CO and KLM
Jul 17, 2001 | 8:48 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Berkeley
Posts: 1
CO and KLM
Is there any talk of having KLM more closely tied to CO. It seems a bit odd to have such a close link to NW but once you are on KLM metal, all the perks go away.
Jul 17, 2001 | 11:18 am
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 46,817
At onetime, there was to be "WINGS", but... little has happened to get the alliance going! 
http://www.flyertalk.com/forumcgi/fo...1000&SUBMIT=Go
http://www.flyertalk.com/forumcgi/fo...1000&SUBMIT=Go
Jul 18, 2001 | 10:02 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 1,439
They made some weird little announcement last year about marketing cooperation, yadda-yadda. It was sort of a lame attempt to creat the illusion that something was still alive, but I have heard of no new talks in a long time...and KLM seems far more concerned with developing partners in Europe right now ahead of any further US negotiations.
The whole thing broke down over trans-atlantic revenue sharing (which KL demanded and CO refused), and CO's desire to serve more Euro destinations out of EWR (and IAH), versus KL's desire to put as much traffic through its AMS hub as possible.
It's not all bad, though, as a substantial portion of KLM's flights can be booked at identical fares with NW codes, and therefore CO miles. It's worked for me every time I've needed to do it.
The whole thing broke down over trans-atlantic revenue sharing (which KL demanded and CO refused), and CO's desire to serve more Euro destinations out of EWR (and IAH), versus KL's desire to put as much traffic through its AMS hub as possible.
It's not all bad, though, as a substantial portion of KLM's flights can be booked at identical fares with NW codes, and therefore CO miles. It's worked for me every time I've needed to do it.
Jul 18, 2001 | 11:38 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Million Miler (mostly earned on CO)
Posts: 2,599
About the only thing I've seen that indicates that this may still be in play was the press release a week or so ago that CO is going to start non-stops to AMS from IAH next spring. Perhaps a feeder into KL's network? As far as I know, they still just send a dinky 757 from EWR into AMS...
Jul 19, 2001 | 5:55 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Da Nang, Vietnam
Programs: Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles Platinum
Posts: 2,426
I hope that they do get something going.... SOON !