On Monday I did MAN-AMS-NUE and noticed the following at MAN:

i) The KLM check in desks are near the AF check in desks.
ii) There is only one line for KLM check in - Elites and people who've actually paid business can forget it.
iii) There's quite a queue for the KLM flight.
iv) At the Air France check in desks, there were two economy lines, one elite line (all staffed) and no queues. They looked soooo efficient; hell they were even better looking.

NUE-AMS-MAN today:

i) The KLM check in desks are right next to the AF ones.
ii) There is a big KLM queue and no KLM staff in evidence - they turn up when they can be bothered - usually about an hour and 20 minutes before the flight.
iii) When they did bother to turn up, the Elite queue was longer and took longer to process
iv) For all I know the Air France staff could have been there all day and not one person had to queue as I waited. They looked soooo efficient; hell they were even better looking.

Is this the awful future of these combined airlines? A choice of a budget carrier out of an Airport I like or full cost Airport out of Europe's second most hideous hub (lets face it, bad as it is CDG is not as LHR)?