Forgive me, as I am sure many of you have long ago lost interest. But posting this here really does help collect my thoughts and there are a few new twists I hope people can comment on.


As many know, I registered for the Elite Guest Plus programme before the Feb. 15 deadline by sending all the requested materials by fax and by post. The match was to be to my UA 1K account (one million miles and change).

Got a letter from Andrea Schmittmann, FD Helpdesk manager, acknowledging receipt of transfer form and mileage statement on time, but asking for a photocopy of my 1K card. I thought this a little odd, as my UA level was clearly indicated on the "transfer form" and the instructions didn't ask for a card photocopy. Ms. Schmittmann also sent back all my original materials: UA statement, transfer form, etc.

Flew KLM in biz class LHR-AMS-JHB-CPT and back in late February. No Royal Wing lounge access because account showed "Blue."

As I got my 2002 1K card only in mid/late March, I photocopied it then, wrote Ms. Schmittmann a nice letter, and sent back everything to her (from Sydney, Australia where I was on business). Faxed it first.

No response. A month later website still showed "Blue."

In early May I rang the FD helpdesk and spoke with Juliana, who said that my account had no notations. All materials received by fax or mail are always noted in the account. Said it could be in process. Check back in a month.

In early June I rang again and was told that there was no transfer form on file, nothing had been received, and I should write again explaining situation, etc.

Put together a complete package again for Ms Schmittmann with copy of her letter, both of my letters, photocopies of 2001 and 2002 UA 1K card, transfer form, UA statement (copy, as I sent back original in March/April package to FD). Faxed it and sent it registed mail, return receipt requested, from Barcelona. Also emailed the FD helpdesk at [email protected] to advise of the package.

No response. Account still showed "Blue."

Then something weird happened: on www.klm.es website, when logged on in English account says "Blue". When logged on in Spanish, account says "Royal Wing." [Still true as of today.]

I immediately called the FD helpdesk, but the young woman said that her screen still showed my account as "Blue." Said she would look into it and I should call back the next day.

Called back and spoke with a Spanish guy, Antonio. He was shocked (to put it mildly) to hear of this ordeal. Asked for copies again of everything, including a printout of the KLM.es screen in Spanish that says I am Royal Wing. I faxed everything to him within the hour.

I now have another KLM trip planned for next week to earn the remaining service level points for the 100% mileage match. It is slow-going for Spanish members, as we earn half the points of UK or German members.

But now KLM cannot assign me decent seats because Reservations shows me as still a Blue member. They said that if I were Royal Wing I could be assigned an aisle or other preferred seat.

Called Flying Dutchman again to explain, but they said they doubted they could make any progress before I fly between Amsterdam and San Francisco next week. So, it looks like a middle seat in coach for 10 hours.

I am getting a little nervous about this Elite Guest Plus promotion. Technically it ends for everyone by August 15 or earlier, so I have only 4 weeks to get registered. Not much time to enjoy Royal Wing, if I ever get it.

Is anyone else in a similar boat? Does anyone have a clue why the Spanish language version of my logged-in account would say Royal Wing whilst English continues to say Blue?

Thanks for any encouraging words of support.

Horizons




------------------
~ Friends don't let friends fly coach ~

It sounds silly (and self-evident) but have you tried logging in with a 'Royalwing' number? Just change the '3' at the beginning of your Bluewing number to a '1' and see if that logs you in correctly.

Welcome to Dutch customer service and efficiency.

Fingers crossed for you Horizons. USA based response and CS efficiency are not evident among our new Dutch "partners".

------------------
~ Glen ~

Yes, actually I did try logging in with my account number beginning with "1" instead of "3", after reading here about that technique.

The website did accept that membership number with my existing password, but the result was exactly the same:

-- in English it states I am Blue Wing and need 16 more segments to reach Silver Wing status.

-- in Spanish it states (very oddly) that I am [blank - no level] and need 16 segments to retain Royal Wing status.


I am ready to tear my hair out over this course of events. There is honestly nothing more I could have done, other than camp out at their front door.

For now, I have an immediate problem: does anyone know how I can get the system to allow Rez to give me a halfway decent seat from California to Europe? As long as I show "Blue" on their screen, I have zero status/clout for a good seat. Wasn't this supposed to be one of the points of comping us immediately to Silver Wing or Royal Wing?

This whole experience leaves me stone cold.




------------------
~ Friends don't let friends fly coach ~

Not that it helps you, but the spanish FD also tells me that I'm RoyalWing, despite that I'm bluewing and that I never applied for the comp promotion.

I wish they would get their acts together..

Here is a posting I am sure many of you never expected. Many thanks to Ozstamps and others who have sent messages of encouragement.

