Just got back from Nairobi, where I was told that the new Extra Luggage allowance for Platinum Elites has been reduced from 20kg to 15kg. All brochures mention 20kg. Fortunately, after some discussion I got the 20kg (saving me loads of US$ for extra kg's).

So: take your Flying Blue brochure with you in case you really need 20kg extra!

PS: I think the confusion is that for Silver and Gold the allowances were reduced by 5kg (can somebody confirm this?).

 

Eendracht, that's correct. The extra luggage allowance is reduced with 5kg.

This week I had 43kg of luggage, with in mind that I had 8kg extra and they probably would charge me for 5kg.

But than the surprise came, following KLM I had 13kg to much luggage and they charged me for 10kg.

 

I just made a flight from CDG to Philadelphia, Tempo class.
As I am Gold member, I was entitled to check-in at Business class counter.
What a surprise when the girl told me that:
- I wasn't entitled to have a priority luggage tag
- I wasn't entitled to use the AF lounges
just because I had an economy class ticket.
I insisted during five minutes and she finally agreeded to stick the priority luggage tag. And she told me that I can ask again at the entrance of the lounge, maybe they will allow me to get in ???????
Next time, I'm gonna bring the FB brochure.

 

Last week, I flew PVG-CDG with 43kg checked in and had no problem at all with my Plat card. The check-in counter girl asked whether I had any hand luggage, I said only a laptop. She said 3kg extra no problem when you don't have hand luggage and followed-through.
BTW, the only problem I have with my Plat card is the card itself. The print of KLM and Air France names on top of the card is mostly faded and I have used the card only once!!

 

She was totally wrong! One can understand that junior check in agents do not know immediately the subtleties of excess luggage allowance but lounge access, priority tags and business class check in are the 3 most essential perks for gold members at airport!
I hope you have tried to enter the lounge at CDG. I have never had any problem and rarely have had to show my card since my status (normally) shows up on my BP.

 

I had no problem at all to get into the lounge.
But I asked the agent at the lounge entrance if there's something wrong with the FB program. He apologised and immediately called the check-in supervisor to "update" the check-in lady. He asked me which row, her name and he also gave my check-in sequence number to find the right staff.
He also told me to write and complain to FB customer service because they sent me a FP rouge card instead of the FB Gold card. Because FP is not valid anymore, I may have problem in the future.

 

I knew it !!!! Fr�quence Plus is not dead !!!

 

What does it say? Valid till March 2006? A genuine collectable! ^

 

Vivat Fr�quence Plus in aeternam !

 

It's valid until March 2007.
Maybe I should sell it on ebay and have a quite good price

 

AF has had a long and proud history of badly training their employees and third party service providers about FF benefits. IIRC, it took at least two years for Af employees worldwide to actually know what Skyteam was and the benefits to be accorded elite +'s of other airlines (as an example, it wasn't until late 2002 that DL fliers stopped reporting that various lounges including those at CDG stopped giving them hassle using the lounge, go check the archives if you don't believe it).

I would imagine that it will take them a minimum of 6 months if not longer to get the employees on the same page.

 

http://www.airfrance.com/double6/file/Y1/file_Y1.nsf/(Lookup)/fr-Yvoyagepratique/$file/voyagepratique.pdf

The 'Dossier de Presse' (sorry but it does not seem to exist in English) issued on the 16th of June clearly mentions the following (I am surprised to read about the 64 Kgs for the American continent!!!???):

I. FAIRE SES BAGAGES
� Les bagages et les kilos :
- Depuis Paris vers toutes les destinations, sauf vers les Etats-Unis, le Canada, le Mexique et Papeete, Air France propose les franchises suivantes � ses clients voyageant en :
- cabine Tempo : 20 kg,
- cabines Tempo Challenge , Aliz� et l�Espace Affaires : 30 kg,
- cabine l�Espace Premi�re : 40 kg.

Les clients membres des programmes de fid�lit� Flying Blue Silver, Gold et Platinum b�n�ficient d�une franchise suppl�mentaire, et ce, quelle que soit la cabine dans laquelle le voyage est effectu�, sur toutes les destinations :
- Flying Blue Platinum : franchise bagages augment�e de 20 kg,
- Flying Blue Gold : franchise bagages augment�e de 10 kg,
- Flying Blue Silver : franchise bagages augment�e de 5 kg.

Depuis Paris vers les Etats-Unis, le Canada, le Mexique et Papeete, Air France propose les franchises suivantes � ses clients voyageant en :
- cabine Tempo : 2 pi�ces de bagage de 32 kg chacune
- cabine l�Espace Affaires : 2 pi�ces de bagage de 32 kg chacune
- cabine l�Espace Premi�re : 2 pi�ces de bagage de 32 kg chacune

� Les kilos en trop :
Si la franchise accord�e est d�pass�e, une taxe est appliqu�e :
- pour les voyages en France continentale et en Corse : 1, 50 euros TTC par kg,
- sur les autres vols, la taxe varie en fonction de la destination.
Exemples depuis Paris vers, par kg, en euros TTC :
Bogota : 30 , Le Caire : 17 , Malaga : 6, Rome : 6, S�oul : 36.

 

Why are you surprised about the piece concept to North America, it has only been this way for all carriers for 50 years or so.