My attitude is not crabby, but very matter of fact. I have been more loyal to KLM than my wife of 20 years - ooops that’s not saying much - Just kidding my dear - OOOH AAAAH URGHHHH -Seriously, I have stuck with them through thick and thin, I have experienced some terrible things with them over the years. I have spent a fortune with them, all of my own money I hasten to add. I have travelled extensively for the last 15 years with my work and ever since I was 17 years old with my sport at that time. I know what the best tastes like and I have had a lot of experience in what the worst possible service or quality is like as well.

My attitude is that I like to see things be successful, whatever it is in life. I hate to see things being destroyed that have been built by a lot of people’s hard work and enthusiasm.

The top tier management at KLM are out of touch with reality, they are still living in the Golden age of air travel, when it was a rich mans means of getting from A-B. I am proud of the things I have achieved in life and although I am what I would class as fairly well off, I never forget my roots and therefore appreciate what I have. However, to run a company the way KLM is run really gets up my nose. The emphasis on backslapping, arse kissing and looking after your mates that goes on right in front of your eyes at KLM is there to see. I have seen it on many occasions in the years I have travelled with them and yet they fail to realise what is going on in the market place around them. Work smart not hard is a phrase I use day in and day out, yet the way I see KLM being run and constantly re-organised is simply the same as the management re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

If someone is comped on status, then fine, but don’t rub your best customers noses in it and then go on to continually cut back on what little service was there before and still claim to be a quality airline. I mean you don’t even get eyeshades, socks or bottled water on a long haul flight. How can you expect someone to enjoy a flight in a tiny space, a seat that is more uncomfortable than a park bench, coupled with lousy service and food I would not try to poison a farmer’s dog with.

Just my five cents worth.


Steve Fenton
Still living in hope


[This message has been edited by Steve Fenton (edited Dec 29, 2003).]