KLM/Flying Blue - worst customer service
 

I have had the worst experience with customer service where KLM and Flying Blue are pointing fingers at each other, tricking me into paying €325 without any benefit.

A few weeks ago, I booked a flight in economy from AMS to SIN on KLM.com. Last week I decided to use my FB miles and upgrade it to business. This led to the following situation:

1) FB to upgrade but they told me that I have the wrong class - K instead of B. I dont remember seeing anything on the KLM/FB about upgrades being dependent on class but also, I had not choice when I booked online. I had to call KLM.

2) A couple of calls followed to the KLM number on my ticket but they could not help me as it was an e-ticket, called other number who were unable to help me but the they finally gave me the KLM number in France.

3) Call to KLM in France where I explained the situation to the lady that I wanted to upgrade and had to change my class. She told me that it would cost €325 to change the class to B. I made clear I only wanted to do this to upgrade to business with my miles. She checked and confirmed that there was availability to upgrade. I went ahead with this and paid to change the class.

4) I immediately call back to Flying Blue to finalise the upgrade and the lady there tells me that they have NO availability to upgrade me! And this is where it gets very frustrating. I explained the situation but there was no way that she was going to help me. She told me that it was KLM's mistake and they should fix it. It was not her responsibility and was not inclined to be helpful in anyway. She told me that FB and KLM are two seperate companies and she deals with 9 other reward programmes. When I asked to speak to a manager, she didn't let me as "there's nobody else here". The only option I had left was to call KLM again.

5) After this I called KLM again and explained the situation again to the person there but they were saying that it was an issue of FB! So I should discuss it with Flying Blue and not with KLM. I was clearly something promised by KLM that there is availability to upgrade but now they cannot deliver. When I asked to complain and speak to a manager, I got the answer that I should fill out a form on the website.

Needless to say that I have not had any reply from KLM on the submitted form on their website.

This is the worst customer service I've ever experienced. I do not care if FB and KLM are two seperate companies, I have bought one ticket which I want to upgrade with the miles which I have earned. I do not appreciate being tricked into paying €325 for a useless change from K to B class with empty promises.

On top of this, there is nobody who I can direct this question to except a useless webform. Does anyone know the contact details of someone at KLM who I can talk to to get this sorted out?

Thanks,
Guido

From the KLM webpage: Upgrade from Economy Class to Business with Miles payment (only from a limited number of booking classes). While I agree that they should explicitly write that it is S and B only, I don't think that they can be accused of hiding this fact (which is btw pretty common for most carriers).
There have been recurring issues with KLM and AF being separate companies and this unfortunately leads to such problems. I'd always check whether there is D availability, before even considering a B-class fare.
Writing to the Customer Service (by snail mail or fax, not Email) of your home country might get you the difference K->B back, if you explain what has happened.

And isn't B supposed to be a very expensive fare, with almost as much flexibility and 'refundability' as Y? I would try to ask for a refund and start everything from scratch again.

Hi cfisher and Falco,

Thanks for your comments but the class item is not really the problem. I agree that there might be some wording deep down inthe site to this extent, so I have paid the difference.

The problem is that KLM promised that there was availability in Y, so I paid for the class upgrade but after having paid, FB says there's no availability. They just overpromised thing to make me pay this extra money and now, both KLM and FB are pointing at each other, and both do not want to let me talk to a manager.

It's just bad customer service that not one person takes ownership of this relatively small issue. The only way to complain to klm.com is this form on the website. My concern with faxing is the same that it's not one person but I'll try.

Thanks,
Guido

Sending a letter or fax to your LOCAL customer service is often more effective, klm.com gets you nowhere. You can also try to call FB again and see, whether another customer service rep is more helpful. Is there availability in D on the dates you wanted?

The problem is that even when they told you there was availability by the time you made your booking then called FB for an upgrade this could have been gone. Sad but this is the way it works, we have voiced our concern but they (AF/KLM) have left it as it is.

In reality though your problem is most likely the fact that reservations (KLM) will just have looked and said yes, there are seats available in Business. I doubt that they will understand what class needs to be available for an upgrade via FB.

Your options are to look at the Seat Availability for your flight (let someone know here and we can check) then decide wether to keep the reservation in the hope that a "D" seat is made available.

Then again I asked the question about upgrades and Classes to FD a few weeks ago and at first got the standards reply that told me "Upgrades are only available from KLM's most flexible booking classes".

I pointed out that this was not the reply I wanted and was then called by e helpfull agent and told:

"Class B can be upgraded to D and Class S can be upgraded to Z"

This would indicate that I could by an S class ticket and get this upgraded to Z in Business which I don't think is actually the case.

May I infer from this that you live in the Netherlands? If so, call KLM Consumentenbetrekkingen in Amstelveen on 020-54 59 780. If not, call them anyway. Be polite but insistent.

Welcome to Flyertalk, by the way.

Johan

welcome to the most awful FF programme known to mankind as well :)

Upgrading on KL flights is a shambles: FB can see if they think there there is availability, but as they operate AF systems, they cannot confirm upgrades on KL. Instead, they have to send an email to Amsterdam and KLM then respond (invariably in my experience) by saying 'it is not possible'.

Upgrades on KL flights have effectively disappeared - nobody in their right minds will buy a B or S class ticket to get an upgrade if there is no guarantee of availability.

These are Coach fares. What airline would sell a fare that guarantees a Biz seat and not call it a Business Class fare? :rolleyes:

BA - I believe!

As I understand it, the BA system lets you book your miles upgrade when you book your flight, in a single transaction. You are, effectively, booking a Business Class ticket which is paid for partly in money and partly in miles. If there are no upgrades available you have the choice, there and then, to go for a lower non-upgradeable fare.

With KLM it's a case of taking pot luck.... you could end up paying hundreds more for your flight and still sitting in the same seat that you would have had if you had paid half the price you paid.

If I could book my flight and my upgrade in a single transaction I would probably be quite happy to book a more expensive fare. However, I am not prepared to gamble hundreds of pounds on the odds of maybe getting an upgrade if I am very very lucky.

And AA with their YUP fares, which are technically economy fares (sorry, 'coach' fares ;)) and sold as such but allow you to seat in First class if space is available at time of booking.

Or if they can buy a Z fare for less!

Johan

Exactly, does not make much sense to pay $$$ and lots of miles as well, if a tix in Z ( certainly with some strings attached and not always available, especially ex NL ) is only slightly more expensive.

Throw in the extra miles you will get and it is a no brainer...

So I agree that upgrading with FB has become more or less impossible and unnecassary under the given rules...

FWIW, you've always been able to buy and upgrade a ticket at the same time w/ NWA, and you can now do it online. Of course, Y or B fare class required for WBC.

This is one of the reasons I never made the switch to KL, but I was a few millimetres away back when you could upgrade any fare class with FD miles.