Flying Blue (Air France & KLM) - No preferred seating for Silver?!

Hi all,
First post, so please bear with me!

As I was trying to check-in online the other day, a strange thing was happening - each seat I chose on the flight plan came up as "no longer available" and vanished! After the 10th seat vanished, I thought it was the KLM site (again, as it has been shockingly bad recently!) and called the service centre for help!
I normally have no problem choosing a seat relatively close to the front, but the service centre kindly informed me, for the 1st time, that Silver members no longer get preferred seating!!!! ...!!!!
Has anyone else noticed this or is this something that I should have known about? Plus the fact that they have never informed me of this change! I chose carefully when I signed up for FB, (as I'm sure we all did) and then stuck to qualifying flights and so began my 'loyalty' to FB. Then, all of a sudden, without notice, I get demoted! Surely this is unfair and must be false advertising of some sort?!!

Anyway, having been happy with KLM/AF for a number of years, I have made 3 complaints in the last month to them regarding their dreadful website, on-line check-in errors and booking problems and they have not responded to one!!!

Is it just me or are they going 'down the pan'?

Thanks for listening!

ps. I know this might sound sad, but my luggage didn't even get a priority label and I was gutted!! :(

Welcome to the FT pipanderson

Have you tried on AF web site? KLM's is dreadful IMO...

Also, is it on KLM/AF your flying or a partner airline? Partner airlines don't always share the best seats

Silver doesn't really give you anything more than checking at Business counters and 50% more bonus miles which I think is fair enough as it only takes 15 level flights to get there...

The silver luggage tags should count as priority but they don't. When checking in at the airport, go to the business check in and specifically ask for the priority label to be put on your bag...

Hi Cupart,

Thanks for the reply and the welcome.

Sadly, it was on a KLM flight so annoyed me even more! But I will try your idea and look at AF website, as KLM's is just getting worse by the day!

2 more flights until Gold though and then I can stop complaining hopefully?!! (Never believed I would get so easily addicted and obsessed by my reward program!!

2 more flights until Gold though and then I can stop complaining hopefully?!! (Never believed I would get so easily addicted and obsessed by my reward program!!

Hehehe... You are just like me a couple of months ago :D

Gold is a huge step up from Silver (believe me), especially as you can use the fast track in most airports around the world (even though nothing is mentioned in FB's papers) as well as lounge access (not that important to me). Oh, I can tell you that I still haven't received my card (over 6 weeks waiting) and don't expect it either in the near future, but that's the way FB works. It's good to have this site where you can have a good moan as others have most likely been in the same situation as you have (or will be in).

This said, I still like AF more than others...

Hi Pip,

Sorry to quote the book ... but here goes ...

Silver benefits
Guaranteed seat with 7 days notice
KLM, Air France, Kenya Airways, Air Europa on long-distance flights.
with 7 days notice

When paying the full fare currently in effect, an economy class seat will be provided for all full-fare reservations on long-distance flights, except in the case of unforeseen operational circumstances. This offer does not apply to Award tickets and on aircraft with fewer than 100 seats.

I am not sure that this has changed. If you got it peviously without meeting the conditions then you did well. You know what is meant by 'full fare' on economy, and I would avoid paying that like the plague!

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the quote, that I understand, but my complaint lies with the 'preferred seating', not the guaranteed seat. This use to be one of the benefits of Silver but has recently been 'quietly' removed with no notification.

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the quote, that I understand, but my complaint lies with the 'preferred seating', not the guaranteed seat. This use to be one of the benefits of Silver but has recently been 'quietly' removed with no notification.

Sorry Pip - I misunderstood.

No problem.

An interesting point, on KLM website, preferred seating has been removed from the list of benefits, but it still appears on AF website!!

No problem.

An interesting point, on KLM website, preferred seating has been removed from the list of benefits, but it still appears on AF website!!

Welcome to the wonderful world of AF/KL inconsistency... :D

my complaint lies with the 'preferred seating', not the guaranteed seat. This use to be one of the benefits of Silver but has recently been 'quietly' removed with no notification.

Firstly, with a silver status, don't expect to have the same bonuses than platinum. On the other hand, you should know : the best seats in Y can now be sold (50 euros) to anybody. It means even one are platinum, if the seat is sold, you will not get it, that's all. This advantage disapeared also for PT members (even they can, there is NO guaranty)

By the way, i feel very strange : why do you insist so hardly with FB ? they are not reliable, and this FFP lost all its interest since april 1st.

W

The silver luggage tags should count as priority but they don't. When checking in at the airport, go to the business check in and specifically ask for the priority label to be put on your bag...


