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Quest's blog: on the road

"Don't promise what you can't deliver"

By CNN's Richard Quest

What is wrong with this seat? It isn't the one I was promised.

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS

(CNN) -- Posted: May 31, 2006
Forum: read comments

This week's blog has been fermenting for weeks. It is something I know annoys many of us -- when airlines promise something then fail to deliver. I am pretty livid at Lufthansa, which -- once again -- has failed to deliver its new business class seats on a long-haul flight.

Lufthansa introduced its new business class seats in June 2004! The airline then began trumpeting the angled lay-flat seats in magazines, newspapers -- even giant posters on the London Underground. Unfortunately the adverts are far more common than the seats themselves!

Since January 1, I have taken six long- and medium-haul flights on LH where the plane has been either 747-400s or A340s and I have yet to sit in their new business class seats (FRA-GRU, GRU-FRA, FRA-DEL, DEL-FRA, LAX-FRA, FRA-TLV.)

I am writing this from the latest disappointment as I fly back from Tel-Aviv, again on a 747-400 with the old seats (I have even taken a picture of the seat --- sad!)

After my Brazilian disappointment I wrote to complain and received a very courteous letter telling me it took time to roll out new planes across the fleet. After the LAX failure I wrote again -- and again got pretty much the same reply (This time, signed by two people! Why it takes two people to answer a single letter is beyond understanding.)

Of course I know it takes time to equip an entire long-haul fleet of Lufthansa's size with a complicated new seat. But then DON'T start promising it, or advertising it until there can be a fairly decent chance passengers will actually get it!

This problem is not unique to LH. It took British Airways years before its entire fleet was re-configured with the flatbed. And Virgin Atlantic was still equipping planes with its Upper Class Suite earlier this year; But at least VS recognized the problem -- a colleague flying from CPT-LHR in February found a letter from Virgin Chairman, Sir Richard Branson on the seat, apologizing that this was one of their last planes to get the treatment.

Air New Zealand has also grasped this nettle firmly. It makes it very clear their new Business Premiere seat is only guaranteed on the NZ1 & 2 and not on its other services between AKL and LAX.

Why am I angry? Because If an airline is heavily promoting its brand-spanking new seats, the passenger shouldn't have to sift through an overly complex Web site to see the small print and work out which routes it is available upon. Nor is the airline charging less if the inferior product is being offered months after the initial introduction.

This is all the more important as two giant carriers, American Airlines and United Airlines plan their new business classes. It will take them many months to change over the fleet and in that time some passengers can expect to be roundly disappointed.

So here is my suggestion: As the months wear on, be ready to offer some form of compensation when passengers don't get the new seats. Perhaps offer up a few thousand extra frequent flyer miles, or maybe a few upgrade certificates to be used on future tickets. Let's have compensation not just platitudes. Show us that you realize we haven't got what we were promised, and that you care. That's all. Whinge over.

Lufthansa replies:

-- At the moment 47 of our 78 (around 60 percent) long-haul airplanes are already equipped with the new business class product.
-- The refitting out of our entire long-haul fleet is expected to be completed in the winter of 2006-07.
-- We aim to cover as many routes and as often as possible with those aircrafts that are already fitted with the new business class. The decision is based on the frequency of the flights on a route, the number of passengers, competition from other airlines and other economical aspects. With this in mind, Lufthansa's main focus for its new business class fleet lies on all routes to Asia and North-America
-- In Mr. Quest's case, we are very sorry that he has not yet been able to enjoy our new business class. The standard frequency on the routes to/from LA, as well as on the Tel Aviv-routes, are operated by aircrafts with the new business class product. To cover the increased demand in the summer months we have added a second frequency, which unfortunately can not be operated with the new business class for the moment.
-- It is correct that we do not yet offer our business class on routes to Delhi.
Jan Bärwalde, Manager Product Communications, Deutsche Lufthansa

Forum

From: Tom Gaskell
Posted: 1 June, 2006
Comment: Love your travel reports. My wife and I are travel addicts doing three to four RTWs per year. The Air New Zealand Web site lists many more flights than you give them credit for. They have nearly completed all their routes. see here. Having flown AKL-SFO last October, the NZ business class seats are truly lie flat and one of the best sleeps I have had on a plane. NZ thinks they are so good the Star Alliance RTW fares ex AKL increased today by 10 percent. Seems as though the *A fares have increased all around the world effective 1 June. Cheers

From: Brigitte
Posted: 1 June, 2006
Comment: I do agree with you, all these promises are just marketing and promoting. I think there is huge competition between airlines and they have to offer something special in order to increase its passenger numbers who fly on their airlines. Many times there are just promises which sounds good, but these promises are sometimes unkept.

From: Tony Koo
Posted: 6 June, 2006
Comment: It is so true about not delivering in the promise of product in the airline industry. I am a veteran of almost 30 yrs of flying with two major U.S. international carriers. Its seemed a habitual process of the airline industry to promise but cannot deliver. Even to this day. I just had a flight from the mainland to Hawaii. There was no movie due to a malfunction of the projector, so passengers had to do without movie for over five hours. Everything is falling apart(non-essential repair deferral flight after flight) -- seats would not recline, bathrooms did not flush, coffee makers broke down, oven with no heat, ventilation too hot, too cold, food and bev carts move side ways or drag along the aisle, not enough beverage service snacks, don't have this and that, often it is so embarrassing to constantly apologizing. It got to the point (so tired of saying, "I am sorry.") that apology were made with the company name, instead of an "I". Happy landing, wish you better luck next time. From A flying Vet.

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