BJinHolland

I just called the friendly KL customer service folks to request a seat assignment for my Nov flight AMS to SFO. The advertised aircraft is a 777. I was advised that seats from row 22 were available to me due to the price I had paid for my ticket. No two seaters were available for me, no exit rows (of course). The fact that I was a Gold member was not important, only the fare I had paid. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse on KLM they start making new rules. Even with a stopover, Continental and NW are looking much better. I'm only sorry I have already booked a similar flight to SFO in Feb.

I've been flying the AMS - SFO route for 20 years and am thoroughly familiar with all of the ups downs ins and outs and this was the first time I've been told my seat is based on my fare.

Anyone else experience this new policy?

tlr

Sounds rather surprising. Have you tried calling again, for another agent?

Klm is Dead - Long Live KLM

Well, I am Platinum and for an upcoming trip to South America I have been told that absolutely no seat reservations will be made until check-in time.

Zembla

That can't be true? Is that another benefit out of MANY they have nibbled away from their frequent flyers?

BJinHolland

Here's an update. I have called again this afternoon and chose for the Dutch language line (versus the English language line I had this morning). A very friendly Dutchman advised me that I could book as of row 11. Either row 10 was already booked, or more likely is being held for plats.

Very conflicting information, it definitely depends on who you get on the line. I manage a help desk and repeatedly tell new staff "if you don't know the answer, ask me". I'm really fed up with so-called help line staff creating their own answers. This is the 3rd time in recent memory that I have received a completely ridiculous answer from KLM staff.

rcs85551

Row 10 has not been avaible for preassignment pretty much since the changeover from Flying Dutchman to Flying Blue.

johan rebel

Wouldn't bet on it! I'm a LTPE, and for years I have had a perfect track record, aided by the fact that I book my flights early and can thus reserve my seats 90 days out. Obtaining 9C on the 744/74M was always a cinch, until last month. Not possible, says my travel agent, best she can do is row 12. On my request she has called the KL Service Desk twice, without getting a coherent answer. They confirmed that rows 9 and 10 are not displayed on the seat allocation map, but no explanation was forthcoming. I asked a Crown Lounge Service Desk agent the other day, and got the same answer : "can't see there rows on the seat map". Once again I could not get an explanation.

Johan

jetfan

They are definitely blocking a number of seats on the seat map due to the pay-for-exit-row-seating-at-internet-checkin-(unless you are GE/PE)-project.
On all routes, even those that are not yet part of the pilot as I've posted before.
However, I believe this was restricted to rows 35 BC and HJ and 51 BC and HJ on the 747's (only row 35 on combi's).
It could be that rows 9, 10 and 21 are now only allocated by airport staff and no longer upon reservation.

Johan are you sure your FB number was correctly inserted in the booking before the travel agent pulled up the seat map?
Apparently they have to insert it, close the PNR and then re-open it and check the seat map.

Let me do some asking around, I will get back on this topic.

The inconsistency of call centre agents is a big annoyance I agree, how difficult can it be to issue clear instructions and, even better, to automate who's entitled to what.

rcs85551

Amadeus does not display blocked seats as well as any row with all pre-assignable seats already being pre-assigned at all.

So - you gotta know the seat map by heart to determine whether the first row that is being displayed is actually to first row.

On the 777, as said, row 10 is blocked for airport assignment and hence does not show in Amadeus at all.

johan rebel

I am. I've worked with the same agent for years, so she should know my number by heart by now; it also shows up in the e-mail which is automatically generated when the booking is made; and I can see in checkmytrip.com. The Crown Lounge agent (who does not have supervisor authority) also said he could simply not see the rows in question on the seat map he pulled up. Furthermore, I've had this problem with all bookings in recent months, without exception.

Johan

VoiceCom

I checked in today on the internet for tomorrows KL837 to SIN, but found all seats in the front eco section (rows 9 through 29) on the 772 blocked or "occupied". I am gold elite, 198 cm tall, and desperate for an exit seat.

The only ones I found, were 31A or J so I had to settle with 31J. I know the emergency slide is an annoyance on this seat, but it is still better than being cramped in the "normal" seats.

This was 30 hrs before my departure from Norway so it was around 34 hours before departure from AMS. Should think more seats were available to me as GE at that time. On previous trips I have always been able to book row 10 or 11 C/G on OLCI...

Zembla

Call, or ask in the Lounge for better seats. No guarantee, but often works.

ranskis

on a YUL AMS operated on MD11, I asked for row 7 (the 2 seaters on the upper left side, G-J) they told me there was no such seat in the plane. They gave me 8G claiming i could be kicked out since it is the first row of economy and their could be infants requiring this seat...

Inside the plane, there was indeed 7 GJ but there was no way to put an infant in 8G, there is no seat in front! Moreover there were passengers seated in 7GJ.

- their system does not display all rows (perhaps when seats are all assigned in a row the row disappears)

- perhaps they don't care

- YUL KLM staff doesn't fly on the only KLM flight out of YUL, preferring perhaps AF... or perhaps do they always get upgraded

yocko

BINGO!

alanw

This has been discussed and bemoaned and fretted over to no end already: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=677137