NB00

Apparently the internal communication at KLM about the new rules is not clear either. My parents just booked their ticket to Rome for May and were told because it was prior to the April date, the did not need to pay the new luggage fee.

(edit - made clear it was a ticket to Italy)

ajs123

They were informed properly, thenew rules apply only for bookings made afterApril 22.

PaulRO

Seriously: nothing confrontational with a mob stakeholders holding sunflowers -- or are those torches? More a multi-stakeholder dialogue as we used to call them.

I suggest a meeting, to air comments/complaints/insights; to allow KL to take breath and take stock; to arrive at a coherent policy; and to work together on correct messages.

I have written directly to the key stakeholder in KLM, with the same suggestion as the one I make here on FT.

If there is interest by sufficient parties in the immediate future, I am happy to convene a meeting. Equally, I am happy to see some other body convene a meeting.

It is already past the time to nip this confusion (and unrest among key pax) in the bud.

What's your position?

Davee58

OK, looking at the Gold benefits currently shown on the KLM website it seems clear that there is effectively no change for Gold members:

1. Extra baggage allowance still there.
2. New rules do not apply to any FB.

FrankC6

Read again. Instead of receiving 1 bag + 1 elite bag you will, from April 22nd onwards, receive 0 bags + 1 elite bag. Do the math. Instead of two free bags, as an elite flyer you will now only be allowed 1 free bag.

irishguy28

I wish you luck but I can't see you securing a face-to-face meeting with anyone unless you already have a contact within KLM.

I think this change is here to stay, so talking to KLM about their poor communication skills is like talking about closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

irishguy28

It doesn't say that!

All it says is that FB members (Ivory, Silver, Gold, Platinum) get just one free bag for bookings after 22 April. That means FB members (Ivory, Silver, Gold, Platinum) will have to pay for a second bag - so Gold members will have their free allowance halved.

Davee58

It seems fairly clear to me.

I was logged into FB, and looking at the GOLD benefits.

1). You are allowed an additional item of baggage on any SkyTeam flight with the exception of Korean Air.
There is no mention of this (additional item) benefit expiring!

2). For European KLM flights booked after 22 April, KLM will charge a fee for the first bag . . . . as a Flying Blue member, you can still check your first bag free.
The fee for the (first item) does not apply to any FB member.

The webpage has been updated to reflect the changes.

Frank, Irishguy28, I am happy to disagree with you, it does not say that the benefit will expire, or be withdrawn. The benefit will apparently remain.

alesfo

I susupect that's because it would be very hard to implement, at least for now. When I fly AMS-LIN I sometimes have a KL ticket, but more often AZ. Indeed AZ tickets cost exactly the same, if not less and are more convenient (due to promotions, no credit card fee, and in my particular case special fares for young people).

It's not clear to me whether the new rules are for KL-ticketed iteneraries or for itineraries on KL metal, but in any case:

If the rule is based on the ticketing carrier, then it seem that with a skyteam non-KL ticket I should be always able to check a second bag. The net effect of this asymmetry would be that people just start to systematically buy their tickets via AZ rather than KL and fly in codeshare.

If on the other hand they were to enforce the rule based on the operating carrier, again people will try to fly AZ metal, just in case. Not to mention that occasionally AZ operates flights that were originally supposed to be KL-operated (happened to me a couple of times in the last few months).

So either they manage to change the general skyteam policy for KL and AZ, or they would have a hard time making this work on flights to Italy, at least to LIN and FCO where there are plenty of codeshare options.

NB00

Current situation: all pax can check 1 bag for free. FB Elite can check one additional bag for free = 2 free bags

After 22 April: FB Elite can check 1 bag for free but will have to start to pay for 2nd bag(not clear yet if this will be 15 or 55 euro) = 1 free bag

Edit: Oh, now I see what you mean. Yes, no fee for bag 1 and still an additional bag for free. Anyway, I am sure we will get some confirmation from KLM soon through Gajan

Aviatrix

I believe rules are usually based on the ticketing carrier - we've never to pay for baggage on FlyBe codeshares whereas those on FlyBe tickets have to pay.

So this probably means that there are quite a few itineraries where we can check bags for free if we book our tickets on someone else's code.

irishguy28

Of course I agree with you that that is how it should be implemented. However, the communications we have received so far does not clearly indicate that that is what they currently plan.

On the Gold benefits page, it merely says "However, as a Flying Blue member, you can still check in your first baggage item free of charge". To back up your viewpoint, shouldn't it say: "However, as a Flying Blue Gold member, you can still check in two baggage items free of charge"?

And note that if they can list Korean Air as an exception to the usual SkyTeam rules further up the page, then it will be a simple change to edit this to "KLM and Korean Air" after April 22, if they really do want to limit the allowance to 1 free bag for FB status members, as currently seems to be their intention.

KLflyerRalph

As I wrote in post 28, I got confirmed from KLM that the free allowance for Elites intra-EU is 1 (one) bag. No second bag for free anymore.

ajs123

To the accusation of communication incompetence I would add poor geography knowledge. Take the countries in blue color http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_en/camp...P_small_1stbag
I assume that the blue countries are those for which the changes apply. However, Italy, Belarus, Turkey, Ukraine, and (half of) Georgia are colored as well while Russia isn't. :P

Gajan

From the KLM Facebook page:

Is it fair to suggest that these 35% of the passengers are business travelers, who in the new situation will remain to be able to check one piece in free of charge any way (as they have corporate tickets)?
Therefore, a good way for the airline to increase ancillary revenue..

Gajan