On Feb 20, 2018 my life changed forever. I got the news that my mother had passed away. This was the event that set everything else in motion.
We had been living in Germany for the last year, running the Deutsches Haus. Up until my mom died, the plan was to remain in Germany at least through the summer. But when Mom's memorial service was scheduled for March 24th, we decided as a family that we would close the business and return to the USA.
On Friday, March 9 I booked a flight back to the USA using the SkyScanner web site. The flight was LH9153, which turned out to be a Lufthansa flight operated by United Airlines. The flight was scheduled to leave from Frankfurt at 1pm on March 22 and arrive in Chicago around 4pm the same day. I also booked rental cars to drive from Bernsdorf to Frankfurt, and Chicago to St Louis.
The reason we didn't book our passage straight through to St Louis is that we wanted to minimize the trauma for our pets. By renting a car and driving to Frankfurt, and then renting a car in Chicago and driving to St Louis we could get a direct flight, and The pets would only have to endure one take off and landing. Additionally, we would not have to worry about the animals getting routed to the wrong place.
The reason we didn't book our passage straight through to St Louis is that we wanted to minimize the trauma for our pets. By renting a car and driving to Frankfurt, and then renting a car in Chicago and driving to St Louis we could get a direct flight, and The pets would only have to endure one take off and landing. Additionally, we would not have to worry about the animals getting routed to the wrong place.
I filled out the Pet Safe application on the United Airlines web page on March 15 to book our cat, Molly, and our dog, Joey on the flight. I receive an automated email that stated they would respond within 48 hours.
More than 72 hours later I still had not I heard anything from United's Pet Safe people so I called United's Customer Service on March 19. They informed me that Pet Safe would only be referring me to a company called Gradlyn Pet Shipping. The agent gave me a phone number and an email address, both of which turned out to be incorrect.
Fortunately, the email to Gradlyn has bounced back in the interim with the correct email and I sent them an inquiry as to what I needed to do. While I waited to hear back from them, I got on Facebook to try to IM (Instant Message) with United Airlines. During the IM session they verified that Gradlyn is the company that handles all pet bookings in Germany for the airline.
Fortunately, the email to Gradlyn has bounced back in the interim with the correct email and I sent them an inquiry as to what I needed to do. While I waited to hear back from them, I got on Facebook to try to IM (Instant Message) with United Airlines. During the IM session they verified that Gradlyn is the company that handles all pet bookings in Germany for the airline.
After the IM session I received an email from Gradlyn requesting the same information I sent to United Airlines on the 15th. After I sent it to them they informed me that it would take 48 hours for them to book my pets on the United flight.
The very next day, United announced that they would no longer be accepting pets on any of their flights. Gradlyn informs me that they think they can find another flight to book the pets on that leaves the same day as our flight. As it turns out, there are two flights that day. One leaving early in the morning, the other about 45 minutes later than our flight.
As they researched their options, I contacted the airline to see about getting my flight switched to the earlier flight. In preparation for this possibility, my booking was separated from the rest of my family. Fortunately, Gradlyn was able to book the pets on the later flight, and we thought our plans were in place.
**Please note here that I spent the better part of Monday and Tuesday working on getting my pets booked, rather than the intricacies of closing down my business and moving across an ocean**
Finally, the big day arrived. On March 22 we drove to Frankfurt. We found Gradlyn's offices and brought the pets in to check them in. It turned out that our veterinarian in Bernsdorf was unaware that the pets had to be examined no less than 10 days prior to flying. Fortunately, Gradlyn had a veterinarian they could call and she came and examined both pets, and she certified them healthy to fly. After this, both pets were loaded into the transport van, and we go to the main terminal to drop off our rental car and board our flight.
I wanted to give a quick shout out here to Enterprise Leasing. The guys who check in the cars at Frankfurt airport are complete douchebags. They couldn't give us any time to unload the car, and bitched the entire time about how long it was taking us, and demanded the car key. However, just for some foreshadowing here, the crew in Dusseldorf managed to outdo them. Stay classy, Enterprise.
When our flight landed in Chicago, I turned on my phone and saw an email from Gradlyn stating that Molly has been transported but that Joey was removed "because he was very nervous and got injured while he was rubbing his nose to the metal mash from inside the Kennel door." They also want us to pay for the cost of boarding Joey while they figure out what to do.
Needless to say I was upset at this moment. I'm standing in the airplane waiting to debark, and I if I tell Lizzy at this moment she's gong to break down and cry. Plus, we still have to wrangle all our luggage through the airport, pick up our rental car, and pick up Molly. So I opted to keep this information to myself for the moment, and tell Lizzy and Dawn after we get situated in the car.
After we got the car loaded, we drove to the Lufthansa cargo facility to get Molly. On the way, I broke the news to Lizzy and Dawn about Joey. To say that Lizzy was upset would be an understatement. All of us were. We had been awake for the better part of 24 hours, and we had no idea of how we would proceed. At this point, we decide to just focus on one step at a time.
The first step was to pick up Molly. The folks in the office at Lufthansa cargo were very sympathetic and helpful. Once we got her situated in the car we drove back to the terminal in O'Hare to try to talk to United to see how we can get our dog back.
