Reality Check
 

I read the comments on this site for a good sneer, just like the rest of us. But, gentle persons, are we not losing sight of the objective?

Forget about the minutiae of seat widths & fare classes. Let me give you a dispassionate perspective from a frequent short-haul and infrequent long-haul flyer on KLM vs NWA - - KLM sucks.

I just travelled cattle class GLA-AMS-ATL with KL and ATL-DTW-AMS-GLA with NW. The difference in attitude was striking:

- Cabin Service – KL: grudging, NW: attentive
- Ticket change (lowest fare), NW: no problem they actually told me to phone back the next day and save $100
- Check-in, KL (Servisair): ‘Platinum what?’ NW: personally escorted to the desk, automatic upgrade on domestic leg
- IFE, KL: couldn’t hear, couldn’t see the shared screen, NW: a wee TV in the seat back, magic!

Hope this helps

Just a point
 

Farci, were not you not upgraded because of KLM's relationship with NW? Otherwise carry on with your observation although not sure what your comments about being escorted to a desk meant?

Anyway, that should have earned me a few brownie points with KLM. Don't forget to have a Bacardi and coke ready for me at the show tomorrow. After all, anyone who express a slighly pro KLM standpoint is a lacky of the Dutch running dog imperialsts......

Per IFE, you flew on KL on one of their oldest planes (767) and on NW on their newest (A330). There is nothing much to compare there as the NW plane is a next generation in terms of comfort and IFE. KL are slowly replacing the B767s and MD11s with A330s and B777s with about the same level of comfort of NW A330. NW still flies the DC10s from MSP to AMS with an even lower level of IFE than the KL 767.

Per doemstic upgrade - NW (and CO) indeed offers complimentary domestic upgrades. This is quite a unique program and there is nothing much like elsewhere. There is not much ground for comparison here either.

I agree that in terms of general attitude of the gound and air crews, KLM still has a long way to go.