Flying Blue (Air France, KLM, and Other Partners) - I think KLM/AF is cr*p

Hi,

This year we started to regularly fly KLM/AF from DUS to Bordeaux (via AMS). My experience with them is really bad. 3 points that made me think negatively about KLM/AF.

1. Customer Service
It takes them ages to reply to any sort of communcation whether it is by email or fax. For example it took them 12 weeks to provide me with a new PIN for my online account. Other requests have not been answered at all.

2. Mileage account
5 flights have not been registered at all to my account. Letters and emails sent to complain about this resulted in NO reaction from them at all.

3. Delays
On one flight from DUS to BDX the flight from DUS to AMS was delayed by about 30 mins. Our connecting flight to BDX was scheduled for a 19.15 departure, and due to the late arrival of the incoming flight we arrived at the departure gate exactly at 19.18 but the flight was already closed and we had to stay 1 night in a hotel near the airport.

Whilst we were upset to miss the plane for the sake of a few mins only (THEIR FAULT!) we were even more upset when we realised the next time that both planes (the one from DUS to AMS and the one from AMS to BDX) are always parked at the same position exactly next to each other. When we left the a/c from DUS we realised that their was an AF plane standing next to us and people still hopping on but it wasn´t till the next flight that we realised that this had been "our" connecting AF flight to Bordeaux.

I think it is unbelievable that we were not told to hop on the AF flight that night as we had our BPs and everything at hand. BAD BAD SERVICE, imho!

So, for me things with KLM/AF have all gone terribly wrong so far and from people travelling with me I heard the same negative comments about KLM/AF over and over again.

Really disappointed and not recommended at all.

DUS

thank you for your input. but couldn't we try to limit 'AF sucks', 'AF/KLM is cr*p' to one single thread instead of opening a new one every week? ;)

I think it is unbelievable that we were not told to hop on the AF flight that night as we had our BPs and everything at hand. BAD BAD SERVICE, imho!Let's face it, the expression "service recovery" seems to be completely unknown at KLM, at least at their one and only hub, AMS. Ignorance is of course no excuse or explanation, it seems they just couldn't care less. Simple measures that other airlines routinely employ to assist delayed or otherwise inconvenienced pax seem to be utterly beyond the capabilities of KL. If things go wrong, you are on your own.

Johan

thank you for your input. but couldn't we try to limit 'AF sucks', 'AF/KLM is cr*p' to one single thread instead of opening a new one every week? ;)


Perhaps the moderators should create these two stickies?
I have been holding myself in, but would happily contribute.

I have flown 50 times with AF this year (90% international). Every single flight has been correctly credited, usually in less than 3 days. Never have had to call or email.

I have flown 50 times with AF this year (90% international). Every single flight has been correctly credited, usually in less than 3 days. Never have had to call or email.

that is interesting, AF flights credit correctly, but anything else??? AF -> FB might work, but I can definitely say that KL, NW and other flights do regularly not post (correctly) to your account. I have AMS-FRA flights with 500 miles credited (How is this even possible, what kind of math is this???, it was Q-class). Last week I called FB in Canada and they claimed to have fixes it (the flight showed up a second time with the additional mileage); 3 days later the miles are cancelled again :mad: . We should probably have a sticky for such issues, I agree.
Since this is going off topic, I can assure the Op that other airlines do the same thing to their customers (AF, DL, NW ... *A carriers, the list is endless). Did you try and claim the miles online?, for KL and AF flights this should work (doesn't work if it is a KL flight with a NW flight number).

For me, KLM always had problems crediting flights - this isn't a new thing. My entire system of keeping BPs and tickets was created from flying KLM too frequently...

Well, as long as KLM and AF continue to suck I'm inclined to think it's OK to post about the fact. If people have something new to contribute, that's better, of course. The quality of discourse in our forum is directly related to what people post - if people want to see more variety in topics, there's nothing preventing them from posting them.

The moderation team are currently discussing some ideas for adding a bit of levity and culture to the usual "Gwar! French teh suck!" diatribes. Stay tuned!

For me, KLM always had problems crediting flights - this isn't a new thing. My entire system of keeping BPs and tickets was created from flying KLM too frequently...OK, let's try a cheerful note then. In all the years that I have been a FD/B member, my flights have posted correctly and promptly. The sole exception was a flight from HRE to AMS via JNB. This didn't surprise me, as the check-in was completely manual, and the agent just wrote down all FF numbers on a scrap of paper. The problem was apparently well known, because when I called the help desk the missing points were credited there and then, no proof whatsoever required.

Johan

My wife and I never had problems crediting our flights but we find the lack of response to our letters INFURIATING. We are beginning to wonder if Mr. Babu is not an acronym of some kind. We used to be Premier Executive on United and, whatever their faults, every single letter was promptly answered. This is one of the things that gives AF a bad name.

OK, let's try a cheerful note then. In all the years that I have been a FD/B member, my flights have posted correctly and promptly. The sole exception was a flight from HRE to AMS via JNB. This didn't surprise me, as the check-in was completely manual, and the agent just wrote down all FF numbers on a scrap of paper. The problem was apparently well known, because when I called the help desk the missing points were credited there and then, no proof whatsoever required.

Johan
Yes, but i bet you never lost your luggagge regularly either ;) While not in the ajamieson league of number of times my airline messes with my head, my expectations* on flying with KLM pre-merger were never that high ;) So i think my point was to complain about some of those things post merger as though it's a fault of the merger is a little unfair

*Well except upgrades - used to do quite nicely with those... ;)

Yes, but i bet you never lost your luggagge regularly either As everybody on this forum probably knows by now, KL have never lost my luggage. Not once. They managed to damage a bag once, and then succeeded in reimbursing me twice. No complaints there.

Johan

Well, I've had 30 flights with KLM this year and all but 4 credited within days. The four in question were my fault (forgot to provide FF number at check in) and all four were credited within 24 hours.

I suspect it depends on which airports you are frequently flying out of has I think getting the miles depends on the ground staff dealing with the part of the boarding card that they keep correctly (I mostly fly out of MAN and NUE).

As for complaining about AF/KLM being crap, that's fine by me. This is a nice public place in which to vent one's frustrations and as members of FT we probably have control of a fair bit of revenue. Just my take.

Regards
I

I can't really remember if I have had any problems with flights crediting, certainly not recently. Just done a search on my KLM email folder though and found a cracker.

I complained at the beginning of the year when they changed the mile earning on lower fares without letting customers know as I had booked tickets and then got 0 miles. Reservations had told me that there were no mile earning restrictions on lower fare classes and this was the main cause of my complaint.

In March I got this in a reply from the FD Hinder Desk:

"However, since you received an e-mail from Customer Relations incorrectly stating that there are no restrictions in earning Award Miles on lower class fares, I have taken the liberty of forwarding your letter with attached e-mail for their review. I hope that you receive a satisfactory and timely reply".

I do hope then that I get this "timely reply". :rolleyes:

Another problem I recall was back in 2001 with FD where they did not credit me & a colleague a "Double Miles Promotion in C to Seoul" that they offered us on a statement.

After much coming and going (what else would you expect!) I eventually got the miles (sorry points) credited "as a gesture of goodwill". That really annoyed me, "a gesture of goodwill". :mad:

My father is flying out to DEL tomorrow in J on KLM. He is a LifePlat as well.
For the return journey he was waitlisted for WBC. So he thought as a PLT & Guaranteed seat policy he would be elligible for a seat.

Apparently not. His company's status is higher than his PLT. Good to know they value their frequent flyers!

Gajan