Next meeting with Ben Lipsey: get your questions in!
#166
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Ultimate/Platinum for life/Club2000, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 25,055
One new question - can Ben/Flying Blue/AF/KL imagine hosting a small "behind the scenes DO" for us Flyertalkers?
I once helped organizing a Flyertalk DO in Vienna with an Austrian Airlines Event Day @ VIE airport. We visited operations center, safety training center including a full 90 minutes training session with sliding down a 777 emergency slide and 737 wing, hangars, baggage sorting facility, ... It was real fun.
That would be very cool from an AF/KL/Flying Blue perspective.
I believe there has once been a similar event at AF - maybe during one of the Mega-DOs where participants were helping at many different stations at airport operations.
I once helped organizing a Flyertalk DO in Vienna with an Austrian Airlines Event Day @ VIE airport. We visited operations center, safety training center including a full 90 minutes training session with sliding down a 777 emergency slide and 737 wing, hangars, baggage sorting facility, ... It was real fun.
That would be very cool from an AF/KL/Flying Blue perspective.
I believe there has once been a similar event at AF - maybe during one of the Mega-DOs where participants were helping at many different stations at airport operations.
CDG DO 2012 - powered by Air France & ADP - LIVE DO REPORT
#168


Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,765
#169




Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NUE
Programs: *G (TK elite+, LH SEN), ST elite plus (AF PFL), oneworld emerald (AT),IHG Diamond, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,051
We did that in 2012. It was great !!!
CDG DO 2012 - powered by Air France & ADP - LIVE DO REPORT
CDG DO 2012 - powered by Air France & ADP - LIVE DO REPORT
#170




Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Eurostar Carte Etoile, SBB-CFF-FFS GA-AG, SNCF Grand Voyageur LeClub
Posts: 8,964

Maybe thats why they brought SAS into the group, even if the big block of ice goes America soon the entire Scandinavian proposition seems quite more resilient against weather and dreamers on the street.
#174


Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Europe
Programs: Flying Blue: Platinum for Life Elite Plus - EuroBonus: Gold
Posts: 1,083
I was wondering if you could ask about the availability on Air France/KLM for SAS Eurobonus users how open our Air France KLM in giving out business class seats intercontinental flights, and why so many married segments to SAS members and what are the general trend? Is it the lowest bucket class?
SB
SB
#176




Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: Flying Blue: Platinum, Miles&Bonus: Gold
Posts: 1,824
Everyone knows from what we read and the feedback that we get from FAs that the issues with European Business Class catering as well as Premium and the infamous Bon Apptit Bag in Premium and Economy (other European Airlines have proper meal trays on longer routes), are from AFs own making: crew composition and galley config on the A220. Why is AF not making any efforts and insisting on a soft product that is not up what the competition offers. With AF prices being more expensive, one wonders whats the point of booking AF in these classes. At some point our patience will wear thin and some of us who do not see any improvements are looking elsewhere loyalty has its limits.
#177




Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: Flying Blue: Platinum, Miles&Bonus: Gold
Posts: 1,824
Everyone knows from what we read and the feedback that we get from FAs that the issues with European Business Class catering as well as Premium and the infamous Bon Apptit Bag in Premium and Economy Longhaul (other European Airlines have proper meal trays on longer routes), are from AFs own making: crew composition and galley config on the A220. Why is AF not making any efforts and insisting on a soft product that is not up what the competition offers. With AF prices being more expensive, one wonders whats the point of booking AF in these classes. At some point our patience will wear thin and some of us who do not see any improvements are looking elsewhere loyalty has its limits and a customer shouldnt care about AFs internal cuisine (pretty accurate term) when other European airlines are just fine with same crew compositions and same aircraft (yes LX has only 3 FAs in an A220 as an example).
#178




Join Date: Apr 2024
Location: MME / NCL
Programs: KLM FlyingBlue Gold, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 82
I asked something similar above, specifically in relation to the deployment of the Bon Appetite bag in Premium. Like you, I appreciate it’s not a loyalty programme issue, and therefore not in Ben’s direct control, but it does affect my loyalty to AF - when flying transatlantic, I’m more likely to select options with KL via AMS, or flights with DL or VS as I perceive their soft product to be better quality in W than AF’s.
#179




Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: VIE
Programs: AFKL Platinum, SAS EBG (STE+), TK Elite (*G), Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,346
#180


Join Date: Sep 2025
Programs: KLM: PfL | BAC: Silver | LHW: Sterling | Langham Brilliant: Sapphire | GHA: Titanium | ALL: Gold
Posts: 33


