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Originally Posted by german_vielflieger
(Post 15474641)
I was booked ATL - AMS - STR in BE yesterday.
1. I have to book the connection with the lowest available price. The nonstop was already pretty full at booking time, so via AMS was cheaper. 2. I like the Ex-NWA 333 much better than the 763 on the nonstop. |
Originally Posted by popppa
(Post 15500617)
WOW! From your logic, the airlines could save billions by removing (never installing/not maintaining) escape slides, life rafts, oxygen masks, & flotation devices that NEVER get used during a 30 year period! :rolleyes:
Ironically, the snow chaos has been going on since Dec 1st & KLM is continuing to handle it badly!!! They (KLM & other EU hubs) took a cost-cutting gamble and lost! Europe (pre-2009) experienced a few "mild" winters & the bean counters saw an opportunity to put some bling on the bottom line by eviscerating the snow budget. Last year's winter was Hell! They got caught with their pants down but thought lightning wouldn't strike twice. Sorry, KLM gets "0" weather sympathy; this was a simple case of being ill-prepared. :td: I was there on the Dec 1st. The dusting they got wouldn't have delayed school bus pick-up in hilly Seattle! Then they lied & said that certain flights were cancelled because the destination airport was closed WHEN IT WASN'T. In many cases they didn’t have enough de-icing equipment/liquid or crews couldn’t arrive/timed out. Customer service in the lounge was the typical Dutch dragon shtick on steroids. Anyone without a PHYSICAL elite card (regardless of what appeared on their boarding pass) was SOL. They were in Diamond denial ("Sir, we don't have your "supposed" Diamond status in our alliance, please proceed to THEIR counter/personnel.") :mad: They used any excuse to deny service. I saw them turn away (a fellow) paid BE customers whose “Delta” boarding pass couldn’t be scanned by the lounge computer (& who didn't have his ACTUAL FF card with him). Passengers flying "dirt" (no status) or coach were directed to throw themselves in front of a NS train. Seriously, the non-elite line at Transfer Desk 2 stretched to the middle of the B concourse...with 2 agents working the line!!! (If you’re familiar with Schip-Hell you know how insane that is!) My “layover” time was multiplied by 6 & that line was still there when I left. "Les pays-bas zéro point" PPP Schiphol actually has 240 FTEs and tons of equipment clearing snow. However, it is turned out not to be enough to handle these exceptional and rare winter conditions compared to the local weather that has existed during the entire history of the jet age in what is today one of the busiest airports in Europe that because of its prime location 15 minutes from the city can also not run flights 24 hours a day due to the rights of those living here to be protected from noise pollution. If the climate change models are correct and given the predicted decrease in sun spot activity for the coming decades, Amsterdam will soon have the weather of Quebec and everyone will have to invest in snow removal equipment, including for the highways, roads and sidewalks that are also not able to be cleared of snow or sanded and salted. P.S. Hopefully the Diamond status will be removed from the alliance. It is unfair that only DL customers, flying on absurdly easy promotions to earn miles, have priority over all other elites in the alliance. Talk about unfair. |
Originally Posted by Sabai
(Post 15501765)
Delta has, as usual, done a piss-poor job with intergrating the "new" DL into SkyTeam. As the only member whose inflationary FFP has necessitated a 5th tier beyond SkyTeam Base, Silver, Gold, and Platimum levels, it is not the responsibility of other alliance members to figure out what a Diamond is.
Originally Posted by Klm is Dead - Long Live KLM
(Post 15501840)
P.S. Hopefully the Diamond status will be removed from the alliance. It is unfair that only DL customers, flying on absurdly easy promotions to earn miles, have priority over all other elites in the alliance. Talk about unfair.
What was unfair, of course, was other airlines setting the threshold for ST Elite+ at 50,000 EQMs whereas DL set it at 75,000. Supposedly this has been rectified for 2011, but I'll believe it when I see it (my SO is a DL GM, so that's why it matters to me). Incidentally I do around 25% of my revenue flying on ST partners, and there are many other DL DMs like me, which is why it's in the interest of the alliance to treat us fairly. |
What does this bragging about Diamond's , Elites have to do with the weather and delays @ AMS.. If I haev to put a status on my flying program, it would be "Brass" class, I rarely fly 4 times a year.. Please get back on topic.. When will we see flights resuming back to normal? I'm getting Nervous.. my flight from EWR to AMS to BOM is coming up soon on a BE rewards ticket and they have been 2hr delays leaving from EWR arriving @ AMS @ 10:00 am.., I think I will miss my connection in AMS since that flight leaves @ 10:10 am.. What are my options here.. I need a solution..
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It seems the EU transportation commissioner has offered an opinion on the 'AMS doesn't get this weather often and shouldn't bother with the investment' excuses.
Cited in the NYT: The European Union’s transportation commissioner complained Tuesday that not enough was being done and warned Europe’s airport operators to “get serious about planning for this kind of severe weather conditions,” The Associated Press reported. The commissioner, Siim Kallas of Estonia, said that he would meet with airport operators to demand “further explanations and to take a hard look at what is necessary to make sure they would be able to operate more effectively.” |
London's Gatwick airport had already purchased additional snow-related/de-icing equipment earlier this quarter and has decided to ramp up additional purchases beyond the equipment purchased an delivered and the equipment ordered before last week but not yet delivered.
