Originally Posted by
MichielR
Having the fast tracks and priority boarding procedures is one thing, actually making them work is another as we have all seen.
Absolutely. But the first step is always realising that there is a problem. That priority boarding does not always work is another problem.
If they want to improve FFP enrollment, they first need an attractive FFP. I also think that FFP enrollment is not the main issue, it is previously loyal pax having aborted AFKL due to the AFD changes and continuous 'service enhancements' such as introduction of ES.
One of the main points AFKLM are regularly mentioning is how many people sign up with the FB program. Their churn ratio however is unknown.
I think the attractivity of their FFP mirrors exactly what they are mentioning on their presentation: Focus onto the 10% of their passengers creating the most revenue. The people having left their FFP are probably not that demographic. Neither are most people on this board.
What they are forgetting however is, that the people having left their FFP might have been some of their most loyal customers and happy _and_ loyal customers are serving as an excellent multiplier for attracting new customers.
Anyhow, I would expect that any pax regularly flying KL is already an FB/other ST FFP member. For those occasional pax who aren't members the 20 month expiry rule is a big obstacle to enrollment.
I have to admit, I find the outrage over the 20 month expiry rule somewhat irritating. It's called a FFP, not a Rare Flyer Program. Someone who doesn't do a flight every 20 months generally does even have close to a worthwhile amount of miles, so why the outrage? And hey, if your miles are so important to you, dump 200 EUR on a trip every two years and stop complaining.
Maybe they should liaise with Schiphol about why Privium is such a successful programme, despite the added cost. In my opinion, Privium is actually what Schiphol and KLM should offer to the most frequent flyers free of charge!
Privium is a decent program. The Lounge is very nicely designed and the food/snack offers are better than at the Crown Lounge. The drinks are better at KLM however.
Optically, the Lounge is top notch.
But the rest of the program is not that great IMHO. The security lane is nice, but as a Elite passenger in most cases the regular Priority Line is equally fast. Admittedly, at some gates Privium is a real benefit. But for my flights I do not see a benefit in having a Privium card. The parking is similar, for some it's great, for me it's useless.
A bunch of my colleagues from the UK however have a Privium card. They are often flying the route STN-AMS-STN which is only available on EasyJet. Privium is their way of jumping the queue at security and having a Lounge.
My routing looks different and I am getting the same offer from SkyTeam.
And do not forget that Privium is a paid-for program, not unlike Priority Pass. The target audience is different. The irregular flyer is who buys access, the FF doesn't really need it.
But I wouldn't complain if they just hand me a Privium card together with the Platinum one as long as the iris-scan crap is left out.
I won't complain if they improve their website.
It's shoddily done but it's not that bad. It does mostly work for me.
Is the 'pay for a decent meal' test part of this exercise? In any case, why introduce ComfY if it is really a 3-class config you're after - the SK model that is.
I think it's the ancillary revenue game: Make the base product cheap and then have people pay for add-ons: Food instead of a snack? You pay. Luggage? You pay. Marginally improved seating? You pay. A bit more comfort for your seat? You pay.
It's like using the price to attract the price sensitive customer and then after he booked offering additional services in the hope that they go for it. That's the same reason why they try to tie in a hotel and a car rental with the booking.
What I find interesting however is, that they changed from being a direct booking.com affiliate to outsourcing all the hotel booking and car rental to iSeatz who is using booking.com as well as Avis.
They have the same offerings as before but just added another layer. Why?
Agree with your comments re consistently, bus gates, bagage service allthough some of these are Schiphol issues not KLM issues.
Absolutely. But whenever I get one of these questionnaire forms I usually give the air crew good grades but horrible grades to the ground crew. And all the bad experiences I had were with KLM ground staff, seldom with Schiphol staff. Except sometimes at the security line. Some of the morons they have there are just unbelievable.
I don't think their lounge facilities need better communication.
Agree. They need an overhaul instead.
With regard to gates, my guess is that they want people at the gates earlier and allow them to work there. Might actually fit with the Schiphol plans.
Does KLM suffer from delays related to passengers appearing to late at the gate?
A birthday card is nice but I'd rather see real improvements;
Hmm. I do not agree. I had a Europe Select trip beginning of June. First one since I started flying KLM last year. Seat: Average, I had more leg space in the exit row. Food: The breakfast was nice and the orange juice great. The service: Excellent. A personal touch which was a refreshing change.
So it's the ES surprise box or the service which would lead me to buying premium fares. A birthday card is part of that personal touch making you feel somewhat valued/recognized.
What is missing in the list is:
- consistency, consistency, consistency
- a decent European C product. Middle seats blocked, proper meal
- lie flat long haul C seats
- select seating to work properly on European flights (ComfY has made it work on long-haul)
- enforced priority boarding procedures
- roll-back of some of the AFD changes
- upgrading possibility also from non-full Y fares (as in the FD days)
The AFD changes will not be rolled back. But on everything else, I believe these are possible changes which would improve the KLM customer experience. Especially about the C product. The fares KLM asks for C are amongst the highest on the market and the value they provide for it is nearly non-existent. I just do not get it, why people are flying it at all.
What I like about ComfY seating is the fact that it's free for Plat members. THAT is the major reason why I booked 20 more flights than initially planned for this year. It's a valuable improvement of the Plat membership.
plus
- a special section in the back for family and friends
That would remove a main gripe about non-rev passengers getting all the goodies. I like this!