GenevaFlyer

Hi,

When is your flight? It may be worth a call to KLM to see whether it is actually booked solid or not.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

capkapak

My flight is on the 7th August. I actually emailed the service centre and they said that its full for the moment. Anyway I shall ask them tomorrow at the check-in desk what the deal is with fully flexible fare paying passengers and EC. Unless the entire EC cabin/partition is occupied by fully flexible fare paying passengers, I should think there should be priority given to X and B fare passengers before any other. That's just my 2 cents. Will know tomorrow and provide an update post. I

cityflyer369

@capkapak:

I'm not sure if you really understood Gajan's and my earlier posts.

EC is organized on a first-come-first-served-basis. The priority rule is: He who booked an EC seat earlier, will get it. And when EC is full, it's full.
What do you expect: that they throw a Silver/Gold/no status passenger who has PAID for EC out of the cabin? That they throw a Platinum customer out of EC for you?

Your only option is that there might be no-shows or cancellations. In this case they will probably "upgrade" automatically one of the remaining full fare customers or, alternatively, one of the remaining Platinum customers.

Gajan

Selecting an EC seat is only done through the KLM website, as on the AF website all EC seats are not available for selecting.

capkapak

@cityflyer369
Yes I did understand what you and Gojan posted previously, at least give a person some kind of benefit for being able to at least understand what "first come first serve" is.

As said and I'll say it again, my 2 cents about EC is that some kind of priority should be given to full fare paying passengers above others of the same cabin class. Its similar to what other forummers mentioned in much earlier post whereby passengers that should not be in EC jump into empty EC seats right after take off.

capkapak

If it helps, its not showing up either on the KLM website. It just shows rows 15 onwards. Not sure if its because all EC's are full but shouldn't it still show up as a taken seat on the map still?

Gajan

I really doubt that will happen as I would presume that would be difficult to organise.
Would you allocate say 50% to full fare passengers and the other 10% to Platinum members and the other 40% to other passengers willing to pay the fee, independent of their status?
And what happens if there are more full fare passengers etc?

If you ask me, the system now is OK. The only people who in this situation who could be disappointed, are passengers who buy their ticket on the last moment - which is not that different from normal seats as good normal seats are also more likely to be taken closer to departure.

Gajan

Leedsflyer

I just booked a reward ticket for my nephew (who has no status). ( It was done over phone as web site wouldn't let me book it for some wierd reason although it said flight was available.) Agent offered to book a seat which is in regular economy section. Went online to check booking and I note it says "Platinum" next to the PAX name and that it would cost €0 to book a comfort zone seat ! Is this privelege really available in this situation? Is there a danger they will try to charge him (or throw him into a middle seat at the last minute)? Couldn't spot any previous posts on this situation -- apols if I've missed this. Thanks.

GenevaFlyer

Hi Leedsflyer,

In my experience, the status does carry (my wife was allowed in the AF CDG lounge on an award ticket that I had booked for her as it showed Platinum status), so there should be no problem. In any case, I would print a copy of the receipt from the "Manage My Booking" page, which shows the seat assignment. But, in any case, I don't think you have to worry about anything.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

NB00

Yes, I can confirm this. I have used my miles multiple times for my parents' visits and they were treated as E+ - they even have been upgraded twice (to Europe Select FWIW).

Leedsflyer

Thanks for the replies :-) Will book a EC seat then and tell him to try to see if he can get into the LBA and AMS lounges (maybe even the fast track security line at LBA).

Leedsflyer

I do note that the extra piece of checked in luggage for Elites doesn't seem to apply to his booking though, according the Manage Booking

GenevaFlyer

Hi,

You won't see this until check-in. This happens to me as well.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

Leedsflyer

ok, thanks. Hopefully he'll get it at online checkin. Otherwise at least there's the online discount

leonleonb

1) I have just flight, for the first time, in EC from AMS to KUL on KLM: the cost is from 140 EUR to 0, depending on your status, for one way; but for me it does not worth the price:

There is a (small) difference for legs, but, on 777/300, the configuration 3-4-3 is not comfortable: when your neighbourgs want to go to walk (I was seated at the aisle , particularly when the PNC has not yet taken your plateau: you have no place to move... due to the (more) reclining of the seat just before you.
The solution is a fixed shell as AF Premium, but KLM made another choice, a bad old one (I remembered a ICN-SYD and return on KE in business with the same problem a few years ago)

More: EC seats are near the PNC galley and until 2 o'clock in the night, the PNC were cleaning their place with many noise.

Everybody (and myself too) wants to be in EC but this part of the plane, the first seats in eco, is always full. Do not imagine you can block the middle seat!

At the back, there were around a dozen of seats with nobody in the middle seat, and (for me) it's better for a long flight .
So, I was tired at the end of the flight.

I come back from BKK in two weeks on 747, and I am on a place with only two seats, with nobody before, as an exit but it is not: so it will be another experience.

2) I asked for upgrading at the Schiphol airport and the price was 252€ + 52000 miles (the price depends on your BC paid, I had a Q ticket paid 510€ for one way ) Too much miles.
To make a comparison, classic award ticket costs 165€ +80.000 miles , for one way
KLM prefers flying with empty seats in business: the cabin was half empty
(On AF, business is never empty because of systematic employees upgrade )

3) The miles (50% EQM) have been credited 2 days after the flight.

Sorry for my bad english