A personal message
Jan 12, 2011, 4:19 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: FRA
Programs: FB Plat & DL KM, Le Club Plat, GHA Plat, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 1,591
A personal message
I finally mananged to submit via KLM's website my receipts for expenses that I incurred due to delays caused by the December weather disruptions. A couple hous later I got this. I hope that this is just a coincidence
Dear Mr ajs123,
When travelling recently on our flights, you or a member of your family may have been affected by the consequences of the exceptionally adverse weather conditions which disrupted operations for several days at all the main airports in Northern Europe, including Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol.
All airlines found themselves obliged to cancel many flights in order to adapt their flight schedules to the ability of airport authorities to clear the snow from runways and de-ice aircraft. Many of you waited for hours before your flight took off.
In these very difficult circumstances, we were unfortunately unable to meet all your needs. We are very sorry about this and would like to present our most sincere apologies.
AIR FRANCE and KLM staff did all they could to limit the consequences of this crisis, especially for all those who were travelling home or on vacation for Christmas.
Hundreds of volunteers came to assist their colleagues at the terminals in Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Schiphol. We booked about 50,000 hotel rooms for our passengers with connecting flights. Our call centres and ticket offices received five times as many calls and visits as usual. Close to 350,000 information messages were sent by e-mail, text or telephone to inform customers of the changes to their itinerary. We provided real time information on our websites, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Measures were taken to enable passengers to postpone their trip or to refund unused tickets. Staff from both airlines worked round the clock to sort baggage which had been delayed and ensure it was delivered to its owners. Finally, we did all we could to return to a normal flight schedule as soon as the weather conditions improved.
With authorities and airports, we will further work on limiting the effects of such situations in the future and on improving the services you have the right to expect in the case of operating irregularities.
We thank you for your loyalty and your continuing trust in our airlines and would like to wish you a very Happy New Year.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Hartman
CEO of KLM
Pierre-Henri Gourgeon
CEO of AIR FRANCE KLM
When travelling recently on our flights, you or a member of your family may have been affected by the consequences of the exceptionally adverse weather conditions which disrupted operations for several days at all the main airports in Northern Europe, including Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol.
All airlines found themselves obliged to cancel many flights in order to adapt their flight schedules to the ability of airport authorities to clear the snow from runways and de-ice aircraft. Many of you waited for hours before your flight took off.
In these very difficult circumstances, we were unfortunately unable to meet all your needs. We are very sorry about this and would like to present our most sincere apologies.
AIR FRANCE and KLM staff did all they could to limit the consequences of this crisis, especially for all those who were travelling home or on vacation for Christmas.
Hundreds of volunteers came to assist their colleagues at the terminals in Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Schiphol. We booked about 50,000 hotel rooms for our passengers with connecting flights. Our call centres and ticket offices received five times as many calls and visits as usual. Close to 350,000 information messages were sent by e-mail, text or telephone to inform customers of the changes to their itinerary. We provided real time information on our websites, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Measures were taken to enable passengers to postpone their trip or to refund unused tickets. Staff from both airlines worked round the clock to sort baggage which had been delayed and ensure it was delivered to its owners. Finally, we did all we could to return to a normal flight schedule as soon as the weather conditions improved.
With authorities and airports, we will further work on limiting the effects of such situations in the future and on improving the services you have the right to expect in the case of operating irregularities.
We thank you for your loyalty and your continuing trust in our airlines and would like to wish you a very Happy New Year.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Hartman
CEO of KLM
Pierre-Henri Gourgeon
CEO of AIR FRANCE KLM
Jan 12, 2011, 5:07 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: BOS
Programs: UA Premier 1K, DL Platinum Medallion, AF Platinum, Hyatt Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 592
I got Irroped on NCE-ZRH-BOS instead of NCE-CDG-BOS during the snow events so maybe I qualify? Then again, I didn't have to sleep anywhere because of it, be it in a terminal or a hotel.
Anyway, didn't get that mail.
Anyway, didn't get that mail.
Jan 13, 2011, 1:22 am
#3
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Rotterdam, NL
Programs: Flying Blue (AF/KL)
Posts: 4,711
It would appear many people have been sent this message as it has been reported by Nu.nl:
Gajan
(For some reason my mobile browser will not allow me to copy the link)
Gajan
(For some reason my mobile browser will not allow me to copy the link)
Jan 13, 2011, 4:28 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,565
Coincidence or not, I just wonder why an airline should be responsible for any "damage" of any kind incurred because of the weather-related disruptions? Obviously, I am not talking about special cases in which an airline may have scre..d up. Shouldn't the airports have the same degree of responsibility towards passengers? At last analysis, should always somebody else pay for events such as snow, volcano eruptions, etc.? If this were the rule, how expensive would air travel become in the future? Do we really want conditions such as the ones valid for health care in countries like the US?
