Completely agree, I rarely get "bad" KLM crews.

I get the attempted sarcasm and understand we have different opinions on KLM and the quality of their crews. Don't appreciate the accusation you're making here though - just disagreeing would have been enough. :td:

Okay, I replaced attitude with expectations as it was a general statement (nothing personal), and which was not an attempt of sarcasm or trying to be offensive.

I fly with KLM quite a lot and, generally, have the same opinion as NB00: their staff (air crews and ground staff) are almost always polite, friendly and pleasant. But occasionally, I am especially impressed with small, personal touches offered to me as a PE (hence the original post).

However, I am aware that there are a number of folks on this forum that, for one reason or another, just don't like KLM, and will take any opportunity to have a bash; fair enough, I guess, but why can't you keep your grumblings to other, more appropriate threads? This was supposed to be a 'nice' thread to start the New Year!

Oh, and just one more point: though I agree that the FB program is now nothing like as good as it once was, I really don't think it's appropriate to - consciously or otherwise - blame front-line KLM (or AF) staff for these changes. In fact, there has been a number of posts reporting that pursers and others actually share our frustrations with the AFD changes.

-- Henry

+1 ^

Generally the crews are professional and friendly. Add I receive personal touches not only in C but also when I travel in Y and it's exactly that sort of stuff that makes a big difference and a smile on a tired grumpy face!

As somebody with over 50 years of KLM experience, I by and large concur, with a couple of important caveats:

• Ground crew can be hit and miss, many just ignore duties they are expected to perform (priority boarding is a prime example). This problem could easily be addressed and resolved, if KL wanted too. Have they ever heard of supervision and performance monitoring?
  
  
• Far too many pursers view the job as a reward for long service and a form of semi-retirement. This is the fault of the seniority principle, and can easily be cured through promotion on merit and regular performance reviews. Piece of cake.
  
  
• Service standards have declined, gradually at first and then precipitously, to the point where much less is expected of the cabin crew, especially in shorthaul Y, where service has almost ceased to exist. There was a time where they actually had to work pretty hard for a living, as recently as 15 years or so ago. This trend is unlikely to be reversed, times have simply changed.
  
  
• The illicit upgrading of ineligible pax. KL could put a stop to this tomorrow, if they cared about their paying pax.

Johan

Prior to departure on a flight earlier this week the captain, instead of making the usual pre-departure announcement from the cockpit, first personally addressed all the pax in the J cabin. In addition to the usual information, he apologized for the slight delay (messsed up luggage loading) and added some comments about KL's centenary. Next he repeated everything for the benefit of the pax behind the curtain, using the PA mike in the galley.

After arrival he positioned himself in the jetway and said thank you and goodbye to all disembarking pax. I was one of the first off, so I cannot say how many hands he shook besides mine.

A personal touch like that, when obviously sincere instead of perfunctory, really does make a difference.

Johan

I had that once as well on a B737 flight to London earlier this year. Funny fact: the captain flying was my parents neighbor:)

The biggest problem KLM has with staff is that they vary so much in performance. I have had such great service from crews above and beyond... but also the other way around.... KLM should have meetings with frequent flyers to discuss the product and how to actually make it better.

But had an Air France experience too. which was even worse then the worst KLM experience... so I am biased..

Not by any chance a very tall Bavarian?

The purser told me that the captain on my flight was well known for providing customer service above and beyond, including such things as carrying passengers' rollaboards and stowing them in the overhead bins for them.

Johan