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Next meeting with Ben Lipsey: get your questions in!

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Old Jan 7, 2026 | 8:22 pm
  #166  
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Originally Posted by f0zzyNUE
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.
We did that in 2012. It was great !!!
CDG DO 2012 - powered by Air France & ADP - LIVE DO REPORT
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Old Jan 7, 2026 | 10:49 pm
  #167  
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Great idea! But should it be held in CDG or AMS? Or maybe even better, on both locations
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Old Jan 8, 2026 | 4:00 am
  #168  
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Originally Posted by kprrr
Great idea! But should it be held in CDG or AMS? Or maybe even better, on both locations
CDG. Would hate to see it cancelled the day before because of a tiny bit of snowfall, or on the day itself because of a power outage
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Old Jan 8, 2026 | 4:15 am
  #169  
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Originally Posted by Goldorak
I knew there was something similar at CDG - that must have been the event.
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Old Jan 8, 2026 | 4:41 am
  #170  
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Originally Posted by Romanianflyer
CDG. Would hate to see it cancelled the day before because of a tiny bit of snowfall, or on the day itself because of a power outage
AMS. Would hate to see it cancelled the day before because of the Ministry of Transport not authorising the event because the 95 civil servants that have to check the 672 pages of rules cannot be paid following France being bankrupt, or on the day itself because of 100 yellow tractors blocking access roads to CDG because farmers are on strike for their cows not to stand on their feet for more than 35 hours (pnibilit!!) and for themselves to retire at 48 with 10 weeks of holiday in Martinique paid for by les riches.

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.
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Old Jan 8, 2026 | 4:44 am
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Originally Posted by San Gottardo
AMS.
If it must be at AMS, please ask if AF can do the catering!
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Old Jan 8, 2026 | 4:53 am
  #172  
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Originally Posted by SkipperTheHooligan
If it must be at AMS, please ask if AF can do the catering!
Only on the guarantee there won't be any quinoa
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Old Jan 8, 2026 | 4:56 am
  #173  
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Originally Posted by Romanianflyer
Only on the guarantee there won't be any quinoa
Of course, but they seem to have run out of that anyway
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Old Jan 9, 2026 | 12:53 pm
  #174  
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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
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Old Jan 10, 2026 | 6:12 am
  #175  
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I am curious about the title/song of the KLM hold music with the text I like to see the sun/moon rise for when it gets stuck in mij head again

I also hope that the TA/PSL get some extra thanks for helping us over the last few days
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Old Jan 11, 2026 | 4:38 am
  #176  
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Originally Posted by Gajan
Thank you all for your further comments. Does anyone have any additional questions? Ill try and summarize all points raised to Ben for further follow up.
this is a tough question that Ben Lipsey may not be able to answer but I am going to ask it anyway.

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.
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Old Jan 11, 2026 | 4:40 am
  #177  
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Originally Posted by Gajan
Thank you all for your further comments. Does anyone have any additional questions? Ill try and summarize all points raised to Ben for further follow up.
this is a tough question that Ben Lipsey may not be able to answer but I am going to ask it anyway.

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).
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Old Jan 11, 2026 | 3:59 pm
  #178  
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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.
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Old Jan 11, 2026 | 8:53 pm
  #179  
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Originally Posted by Br5968
but it does affect my loyalty to AF - when flying transatlantic, Im 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 AFs.
As long as you stay within the joint venture, there's not much reason for AFKL to care. The loyalty works perfectly well
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Old Jan 12, 2026 | 3:53 pm
  #180  
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Originally Posted by acbf1234
+ 1 on this for at AMS, especially given the usual 45 mins wait for luggage.
Happy if it's only for Platinum/ulti for example
PfL and can still use lounge upon arrival in AMS.
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