Jan 13, 2011, 4:33 am
#6
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Rotterdam, NL
Programs: Flying Blue (AF/KL)
Posts: 4,711
Coincidence or not, I just wonder why an airline should be responsible for any "damage" of any kind incurred because of the weather-related disruptions? Obviously, I am not talking about special cases in which an airline may have scre..d up. Shouldn't the airports have the same degree of responsibility towards passengers? At last analysis, should always somebody else pay for events such as snow, volcano eruptions, etc.? If this were the rule, how expensive would air travel become in the future? Do we really want conditions such as the ones valid for health care in countries like the US?
Is weather related delays not something you would take a travel insurance for? In any case it is not the airlines fault if major snowfall impares operations.
Gajan
Jan 13, 2011, 4:39 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: FB-LTPE
Posts: 506
I hope after two winters of snow and one spring of ash cloud disruptions, the airlines, airports, governments, and travel insurance companies will be able to come together to discuss a system that is more fair to all involved, incl the pax......
Jan 13, 2011, 5:03 am
#8
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: FlyingBlue, TheCard, ClubCarlson
Posts: 125
Jan 13, 2011, 3:14 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Programs: Many
Posts: 773
I do not know about the airlines or the airport operations, but certain (privatized) public transport contracts have such gems as the following:
* In the case of delays during operation, contract penalties apply.
* "Act of god"-type operational problems are not covered.
What happens? There's a bit of snow which is threatening regular operations due to piss poor preparation or neglected maintenance in order to draw more profits. Instead of suffering the delays the company now claims that the weather is horrible, it's major snow fall, act of god like problems and they are not liable anymore...
Whoever came up with that contract was a moron...
I wonder if similar things are happening at the airlines...
10 years ago I was living in the UK and was flying out during winter as well... Yes, there was snow. Yes, there were long delays. But nothing was shut down the way they tend to do it nowadays...
Jan 14, 2011, 5:57 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,565
. But our TV news (as well as those on most international channels) kept showing "horror" scenes from airports, major highways, train lines, etc. throughout Northwest Europe. So, unless there is indeed a conspiracy between airlines and the rest of the transportation industry, why shoot at the airlines only? 
Can I only remind you that last spring during the volcano eruption in Iceland it was LH and a few more airlines that were constantly saying that skies should be re-opened as soon as possible...
Jan 14, 2011, 7:50 am
#11
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Rotterdam, NL
Programs: Flying Blue (AF/KL)
Posts: 4,711
Gajan
Jan 14, 2011, 2:21 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 24
Personal message from CEO's
Just received an email from both CEO's of AF and KL, subject: personal message.
It's all about the disruptions due to the winter weather.
Strange thing is: they say that I might have flown and therefore might have experienced the disruption. And that they used many volunteers, bladibla, etc etc.
What kind of a joke is this?
a) don't they know that I didn't fly by checking their FB database? Like: select all customers who actually flew during period x...
b) the snow is gone for about two weeks now...
It's all about the disruptions due to the winter weather.
Strange thing is: they say that I might have flown and therefore might have experienced the disruption. And that they used many volunteers, bladibla, etc etc.
What kind of a joke is this?
a) don't they know that I didn't fly by checking their FB database? Like: select all customers who actually flew during period x...
b) the snow is gone for about two weeks now...
Last edited by Cosiflyer; Jan 14, 2011 at 2:25 pm Reason: other post already on this topic
Jan 14, 2011, 2:27 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 24
Just received an email from both CEO's of AF and KL, subject: personal message.
It's all about the disruptions due to the winter weather.
Strange thing is: they say that I might have flown and therefore might have experienced the disruption. And that they used many volunteers, bladibla, etc etc.
What kind of a joke is this?
a) don't they know that I didn't fly by checking their FB database? Like: select all customers who actually flew during period x...
b) the snow is gone for about two weeks now...
great database marketing, not...
It's all about the disruptions due to the winter weather.
Strange thing is: they say that I might have flown and therefore might have experienced the disruption. And that they used many volunteers, bladibla, etc etc.
What kind of a joke is this?
a) don't they know that I didn't fly by checking their FB database? Like: select all customers who actually flew during period x...
b) the snow is gone for about two weeks now...
great database marketing, not...
Jan 14, 2011, 2:59 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: Delta Silver, HH Gold, Accor Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,340
Just received the mail too. (Why so much later then others BTW?)
Strange, not affected as I haven't flown in 8 months!
Agree they better check records of affected pax and send an e-mail to them.
Strange, not affected as I haven't flown in 8 months!
Agree they better check records of affected pax and send an e-mail to them.
Jan 14, 2011, 4:23 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: BOS
Programs: UA Premier 1K, DL Platinum Medallion, AF Platinum, Hyatt Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 592
Here's the link for the exact message:
http://closecontact.eu/9618/html/spe...essage_EN.html
http://closecontact.eu/9618/html/spe...essage_EN.html