.....and even then despite a priority tag there's no guarantee your luggage will be amongst the first to appear on the carousel.Its total pot luck: first,last or lost.:)

Point taken, but they just happen to service my destinations so well and it becomes so convenient! I fly regularly from Edinburgh to Kuwait and it works very well with minimal transfers - even though with the 'cheap' ticket I'm only getting 25% miles - but at least I'm building up plenty of segments.

Also, it may be laziness and not having the energy to start all over - better the devil you know, right?!

Point taken, but they just happen to service my destinations so well and it becomes so convenient! I fly regularly from Edinburgh to Kuwait and it works very well with minimal transfers - even though with the 'cheap' ticket I'm only getting 25% miles - but at least I'm building up plenty of segments.

Also, it may be laziness and not having the energy to start all over - better the devil you know, right?!

This is exactly the reasoning why they decided they don't have to give you any meaningful benefits on the FFP. You will fly them anyway, so giving you something is just a waste of money.

.....and even then despite a priority tag there's no guarantee your luggage will be amongst the first to appear on the carousel.Its total pot luck: first,last or lost.:)

I somewhat agree with you... The one time where the check in agent actually put on the florescent priority sticker without me asking was at PEK (when I still was Silver) and the bag came out among the first 5 bags at DUB after a change at CDG. Still the silver bag tag means diddley :rolleyes:

Could be that DUB is operated by small CityJet 95 seater planes and people most don't bring bags on these flights anyway.

Maybe there only were 5 bags in total :D (I have a tendency to run away when I get my bag from the pickup)...

IMO priority luggage delivery is a joke, specially with Skyteam.

If you consider premium + Elites passengers can get those yellow tags, almost a third of the bags is considered as prioritary.

IME it works only when point of origin and point of destination are handled by large Skyteam players (CDG-ATL), or within the French Overseas network (ORY-FDF-ORY for example).

As a recent graduate to gold I understand what the OP is getting at. I could book preferred seating as silver on AF but not KL..good thing OH is Plat and this allowed us both to move on the KL sectors we flew together.

Priority is hit and miss..I've had priority bags come off last off a flight...depends on the moods of the baggage handlers sometimes. DL never used to tag ST Elite bags as priority but they did on this trip...oh the lack of consistency within ST! Worst was having to pay for a bag (which was then priority tagged) on CO!

Can I just ask a question? When do you get the gold-card? I became a silver member in July, still haven't gotten my silver-card, so don't expect to get the gold-card in a long time... I just wonder... Gold will let me into the lounge, I assume I will get into the lounge without the gold-card as long as I have a boarding-pass which say I am a gold?

xxx.

Can I just ask a question? When do you get the gold-card? I became a silver member in July, still haven't gotten my silver-card, so don't expect to get the gold-card in a long time... I just wonder... Gold will let me into the lounge, I assume I will get into the lounge without the gold-card as long as I have a boarding-pass which say I am a gold?

Cards usually take a few months.

But as long as your status is updated in the system, this is no problem at all as they can always check your status in the system even without your card.

Can I just ask a question? When do you get the gold-card? I became a silver member in July, still haven't gotten my silver-card, so don't expect to get the gold-card in a long time... I just wonder... Gold will let me into the lounge, I assume I will get into the lounge without the gold-card as long as I have a boarding-pass which say I am a gold?

xxx.

Hi no-backpacker,

I got my card exactly 6 weeks and 2 days after I turned Gold. I contacted FB by mail (by chance the day before it arrived) and was told that it had been sent on the day I turned gold which was an obvious lie. My Spouse turned Gold the day after me and got the exact same reply as me :( It doesn't take 6 weeks from Amsterdam (where FB sends the cards from) to Ireland so obviously the truth was not told. Anyway, getting your card on time is a bit of a hit or miss IMO. All you can do is request a new card from the AF or KL Website...

If you booked your flight while at a different level than Gold, this will show up on your BP. Go to the AF desk when checking in and ask them to change the status on your BP as this will be needed if you wish to use the fast track at CDG (or other airports that offer this service to Elite+ members). I printed out my temporary card from AF's web site which helped the checkin agent at DUB on my first flight as Gold... ^

Thank you so much for your help!

xxx.

Welcome in Skyteam!

KL has been already canceled from my airlines wish-list, OK started to cut on small services (and you could buy it for 58MLN Euros), SU lounges are terribly ugly and crowded, AZ service on-board is very cheap (wine from a big bottle!) and in MXP the fast-track do not exist anymore for AZ Gold.
AF still offer sometimes a better service but lounges are now nothing than a waiting room with poor service.
I'm VERY sorry guys but from January all my flights will be with LH and LX where Gold still look brilliant.
I will keep Silver status just for check-in counters, over-weight and priority on award tickets... after all I still have 300K miles to spend on ST :confused: