhelmingly packed medina to pick up whatever I could find, before heading cross country to our desert trek. It beyond stressful to find what I needed and even more so, getting receipt. And yes, I called and emailed Lufthansa, but received absolutely no help nor a response until my return to Germany. Too little, too late.
Jenny Karakaya in the Sahara Desert wearing the same clothes for 10 days
Photo by: Jenny Karakaya
The ONLY reason I didn’t allow Lufthansa to ruin my travels, is because I chose to remain positive (that’s all you can do under the circumstances) and hopeful of receiving my bag for at least half of my Moroccan shoot. That never happened. My bag finally arrived on my departure date, so I basically picked up my bag at the airport, just to check in back in again. Complete waste of money and time on check-in baggage fees, items I had to purchase and dealing with this whole escapade (while trying to work!) Furthermore, thanks to our delayed flight (an often occurrence with Lufthansa), we missed our connection and got stranded in another city. In total, it took us over 24 hrs to return home to Berlin from Morocco. (And exhale.)
So in lieu of all that I’ve experienced thus far, here is my advice to all those traveling with Lufthansa:
– Travel with a bag that doesn’t need to be checked-in – If you absolutely have to check in a big bag , then carry on another bag with a change of clothes, some undergarments, the essential toiletries and anything else you may need, especially for work – Always arrive early enough to the airport, so that there is enough time to get your bag from the check-in point to the airplane – Research the airline’s reputation to see if any complaints have been made online – Research your luggage insurance options – often travel focused credit cards offer some reimbursements – Submit a claim with the airline, although I’m not sure how helpful this is, as the Lufthansa service desk attendant advised me that I should expect to wait 3-6 month for a reply
As for me, well I’ll be fighting for my reimbursement, without holding my breath. I will also cancel my Miles and More Lufthansa credit card and explore a more reliable airline to support and travel with.