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Lufthansa, ever eager to absolve itself of at best. Despite asking twice for a Coke
responsibility, blamed another company with lime and ice, my request went
for the debacle. unanswered. When I went to the service
area myself to ask for coffee, I was handed
a mug, a sachet of milk, and a single Oreo
biscuit on a tissue. It felt as though I’d
stepped into a Dickensian scene, where I,
like Oliver Twist, was left to ask, “Please
ma’ m, may I have some more?”
After missing our flight, we were directed
to wait for ticket re-arrangements. That Lufthansa’s treatment of senior
wait, starting from 9. 45am, stretched on travellers, particularly those in transit
until 1 pm before someone finally arrived through Frankfurt or Munich, is nothing
to escort us to the Lufthansa booking short of appalling. Many older passengers
office, where our tickets were rebooked from India, the US, and Canada require
for the following day. To add insult to wheelchair assistance, and yet, upon
injury, although the airline provided landing, they are met with indifference. A
accommodation at the Hilton Hotel Lufthansa employee, holding a wheelchair
adjacent to the terminal, the promised sign, routinely asks passengers if they
transfer took an unbelievable four hours. can walk ‘a little.’ If the answer is yes,
From 9. 30 am to 5. 30pm, we languished they are unceremoniously instructed to
at the airport, making call after call to wait in a designated area—often with
no avail. Eventually, at 6 pm, we were insufficient seating and no one to provide
finally taken to the hotel. The hotel clear information. Occasionally, a golf cart
staff, while courteous, provided us with will arrive to transport a few passengers
dinner vouchers worth a paltry €20 each. to their gates, leaving others to jostle for
Anything above that? Out of our own a seat, while more and more people are
pockets, naturally. Even more surprising added to the crowd. It is distressing to
was the lack of basic toiletries at the witness elderly passengers being treated
Hilton—hardly the standard one would so callously, left standing for hours with
expect from such an establishment. no guidance or assistance.
The in-flight service left much to be The so-called ‘mobility service providers’
desired. Staffed by attendants well past have failed spectacularly, with nearly 40%
their prime, the service was lacklustre of transit passengers reportedly missing
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #64 | OCTOBER 2024 15
