ben20

I just heard some new kind of nonsense from a FD-agent.

My KLM flight on NW -ticket stock CANNOT be upgraded, because there is NO KLM-ticketnumber in system, only NW ticketnumber!

PFFF, of course, when the ticket is issued by NW, then of course there is no KLM ticketnumber in the booking. I have never heard that there are TWO DIFFERENT TICKETNUMBERS OF THE SAME TRAVELDOCUMENT !

She keeps on insisting that the system needed a KLM ticketnumber, and that I should go to NW ticket office to ask for KLM ticketnumber instead of NW ticketnumber.

well, this was the FD PE-dedicated line!


Am I so wrong here that this is CRAPPIEST thing I have ever heard, (or am I terribly mistaken?)

I GETTING VEY TIRED FROM KLM
KLM has LOST IT!

Threy

Well,

this scenario is actually true on LH and UA, you cannot upgrade a LH transatlantic flight with M&M, when it is issued on UA stock and yes United and Lufthansa share revenue as well as KL and NW do on all transatlantic routes.

So, it could make sense, but I don`t know the answer, however I know that most of all agents are hardly able to learn and stick to all existing FD rules, and this would make the whole FD process even more complicated and I would strongly recommend to stop the BS and retrain all agents, dedicated PE line is unfortunately also staffed by bad agents, who do not have a clue from time to time...

Good old FT rule, hang up and call again

Certainly that`s not the way it should go, but we all know FD...

Aviatrix

The question that should be asked here is whether there is a policy decision not to allow upgrades on NW-issued tickets, or whether this is a flaw in the way their system has been programmed.

Somehow I suspect it's the latter. If it is it's clearly something that needs fixing!

Don't really know what to suggest... other than to try and talk to someone higher up to establish whether this is a policy decision or a programming error, and take it from there.

ben20

The basic question is:

Does a NW-ticket also have a KL-ticketnummer (perhaps hidden).

I COULD NOT BE UPGRADED BECAUSE THERE IS NO KL-TICKETNUMBER IN BOOKING (ONLY NW-012 ticketnumber).

I.M.O THIS IS INCORRECT !

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE TICKETNUMBER !

Aviatrix

You are correct. There are two booking references (one in each system), but there can only be one ticket number.

If KLM need a KLM ticket number then your itinerary would need to be re-ticketed. And I suspect it would have to be re-ticketed at a KLM ticket office unless there is some arrangement in place which allows NW to ticket under 074 ticket numbers. Ticketing rules are soooo complicated!

djohannw

Actually you are slightly wrong, Threy. You can upgrade a booking on UA ticket-stock for a LH-flight (or even a UA-flight) with LH-miles if you meet all the other conditions. What you can't is upgrade a flight booked as codeshare (UA flightnumber operated by LH or vice versa) no matter what underlying ticket stock.

Greetings - Dirk

mspvno

I was able to upgrade my NWA-issued ticket last month. After I bought the ticket on nwa.com I noted the ticket number, went to klm.com and made the request using the online form. A couple days later I was actually shocked to get an e-mail informing me that the upgrade went through. I called Amsterdam reservations and got a seat assignment, 4F , so I'm cautiously optimistic it will all work out. This is for a KLM AMS-ORD flight in April.

-John

Counsellor

This (no upgrades on KLM flights ticketed on NW ticket stock) may be a change, or it may simply be a misunderstanding.

I had a similar problem some years ago. The cause is that the NW system and the KL system used different PNRs, so the KL system didn't recognize the PNR NW used. You had to call NW (or KL) and have them designate your itinerary with a KL PNR in order to upgrade with FD miles.

So, it isn't the ticket, it's the PNR. The FD agent may have misunderstood, or perhaps she didn't explain it clearly.

You're right, ben20, the ticket number remains the same.

Aviatrix

KLM seems to have an obsession with ticket numbers. You need your ticket number (rather than your PNR) to check in online, for example. And you can't book an upgrade without a ticket number - their system just won't allow it.

I had quite a run-in with them last year when it took them nearly a week to issue a ticket... I phoned them back every day, sressing that I needed a ticket number to apply for an upgrade, and every day they said "oh, sorry, yes, we'll do it straight away" but every day they failed to do what they promised.

ben20

After 40 years of flying, I am quite familiar with all the terms and what the FD-agent was talking about. there was no misunderstanding about what SHE wanted.

I had both NW-pnr and KL-pnr available, both this monkey refused to even listen to me , so I could explain her how these things work, but she insisted that she really needed a KL-074 number instead of NW-012. With a NW-012 she could not do anything.

To be clear: all my segments were confirmed ok! So no problem at all and there was upgrade space (D) a/v.

she refused to transfer me to a supervisor. This made me even more angry.
She also refused to give me her last name or her extension no.

In the meantime it sounded like she was typing like crazy on her keyboard.
I am curious what she put in the logfile!

Needless to say I stayed polite untill the last moment with her, but inside I was cooking from anger.

erik123

The first rule is to call back and speak to another agent if things are not working out. This may have helped in your case as well. NW ticket numbers can be upgraded - all US tickets are issued by NW as sales agent and not KLM - and I have upgraded these many times before.

Gnopps

I'm about to book a transatlantic seat with NW. I want to upgrade to WBC using my FD miles. Does it matter wether I buy it on the NW flight-number or KL codehsare?

Thank you in advance

tricopulos

The agents know that in this case they have to access NW's reservation system (PARS), find the booking via the passengers' list and make (or ask a senior agent make) a manual upgrade. Maybe the agent was a new one and didn't remember...

ben20

Obviously it was a new one or rather having a bad mood.

One week later I called FD again, and another agent said it was absolutely no problem to upgrade on NW ticket stock.
So that was the good news.

But then came the bad news; the upgrade space a/v was vanished...

thank you klm.

tricopulos

Send a huge complaint to FD Customer Service. They might give you some miles free of charge...