Under separate ownership from LGW, London Heathrow's management has also now announced a decision to buy additional snow-related/de-icig equipment. Will AMS follow or not? |
Originally Posted by german_vielflieger
(Post 15501810)
Easy:
1. I have to book the connection with the lowest available price. The nonstop was already pretty full at booking time, so via AMS was cheaper. 2. I like the Ex-NWA 333 much better than the 763 on the nonstop. Sounds like the nonstop was already full in front, probably with all those verdammte Daimler and Porsche employees. |
Originally Posted by VIB
(Post 15506327)
Well, as we say out here in Seattle, "If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going."
Sounds like the nonstop was already full in front, probably with all those verdammte Daimler and Porsche employees. |
Originally Posted by eheinz
(Post 15504253)
Apologies to Dhamal for the thread drift (which started three or four pages ago) but:
(1) I don't understand the basis for your implication that ST carriers are supposed to treat other ST carriers' elites on a coequal basis with their own elites, based on ST Elite/Elite+ ranking. If that was ever the case (I do dimly recall scoring one op-up on AF 9 years ago), it is not anymore. In op-up situations each ST carrier takes care of its own elites first, before (which is almost never the case) upgrading any ST elites. Likewise domestic UGs on DL are a published benefit for Medallions, not ST elites generally. That's DL's business decision. It's not as if AFKL is offering us any complimentary upgrades on intra-European flights... (2) I don't understand your obsession with DL DMs. To the extent that there is EQM inflation at DL, then it swells the ranks of lower-tier Medallions far more than of DMs. The bottom line is that DL DMs are STE+ but there have been far too many recent occurrences of them not being accorded standard, published STE+ benefits. (3) Whatever frustrations you have booking elite-reserved seats on DL are, I assure you, at least matched by the frustrations DL elites experience trying to book (and keep) any kind of seat whatsoever on AFKL. (4) Last but not least, it sounds like FB isn't cutting it for you. Why not accrue SkyMiles instead starting in 10 days? :confused: 2. I don't have an obsession with DMs. I am also not one of the people complaining about Diamonds not being recognized by JV and ST partners because DL apparently dropped the ball on this one too and didn't inform its partners that it had unilaterally created a new inflationary level that doesn't fit into the partners' business logic. I actually find it quite humorous that Diamonds seem to have fewer rights than even FOs when traveling the alliance that DL screwed up. 3. Agreed. See (1) above. 4. Because I am Platinum for Life on FB where on DL I would have to worry about re-qualifying. I would rather worry about re-qualifying for my LH Senator card. |
Originally Posted by GUWonder
(Post 15505111)
London's Gatwick airport had already purchased additional snow-related/de-icing equipment earlier this quarter and has decided to ramp up additional purchases beyond the equipment purchased an delivered and the equipment ordered before last week but not yet delivered.
Under separate ownership from LGW, London Heathrow's management has also now announced a decision to buy additional snow-related/de-icig equipment. Will AMS follow or not? |
Originally Posted by german_vielflieger
(Post 15506359)
Be careful, as I just might be one of the mentioned... :p
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Originally Posted by NYBanker
(Post 15475724)
Sending a physical letter via snail mail usually delivers the best results. Be specific in your ask. You might go to the website and find the lowest coach fare for ATL-STR for travel a few weeks out and ask for a cash refund equal to the difference from your fare - while you mightn't get this much, there's at least a basis for an ask.
Asking for unspecified compensation will likely result in some limited-use upgrade coupons or 'delta dollars.' |
Originally Posted by NYBanker
(Post 15475724)
Sending a physical letter via snail mail usually delivers the best results. Be specific in your ask. You might go to the website and find the lowest coach fare for ATL-STR for travel a few weeks out and ask for a cash refund equal to the difference from your fare - while you mightn't get this much, there's at least a basis for an ask.
Asking for unspecified compensation will likely result in some limited-use upgrade coupons or 'delta dollars.' |
Originally Posted by Klm is Dead - Long Live KLM
(Post 15506448)
Snow in AMS is a rarity and usually melts as it falls. I have not seen this much snow accumulation lasting more than 24 hours in four decades.
LGW recovered quite well relative to AMS, but then again is the distance from landing to a gate at LGW ever as far as the distance from landing to a gate at AMS? Either way, LGW management seems to have a better grasp on quick responses to winter weather and actually put in for substantial purchases of equipment some weeks back. Can't say AMS or LHR paid much attention to LGW's purchases of winter equipment. It's really a shame about how much less convenient AMS is as a transit airport now than used to be the case even a handful of years back. An inability to deal well with an airport shut-down speaks to the planning (in)adequacy of airport management at AMS and at LHR. LHR management has announced it will do, as LGW management has done, and acquire the necessary equipment to handle this kind of weather condition. If AMS follows LGW and LHR, then AMS follows. |
Schiphol used to offer the very same advantage as an airport that Amsterdam still offers as a city: big airport services with small airport convenience and usability. Unfortunately it has become too big for that and the years of trying to take over the world buying airport operations abroad with the goal to become the global leader in building "airport cities" on its way to complete privatization and a glorious "get rich quick" IPO meant that they took their eye off the ball of doing all the mundane things 110% right. Kind of like 80% of the corporate world.
The reason that Schiphol and BAA can't clear the snow and the trains no longer run on time in the UK and NL is the same reason: world-class public institutions became privatized and greedy management chasing profits and ridiculous bonuses were allowed to neglect their public duties. The Dutch and the English are eager to be more American than the Americans. What other country has allowed all its public utilities and airlines to be privatized or outsourced and bought by foreign corporations like the Netherlands? |
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