BE WARNED!!Swiss Air and Lufthansa DOES NOT CARE about you as passanger.!!

DONT fly with Lufthansa or Swiss Airline. We made our booking on 21st of September ( 5 people) 3children and 2 pets in cabin.

We flew from Calgary with Discovery air to Frankfurt. When we got there they denied us to board because we did not have Europian Visas!!

We were never told or informed ANYWHERE on our booking that we had to have Visas to fly from Frankfurt to Zurich ( Swiss air)and Zurich to Cape town. We were just bluntly refused and had to go to Lufthansa's booking counter to get a different flight. We had insurance on our tickets aswell. They had flights for us to fly to Cape town later that day but denied us because according to Swiss air and Edelweiss the dogs weren't booked!!

BUT I had confirmation emails sent to me a few days prior our flight that they indeed are booked. They then said we cant fly with dogs in cabin into South Africa where I had a legal incabin permit for snubnosed dogs. But yet again they said sorry. Lufthansa gave is two options. Either go back to Canada or fly to Windhoek Namibia.

We had no choice but to take the flight to Windhoek. But I had to contact a pet agent in Windhoek to help me with a transit permit to tranfer dogs into cargo cause Airlink cant fly dogs in cabin. That costed me an addisional ZAR 19 550. At the airport ( Windhoek)we had to rebook extra tickets from Namibia to Cape Town. We had to borrow money from our parents to pay all the excess fees and to buy tickets.We had to take the option for "White" tickets( ZAR 30 000) because of our excess luggage( which we already paid a fee on at Calgary Canada on our first leg for the whole trip) and had to pay yet again extra fees of R5000 on that aswell. We missed the late flight out from Namibia because the pet agent could not get a crate for the dogs in time.

We were om Frankfurt for 13 hours before we could get the (unwanted) flight to Namibia. Which was not our actual destination. We had dogs and children with us. The airline staff did not help in any way to accomodate us to take the dogs somewhere to do their business. They were forced to "go" on the floor where ever they could not hold it anymore. Not to mention the total exhaustion and stress we and the children had to undergo. Then again at Windhoek we were on the airport for 10hours to sortt out the cargo arrangements etc.before we could go to the guesthouse (without our dogs) to sort

We had to hire a car, leave our dogs on the airport (cause they did not have permits for them in Namibia)Book into a guesthouse that also cost us ZAR 2600.

We flew on the 24th of September from Calgary and only got to Cape town the 27th with a financial loss of ZAR 60 000 apart from our expensive flight tickets we never used.

When I logged a complaint and app**** for reimbursment ( for excess costs) they( Swiss air) just kept on saying they don't refund delayed flights. When I explained it was not delayed and diverted they said our flight tickets expired and used and can't be looked into further investigation.

Why didn't Lufthansa/Swiss inform us when we made our booking that we needed Visas? That I dont understand. And just to keep on looking for excuses to help us is absolutely pathetic service. Our part was in order. We did everything accoriding to all their ( airlines and both countries of Canada and South Africa) to have all our paperwork etc in order. This is NOT neglegance from out part but Swiss air and Luthansa. And they just DON'T CARE!!!! Not ONCE did they take ANY RESPOSIBILITY in all the trauma, discomfort or Loss we as a family endured!

My pets also could have died in cargo cause they fall under the (brachycephalic) breed. The state Vet at Cape Town was very upset with the airlines that allowed this!!He himself said that we are lucky they did not suffocate in cargo! And yet again Lufthansa and Swiss just DOES NOT CARE.