I lost count of how many times we explained our story after that. One supervisor after another came out. We spoke with supervisors from Lufthansa and United, neither of whom wanted to take any responsibility, and frequently suggested that Gradlyn was the responsible party. Both of them agreed that since the problem was in Germany, someone there would need to handle it. Because of the time difference, there was no one available there to talk to.
Eventually, the Lufthansa supervisor stated that Joey could be put on the Lufthansa flight leaving the following day. Because of the time difference no one from either airline would be able to make a call to Gradlyn until the following morning USA time, after the flight had left Germany. They suggested that I call Germany at 2am USA time in order to ensure that Gradlyn places Joey on the flight. United gives us a voucher to stay at the airport Hilton that night.
This is the only compensation offered thus far.
At this point it's about 9:30pm, and the last time we ate was the snack before landing around 3pm. Before we checked in to the hotel, we had to drive around to find dinner, and we needed food and kitty litter for Molly. Both of those were waiting for us in St Louis, but that did us no good in Chicago.
We slept for about 2 hours before getting up at 2am on March 23 to call Gradlyn in Germany. I spoke with them, but after they called to see about putting Joey on the flight, hey informed us that no one from Lufthansa in Germany is aware of any of this, and they will not accept Joey as cargo.
Joey is not coming home today, either.
Joey is not coming home today, either.
None of us will sleep now, so we all shower and change clothes and we drive back over to O'Hare to see what can be done. It's 5am, and the supervisor on duty has no idea of what we're talking about. Apparently, there was no information was left about our problem by the previous night's supervisor. She says she'll investigate, but her attitude is already dismissive.
After a few hours, she informs us that United's position is that they bear no responsibility for this mishap and they can't help me. Because Joey was on a Lufthansa flight, I'll have to speak with them. She also informs me that no one from Lufthansa will be there until 3:30 that afternoon.
Let me stop here and say that my position here is that United is the responsible party. United referred me to Gradlyn, and is their agent. To state at this point that they won't help me is despicable, in my opinion.
Because we were tired, and afraid for our beloved dog, we decided to contact the news media to see if some publicity will stimulate some action. Shortly after the news crews appeared, a the United supervisor was able to locate a supervisor from Lufthansa. They both assure me that they have been discussing our difficulty and that a plan is now in place. The Lufthansa supervisor tells us that Joey will be kept under the care of a veterinarian in Germany and Lufthansa will bear all of the costs. They will ship him to us on the 28th.
Please note that at no time did anyone offer to fly us back to Germany to retrieve our dog. However, United did give us three $10 vouchers for food, anywhere in the O'Hare terminal. So far our extra expenses incurred are:
- Parking in the O'Hare garage on the 22nd while we try to see what can be done
- Parking overnight at the hotel
- An extra day of car rental
- Parking at O'Hare on the 23rd
At this time we drive back to St Louis. The following day is my mom's memorial service.
Part II to follow
~Easy
1 comment:
I am curious why it's the airline responsibility to ensure you have your pets booked properly? There are many airlines who take pets on their aircraft, you could have booked with several airlines to fly your pets back to the states.
Often people make these arrangements well in advance, not only a week or two before the flights. Many months in advance for international moves actually.
I have followed this drama, and the situation was a no win for the airlines. If your dog would have perished on the flight from severe anxiety you would have been damning the airlines in that situation, yet the airline looked out for the safety of your dog, and you shame them for doing so. United wasn't even the airline who is shipping your dog, Lufthansa was, so United is not even in the equation other than the fact that they did not answer your email in what you felt was a timely manner. If you go to the store to buy milk and they are sold out, so you blame them for you not eating cereal? no, you just go to another store and get milk elsewhere.
Expecting an airline to pay for your housing, lodging and expenses because your dog has sever crate anxiety that you already knew about is the epitome of the me me me generation. Had your dog been crate trained and safe in their crate, your dog would have arrived on the same flight as your cat. This is not the airlines fault, this is not the pet shipping company's fault, why should they incur the boarding costs because your dog is not able to be safely shipped? This is your financial burden no?
All pets departing Germany as cargo MUST use a pet shipping company, this is a German regulation, nothing to do with airlines - GK is NOT United's contractor as you have suggested, they were being nice to offer you suggestions of pet shippers in the area. You could have spent countless hours calling the numerous shippers in Frankfurt and getting multiple quotes etc. But United gave you a name as a courtesy, none of the shippers are contracted to any airline.
I feel your frustration with the scenario - but to place the blame on two airlines, and pet shipping company because YOUR DOG had anxiety and was not able to be safely loaded onto a plane for a flight is a breakdown in your own planning of a cross the ocean move. Perhaps taking your own responsibility in the situation is warranted. Making plans to move your pets well in advance could possibly have eliminated your first few issues that you had while waiting for United to respond to your emails, however your dog still would have exhibited the anxiety of being in the crate, that you yourself admitted on a news report, was an issue. So why not properly prepare your dog for the flight well in advance? Crate train your dog, have your dog on a vet regimen of anti anxiety medications.
I have no problem blaming companies when I see gross negligence, however I am not seeing any negligence in this situation other than you waited until the very last minute to book your flights for your pets, your pet was not safe to fly, and the airline staff, who was looking out for the well being of your dog, decided to not allow you pet to fly....
People at some point need to take their own responsibility in the actions that have come down the line.
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