I am presently back in Europe, and this afternoon I received a telephone call from a manager of the Flying Dutchman Spanish helpdesk.

He introduced himself, and told me that KLM Flying Dutchman has just completed a thorough investigation of my case. The conclusion was that all my materials were in fact received in proper order and Flying Dutchman is granting me Royal Wing status immediately and (somewhat oddly) retroactive to 14 February 2002. I actually would rather have a prospective, rather than retroactive, application of it!

He also stated that my full United Airlines mileage balance would be matched at the conclusion of the promotion if I fly and earn the requisite 12,000 Service Points (which I have). The KLM points will post around 01 October 2002, which is 6 weeks from 14 August.

During our lengthy phone call he also mentioned that he is well-aware that I have aired my grievances here on FlyerTalk, as Flying Dutchman monitors every word we post here and has worked out who many of us are. This was welcome news, since it is the hallmark of good customer service (a start, anyway) to "listen in" on clients for candid feedback. This manager acknowledged that Flying Dutchman has not necessarily been up to standards in the past, but assured me that exciting, major changes are underway this year to make Flying Dutchman a benchmark among frequent flyer programmes.

I can only say that I am enormously relieved. Maybe the Dutch concept of "afspraak" still exists at Flying Dutchman! I continue to have concerns -- specifically, that it took FD fully 4 months to communicate to me EVEN ONCE that they had received my materials, despite my pleadings for information. Also, I have never experienced any of the benefits from flying as a Royal Wing member, and this was meant to be one of the central inducements and benefits of the Elite Guest Plus promotion.

When this status does come through and the points post, I will be affirming my support of KLM by taking more of my paid business there.

Horizons




------------------
~ Friends don't let friends fly coach ~

I hope not !

That's good news...

Now, if they could get some booking tool on their website that actually works...

Well every other carrier monitors, so it would make sense that KLM does it as well. I wouldn't be surprised though to see a few people edit their posts in the next day or two!!

Huh? I post under my own name, so they have certainly worked out who I am, but why should that worry me? I give my honest opinion, but must confess that, like many people, I am inclined to more readily voice criticism than praise.

I think it is absolutely out of the question that FD would somehow contrive to wreak vengeance on me. The thought is risible.

johan

Which brings me to the question that if they are so smart, and manage to work out who's who why they still let the situation with Horizons get so out of hand?

I think it's good news in the end to hear of a KLM lurker.

But why just not invest a few hours a month to answer some questions here or to air some information about FD here from an official KLM point of view?

Starwood has done a GREAT job with StarwoodLurker on their board. MANY people switched their hotel preference to starwood mainly for the very good customer service we here recieve by the lurker. Me included. Starwood even gets positive press reports for him! So people at KLM: don't only lurke - show yourself and express your opinion here! It would have a great affect on you customer loyality!!!

Besides I would really love to hear something on the news planned for FD!

Well my name and email address have always been visible and I certainly am not about to edit any posts.

GREAT news Horizons, and your case was rock solid in my view, and nice to see common sense prevailed.

And as always ralfkrippner makes excellent sense. Hilton for years have had Adam Burke posting and assisting the Hilton Board as part of his job. And Starwood as mentioned. And lots of staff post on the airline boards

KLM would be well advised to have a staffer spend a few hours here each week. Their customer service reputation is ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. Most especially so in the area of response and follow through and insanely complicated rules of FD.

Yet their airline product and route network is excellent, and always has been. If one could match the other they would improve their custoner base and revenues measurably.

------------------
~ Glen ~

Any FT'er has the right to post under his or her name as they see fit. Furthermore, e-mail addresses are required to join FT. In the age of bots and automatic spam as was recently demonstrated on the DL board having an e-mail address posted in a profile is not the safest of actions. Many FT'ers including myself have their e-mail addresses liberally posted around FT and simple searches reveal them, furthermore, when asked for our addresses, we freely provide them.

This morning I rang KLM Customer Relations in the UK and spoke with a really with-it young lady called Kimberly. Her computer system still shows me as a Blue member, but I explained about FD Spain's call and she said she would look into updating my information for this Wednesday's flight. In the alternative, she said, Customer Relations could issue an "electronic certificate" to the check-in desk in London to alert all interested parties that I am now Royal Wing.

I hope all this does come through. One slightly disconcerting thing is that on Friday the FD rep from Spain announced that because I am a 1K member on United, KLM was comping me to Silver Wing. I explained that 1K was United's highest level, and he was quite surprised -- seems that within the FD ranks, they had thought that 1K was UA's entry level elite. **sigh**

He had already entered me into the system as Silver Wing, but promised to go back and change it to Royal Wing. I hope he did.

I will keep you all posted about this week's 2 flights.




------------------
~ Friends don't let friends fly coach ~