Dear Lufthansa,

I am writing this e-mail to express my disappointment with the service I have received regarding two pieces of lost luggage. I live in Cairo and was traveling back to Egypt after having recently given birth at home in the United States. When I arrived in Cairo two pieces of luggage had been lost which, while troublesome, was not terribly distressing because they had been lost by you, Lufthansa, and your airline has a fine reputation when it comes to taking care of your customers.

Unfortunately, my experience trying to get them back did not match the service I have come to appreciate and rely on in my dealings with your airline. Lufthansa apparently contracts with Egyptian Aviation Services here in Cairo to deal with baggage. They were unable to even take care of the claims of those who had lost luggage. My flight had been delayed due to weather and it had been a difficult time for my newborn, myself and my mother who had kindly consented to travel with me. I left my baby with my mother while I went to submit my claim.

I lined up at the claim desk behind four other customers with lost luggage. I stood stupefied as six employees took twenty minutes to deal with one customer. At that rate I would have been in line for eighty minutes and decided for the sake of my mother and baby I would have to take care of my claim later. When I left, the six employees had not yet finished working with the first claimant.

Imagine my surprise when I called Lufthansa and was bounced from office to office, five different offices in total, before I was able to speak with anyone who knew about my luggage.

I was missing a car seat and a box with some food items and baby diapers. I was told that the car seat had been located but that Lufthansa was only going to do a courtesy tracking of the box. When I asked Egyptian Aviation Services about the box I was told it wasn't their problem but that I should call Lufthansa. I will not repeat here the story of retrieving my car seat from Egyptian Aviation Services but suffice it to say I spent 70 Egyptian pounds to grease the palms of those working there and was marched all over the airport from office to office and back again before anyone could locate my car seat. Now I have been informed by your airline that my box is lost indeed and that I must travel to your offices on my time and at my expense to get compensation for something that you lost in the first place. Needless to say, I am truly disappointed in the speed and quality of the service from Lufthansa in this matter. (To say nothing of Egyptian Aviation Services.) I understand that contractors are probably in limited supply in Egypt but a thorough review of their practices is probably in order. Additionally, I will think twice before bringing my business to Lufthansa and will advise my friends to do the same.

With sincere regret,

Ashley Sherwood