Folks, I flubbed my big moment under the spotlight and very nearly ruined Christmas for my wife’s side of the family…but thankfully Lufthansa saved the day, with literally only seconds to spare.
I Choked. Lufthansa Saved Christmas
As I mentioned last week, I was so excited about the chance to treat my family to one of my favorite products in the world, Lufthansa First Class. If you’re a regular reader, you can only imagine my delight in being able to let my wife and children experience the comfort, service, and excellence of Lufthansa in the air and on the ground.
The plan was simple: fly from San Francisco to Frankfurt, then use the 2.5 hour layover to walk to the First Class Terminal, enjoy Christmas lunch, pick up a special rubber duck, and then be chauffeured to a remote stand for our connection to Basel.
I was so excited. Over-the-moon elated.
And the flight went very well. The flight departed with one open seat in first class and we were invited to use it for my one-year-old daughter (a lap child). Service was excellent and we enjoyed a multi-course dinner as a family.
My children were well-behaved, the baby slept (everyone slept well), and I have nothing but positive things to say about the excellent flight attendants onboard.
This was one of the greatest flights of my life and fulfilled a bucket list item: a first class trip with my wife and kids.
But then self-inflicted tragedy struck.
We stepped off our flight and began walking toward passport control. It was then I realized that I had left our passports onboard in a side compartment in seat 3K.
I tried to dash back to the plane, but the crew had already left and the plane was sealed. There were no agents at the gate.
You might imagine my wife’s reaction…
We walked to the Senator Lounge in the Z-Gates and I ashamedly explained our predicament to the agent. Right away, she went to work on our behalf, picking up her phone and making a call.
She told us to relax and she would keep us updated on her progress.
The minutes passed and my dream of taking my family to the First Class Terminal quickly evaporated.
Now the question was simply whether we would get the passports in time to make our connection to Basel.
A colleague was dispatched and literally ran to the aircraft in an effort to assist us. But there was still no one there.
The lounge manager appeared and escorted me back the plane. The 747-8 would fly to New Delhi later that afternoon and gate agents finally showed up to the gate with just 25 minutes to go before our flight to Basel departed.
A gate agent went onboard and found my passports, handing them to me.
The lounge manager and I hustled back to the lounge to pick up my family. It was now 12:33p and our flight to Basel left at 12:40p. We still had to clear immigration and of course I was traveling with a one-year-old and five-year-old.
The easiest solution would have been to book us on a later flight to Basel, but there were no later flights to Basel. It was Christmas Eve.
Zurich was an option, but it would have meant an evening arrival and that would have been a huge hassle for my wife’s parents to pick us up or a very expensive last-minute train trip with six pieces of luggage.
Selfishly, I wanted to take the Zurich option so we could still go to the First Class Terminal. But I couldn’t do it…it would let my wife down more than I had already let her down and greatly inconvenience her family, who were waiting for us and had prepared a great dinner for Heiligabend (Christmas Eve).
The lounge manager called the gate for our Basel flight and the gate agent agreed to hold the flight for us if we could make it by 12:45p. We started running…down the concourse, through passport control, through the duty free shop, and to gate A5. We made it just in time.
We were ushered downstairs to a waiting bus, with the gate agent helping us carry our luggage downstairs.
Truly, talk about first class service. Lufthansa really went out of its way to save Christmas for us.
And yet the feelings of guilt and shame and overtook me. I wept. Many of you might shower me with derision or the smallest violin in the world. Rightfully so.
I choked. I flubbed what I had been saving for and preparing for for many years.
No First Class Terminal.
No Christmas rubber duck.
No Christmas lunch.
No chauffeur.
The first class flight was wonderful, but the ground experience is quintessential to properly experiencing Lufthansa First Class.
And so, I can only reflect upon the missed opportunity and resolve to be more careful next time. If I ever want to repeat this trip, it will cost me 400,000 points instead of 300,000 points after my daughter turns two in May. But when will we ever see four seats in first class open using miles on one Lufthansa flight?
I cannot describe how bad I felt. I still feel bad three days later. Even if we can laugh about this one day, I messed up in a big way and have only myself to blame.
But thank you Lufthansa for saving Christmas. Thank you for helping me get the passports back as quickly as possible and holding the Basel flight for me. In a different way than I ever could have imagined, I still received the first class ground product…
your kids would have had a better time in the ball pit at a McD’s than an airport lounge
Nah, they both love the rubber ducks almost as much as daddy.
Did you leave both German and US passports on the plane, or only one set? When we travel my wife carries our European passports and I carry the US ones. If only one set was left onboard, it might have been prudent to proceed without them. Then ask if the 1st Class Lounge could retrieve the missing passports from the plane and hold them for you until the return flight.
They were all in a leather case. Unfortunately, I did not transfer them back to my bag after boarding. All on me. I had my second US passport, but was not about to leave my family. Next time, my wife will carry the passports…
If only you had suggested she get the passport situation sorted herself while you went to the 1st Class Lounge via chauffeur for Christmas lunch and the rubber duck. Would have loved to have seen your wife’s reaction to that… =)
Lol. I showed your comment to my wife and she said, “Well, you would have enjoyed the lounge but slept in the doghouse at my parents!”
I’m in shock you didn’t store the passports in the provided locker. When introducing caviar to a beginner,using it as a salty topping for ice cream sundae is a good start. I’m impressed your son rejected the briny California caviar. He obviously would have preferred Persian golden Oscetra.
I’m sure you’ll get lectured (and got lectured), but when my family traveled together, passports were in one of two places on the plane. Either physically on my person, or in my travel bag. No other location.
My kids are older now, but when my wife and I travel same rule applies. Merry belated Christmas Matthew.
This is my policy when I travel alone, let alone with anybody else.
Don’t feel bad! Feel great. You made the flight!!!! We’re delayed for two days at ASE right now with three kids under ten. Got to take these punches on the chin.
Imo who cares about the fct. Overrated. Bet the kids and wife didn’t care much lolll
Stuck in Aspen for two extra days with tons of fresh snow. I feel terrible for you!
Haha that did sound very posh. 5 cancelled flights and 4 trips back and forth to the airport exhausting. If just me then win!
Regardless, an ultimate compliment to Lufthansa. It makes for a great Christmas story that LH should send to their employees. Along with praise to those for making such an effort all the way around. As well, being at your wife’s family for Christmas Eve dinner beats any best First Class lounge in the world.
Why did you stow your passport in a side compartment?
Because I’m stupid.
I’m always so paranoid about leaving stuff on the airplane so I never use any of the storage compartments. Mid flight if I get something out of my bag, I put it back as soon as I’m done with.
Everyone is different about their passports, but I am so paranoid about losing them I keep them in my pocket at all times. Traveling can give you such brain fog.
How fortunate that Lufthansa was able to come through! Matthew… NOT a slam on you, but I marvel when I see people put their wallets, passports, phones, etc, in seatback pockets or the like (especially on short regional flights to potentially tight connections). Have seen MANY wallets/phones left behind. Maybe I’m just paranoid but my crucial stuff always on my person or in my bag. Glad it all worked out!
Oh, I should be slammed!
LOL… lesson learned? (hopefully) Have a great holiday in Switzerland!
No, travel brain fog hits all of us sometimes. I still remember the time I landed in another country in which credit cards were not always accepted and with no local currency and was too jetlagged to remember my ATM pin for about a day. Or the time I was in such a rush I realized on the flight over that I had forgotten to book a hotel room.
May this be your worst sin ever.
Amen!
I left my passport in the seat pocket of 3A in Qantas First Class after the flight was canceled. Waited 1 days to get it back and 2 to be rebooked in business class to Perth. Painful mistake that I hope to never repeat again, definitely a mistake that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives!
There is a popular wisdom phrase in spanish very innapropiate to translate to english but express that even the most experience person can make a mistake. That is your case so don´t feel bad that much!!
Glad your kids enjoyed LH First!! 🙂 Even with the passport issue your trip will make a good memory for you and your wife
You got better than FCT service – you got LH ground staff personally serving you and holding flights on your behalf
If that isn’t first class experience i don’t know what is
The food at the FCT isn’t exactly michelin star and not nearly as good as the xmas eve dinner
For me the flight and extra ground attention are the most important parts
You really are beating yourself up too much. I think we’ve all royally effed something up during a trip at some point; I know I’ve had a doozy or two over the years. The important thing is you made it to your in-laws in time for Christmas Eve dinner. The chance to see the FCT will come around again (hint: separate mother-daughter and father-son trips), but your kids won’t get that time back with grandma and grandpa.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas and enjoy your time in Germany.
What a crazy story. About to experience my first LH flight ATL-FRA-MUC-TBS, albeit in J, in about 45 minutes. No first class out of ATL sadly.
Still trying to get the wife to re-position to LAX once to experience first class on Lufthansa.
Happy New Year Matthew.
I’m still trying to get the wife to re-position in the bedroom.
I hadn’t realized until now but your son bears a stunning resemblance to you. I’m glad he didn’t like the caviar. My mom let my older sister try some when she was around 3, figuring she’d hate the stuff. My sister tried it then asked for more, leaving mom to groan as the plan backfired.
Great story of first class service, albeit no rubber duck.
This is a lesson to consider keeping passports in your pocket. In everyday domestic life, I do something similar with my driver’s license. I keep a Tyvex credit card pocket in my pocket. Inside is my driver’s license, one credit card, and medical insurance card. That way, if robbed, most robbers will only want the wallet and not the Tyvex credit card holder in my shirt pocket. Similarly, my car keys are separate. That way, a carjacking will not result in lost house keys unless the crook asks for those.
Any chance another one of your “mile high experiences” got you flusters and forgetful?
Either way, glad to hear it worked out.
Ha ha! I did consider it…but it would not have been wise if either kid had woken up and started crying while mommy and daddy were in the lavatory.
Reminds me a bit of the time I was transferring through GUM on to ROR on Continental Micronesia…for the first time…and I left the plane and got to the lounge when I realized I left my gore-tex jacket in a bin on the plane. I raced back to the gate and no gate agents were there. But there was a low level staffer there and the door to the plane was still open. So I explained the situation and was allowed back on the plane…unsupervised…where I retrieved the jacket.
Yeah…I think I must have surely violated some security rule there getting on a 767 unsupervised.
I feel your pain in missing out on the FCT. I had no doubt you’d do the right thing even if that wasn’t the Christmas wish you had intended! Merry (belated) Christmas!
Sometimes airline service really shines when it’s most important.
Had an itinerary from TLV to SFO via YUL on AC, what was supposed to be a leisurely 1:40 connection quickly turned into less than an hour, as if that wasn’t bad enough the pre clearance facility in YUL was struggling that night and we were stuck there, AC held not only our flight by more than 15 minutes, they held over 10 flights with connecting passengers to make sure everyone made their destination that night.
Sounds like you got the same experience from LH, and those make for great memories
“ I had left our passports onboard in a side compartment in seat 3K.” WHY???? Why would you ever take your passports from a backpack or any hand luggage and place them somewhere in the plane? That is the worst decision ever.
I once left my cell phone on a SQ flight SIN IST realised in IST airport that i left it on seatpocket (economy) SQ ground staff ar transfer desk found it and returned it to me
Had connection on TK to TLV so was tight but made it. Had to skip shower in TK lounge
I never understand people that put their belongings anywhere else other than their own backpack or bags. First, those seat pockets are filthy. Second, the chances you will leave something behind are very high. I always keep my backpack next to me and anything that I have will stay inside it. It is one piece to carry once we land vs having to search all pockets around to see what is out.
Thanks for sharing your story so transparently. We learn from you and aspire to fly first class on LH.
You’re not the first person and you won’t be the last person to forget your passport on the plane. Don’t beat yourself up over it.
Omg, you have nothing to beat yourself up about. I bet all of us who have this as a serious hobby have examples of Epic, Epic, Epic screw-ups. I sure do.
Flip it around and congratulate yourself on handling it so well that you got the passports, made the flight, and now you have an opportunity to recreate the experience. Yeah, it will be tough to get those 4 seats again. But, so what? If it happens, super. If not, tweak it and shoot for some other awesome, but equally difficult-to-attain experience for the family.
But, boy, do I feel your pain. Just thinking back on my most awful ff screw-up makes me sick to my stomach. It worked out though. Sorta. Oy vey, I can’t even bring myself to tell you how close I came to a major financial/ff “oops”.
great story. unmatched personal service. Which american carrier would match the ‘service’ of the passport and documents retrieval? perhaps delta.
I am so paranoid about losing my passport that I am rather reluctant to give my jacket for the FA to store in the closet (passport normally located in buttoned up internal pocket). I did leave a couple of mobile phones on my hotel bed on Christmas Day, but thankfully I was staying rather near the airport and check in was a lot quicker than I thought, so my forgetfulness only cost me a cheap taxi ride.
Matthew,
Happy New Year to you and your family ! Thank you for sharing this very personal story, honestly I know the sinking feeling of leaving something unbelievably important behind on a plane. Just four weeks ago I walked off my Air Canada flight from Vancouver – Cancun and left my laptop AND iPad at my seat…. I arrived at my friends house in Playa Del Carmen unpacked and thought oh I’ll just check e-mail and well you know the feeling…… I also had a very good ending, both were safe and held for me at Cancun airport.
We live, We Learn and we forgive ourselves for the things that we do that we wish we did not….
I am so happy for you that everything worked out
Tim
Ps: you will get more ducks for sure but at least you know what’s most important !
Bravo Mathew!
You pulled it off under pressure with grace and style from the sound of it! Plus you didn’t disappoint your in-laws and your wife after an honest mistake. Love the part about the rubber ducks! The little things are more important in life as we go along. What wonderful memories you made therein!
I look forward to reading more about your adventures in the future and invaluable advice in the process there in also. Thanks for a beautiful story.
Best Wishes, Jon Boyer
Don’t you hate that hot adrenaline surge and gasp of air when suddenly realizing you majorly forked up? Glad you and your family had a great time on the flight and got where you were going. Merry and happy to you all.
Okay reading backwards here after reading your LH F trip report you just posted. I’m sure some two months later you’re already looking forward to taking your family on and enjoying the full International F experience together. Spending Christmas with immediate family is something a lot of people can only dream of as a result of many issues such as family disputes, or their loved ones passing on. I hope you had an enjoyable and memorable experience with your wife’s side of the family. Life as we know it so just too previous these days. Peace and good will to you and your family.