Response received :

"Dear Mr. Rebel,

Thank you for your email.

With regards to Seat allocations for our Platinum members, please be confirmed that seats can be booked for our most loyal members in the Select Seating Zones. In order to process your seating request, our systems will check the membership number entered in the booking against your account details to ensure that the information provided matches. The Flying Dutchman number and your name need to be identical with your FD account.

Unfortunately this option is not on all flights available and I can only advise you to contact our helpdesk to verify the matter on your flight. If seating cannot be booked, our agents can leave messages in the booking for the check-in with preferred seating details. Please do not hesitate to request this option when we are unable to book seats in advance.

Please accept my apologies for this matter and I trust that the information provided is sufficient. If further queries arise, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

X X
Correspondence Officer
KLM Flying Dutchman Helpdesk"

I really like the suggestion to "contact our helpdesk to verify the matter on your flight". I did, thrice!

My Reply :

"Dear Ms X X,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

My PE number was in the booking, and both of your colleagues I spoke to on the phone were obviously aware of my membership status.

You write that "Unfortunately this option is not on all flights available". A quick check of my FD transactions will show that I fly this particular route regularly, and have been doing so for many years. Never before have I been unable to obtain a seat in the Select Seating zone, and I had no difficulties either when I booked seats for the outward leg two weeks earlier. I hope therefore that you can clarify the matter further by answering the following questions :

1. Why is Select Seating not available on this particular flight (or route), when it always has been in the past?

2. My understanding has always been that Select Seating is available on all intercontinental flights on KL metal. Why is this no longer so, and does this apply to specific routes, aircraft types, or are there other reasons?

3. If Select Seating is not available, does this mean that it will remain unavailable until check-in, or should one call the help desk again and again on the chance that it might suddenly be possible to obtain a seat?

4. If a particular flight does not have select seating , does this means that the seats normally in that zone (e.g. rows 9-18 on 744/74M aircraft) will be allocated to one and all upon check-in, or will they still be reserved for eligible elites?

5. You write that "If seating cannot be booked, our agents can leave messages in the booking for the check-in with preferred seating details". Will such a request also be taken into consideration when the passenger checks in online or uses self-service check-in at the airport?

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

johan rebel"

johan