DanTravels

I was flying EDI-AMS-IST Friday afternoon on KLM. Ordinarily, I'd be flying out on a Saturday, but I had to start doing some stuff on Sunday this time. Was first in the business/elite line at check-in, and to my surprise, the agent told me I'd been upgraded to business class on my first segment, and gave me boarding passes for 1F EDI-AMS and 6A AMS-IST.

Having already flown a dozen intra-Europe segments on KLM since late February, I knew full well that this didn't mean anything resembling a real business class at all. I was surprised, though, by how little it did mean.

I went to the lounge and hung out, as I always do as a SkyTeam Elite Plus. Having a Euro Select boarding pass meant not having to show my elite card, but I would have gotten in anyway.

I pre-boarded and got my nice seat, just like all the other seats on the plane, but with an empty middle seat next to it... until a Dutch fellow bigger than me came and sat in the middle seat. In fact, I think there was only one empty middle seat in all of ES. So I was in 1F, bulkhead seat... but I was also in a window seat on a packed 737.

Hot food came... but not for those of us who'd been op-upped. All 3 people in my row (1D-1F) got no hot food.

We did get cookies, and maybe they were nicer than the cookies in Y, but I don't know. I think the apple juice may have been better than the apple juice in Y, and it was served in a real glass. And I got seconds on the apple juice. But other than that? Awfully lame upgrade.

I got to AMS and traded my 6A for 6D (the last aisle seat available on AMS-IST). On that flight, the purser came through the plane with his printout, stopping and talking personally to everyone who was gold or better - even in Y. There were only 2 GE/PE folks in ES, so I was the third person he got to. Since I was flying in Y and coming off the lame "upgrade," I was very impressed by that level of attention. ^

The truly absurd thing is that when boarding ES at AMS, they called for passengers traveling in WBC! Ha! That's an even worse joke than NW's domestic "First" class.

MNAudiS4

My wife and I got the op-up from ATH-AMS. Moved us from 7 to 3 DE. I think the only reason why we got it was bc i asked for a Aisle/Middle instead of Window/Middle.

I was not to impressed by it either.

Never can get an op-up MSP--XXX for international

SamuelS

I was seeing off a good friend at MSP on a MSP-LGW flight. He was late to check-in, right at the cut off. Flight was overbooked, so he got automatic seat assignment in WBC.

He wasn't even a WP member, so whilst good for him, I think it's lame that WP members weren't upgraded first. I find it hard to believe on a full DC10 MSP-LGW that there wasn't one single elite member sitting in Y. Advising seat assignment at gate, and paging an Elite member in Y for the op-up would take care of it, but I guess at the last minute, they couldn't be bothered.

Not sure if it's standard operating procedure or just 'luck of draw' with op-ups - anyone any ideas?

jetfan

I know that at Air France and KLM there is a strict instruction to upgrade according to a specified sequence.
So non-card holders would NOT be upgraded but instead a Platinum or Gold card holder is upgraded, and the freed up seat in Y then goes to the non-card holder on standby.
But sometimes policies are not followed, e.g. if it jeapardizes the punctuality of the flight or if all card holders have already boarded.

fly co to see the yanks

i love it.

DeltaSilverBoy

What is OP-UP? I checked the FT glossary and its not listed.

RichMSN

Yeah, the next thing you know, the purser comes through and puts little foam wedges aside your legs and on the floor so you don't get any extra seat space, either. You pays for Y, you gets Y.

I truly despise KLM.

RichMSN

Operational Upgrade. Usually when Y is oversold and they have to bump Y passengers into WBC (INT) or F (Domestic).

MikeMpls

That's unnecessary for an intra-Europe op-up on KLM since there is no extra room in first place with the exception of a very small # of 737's with 2/3 seating forward (which may well have reverted to 3/3 by now).

KLM uses a moveable curtain. An op up just means you get to fill dead space in the forward area.

There is nothing particular select about Europe Select. I wouldn't pay nickel for it. Calling Europe Select "World Business Class" is a bad joke.

It's pathetic that they skipped over you in the meal service. My wife and I did receive a nice shrimp lunch on an AMS-OSL op-up a while back.

Sancha

Does this belong in the NW forum when the flights being discussed were all on KL?

MikeMpls

Yes, their transatlantic operations are a joint venture. NW is the KL rep in North American, KL is the NW rep in Europe. All KL issues originating in North America are directed thru NW.

What I find really disgusting is that KL elites get upgrades on NW metal in North American right alongside NW & CO elites with no discrimination.

Sancha

Um, yes, thanks, I realize that. I just didn't realize that EDI-AMS-IST had a transatlantic segment!

DanTravels

This isn't the "NW forum," it's the Northwest WorldPerks forum. I'm a WorldPerks member. I am not a Flying Blue member - and under the terms of the joint venture, can't be one, since I live in the U.S.

As a WorldPerks member, I participate in the WorldPerks forum, not the Flying Blue one. When something happens to me solely because of my WorldPerks elite status, I don't think it odd to post in the WorldPerks forum. In this case, the carrier is a red (tail) herring.

If the information above doesn't constitute a sufficient rationale for why I posted here originally, instead of continuing to go back and forth with Mike, please just PM one of the moderators - xyzzy, slippahs or thezipper - and suggest that the thread be moved. It's been here for almost a month now - maybe they just didn't notice it.

Sincerely,

the O.P.

NOLAnwGOLD

I think it's rude to "upgrade" you then treat you differently by not serving you the hot food....very cheap indeed on a very cheap "ES/biz" product.

2 years ago I had an upgrade to ES from AMS-BUD, but got the meal. Each middle seat was taken and also similarly disappointment.

slippahs

I'll be the first to admit that moderators can't see and read everything; we all travel, have day jobs, and have lives outside of Flyertalk. My apologies in advance for anything that might be missed.

As to this thread, you'll notice that I deleted a few posts for being off-topic. If you do find a thread and/or posts that don't seem to be in the right topic, I'll echo what Dan has stated: please kindly send us a PM and let us know (of course, Report Bad Posts should be saved for the naughty stuff, like personal attacks and such). There's no need to discuss it on thread.

And, as to this thread, I'm on the fence. So we'll just leave it here for now. Dan did of course receive the operational upgrades on account from his WorldPerks status...

-slippahs, NW forum co-moderator