KLM/AF=Lost bags

[TomBola]

So KLM and Air France are to merge.
Maybe once they get their act together they can do someting about finding my suitcases which one or both of them has lost and been lying to me about it. KLM claim never to have received my cases from Air France. Funny that when at different transfer and check-in desks in Amsterdam I was told, 'European baggage isn't scanned these days so it's not possible to tell if your bags are here'; 'your bags are here but now you'll have to pick them up from the baggage hall and check in again for your KLM flight'; (in the baggage hall) 'your bags are here but you can't check-in here and now you also can't get your bags from here - they're in the system waiting for you to check in'; (at the check in) 'yes your bags have now been rechecked on to your new flight, but double check at the gate'; (at the gate) 'there's no record of your bags ever having arrived here - it's the fault of Air France'; (at destination) ' your bags aren't here and there's no record of them anywhere in the system, but you're sure to get them in a few hours'. If fhere's no record of them anywhere in anyone's system, how is it that I have 2 baggage tags with bar codes on them for scanning?
Someone(s) has been lying just to make their job easier. This shows up KLM ground staff at Amsterdam in a very bad light. I have often found a number of them to be rude, obstructive and unhelpful and now it seems they tell porkies too. Once they merge with Air France, they'll doubtless quickly learn how to completely disregard the passengers (who only pay their salaries after all) in the same manner as most Air France staff usually do.:mad: :mad: :mad:

[zed3]

I have also had the same experience with KLM staff being economical with the truth at Amsterdam after my bag was not available when flying Eindhoven - Amsterdam . One of the reasons I do not fly KLM .

[Avman]

This is an ongoing problem with the baggage system at Schiphol since years. 75% of the time my bags have not made connecting flights despite plenty of time. When I spoke to to KLM staff about it they admited that they are fed-up with the system and the abuse they get from pax as a consequence. That's probably why they now try to pass the problem on to someone else. I also try to avoid flying thru AMS on connecting flights. However, unluckily for me, next week I shall be flying to the USA with them - and connecting thru AMS :eek: !! Watch this space.

[Yarba]

I agree, KLM and Air France have the most rude staff I met whether on the ground or in the air. The merger will just make the largest, rude airline in Europe. My last experience with them decided me never to fly with them again. They are always losing cases from Amsterdam and you never get any apology or anything. They have no idea of the meaning of the word service. Just compare them with the likes of Singapore Airlines, or even BA! Have you noticed how all airports in Europe now have big notices about passenger rights, but if you go to UK nothing?!! Why is this - is UK not part of Europe? Even when they lost my bags for 3 days I was offered no compensation. I'm sure this is now illegal isn't it? Unfortunately, the new merger will make it difficult to get to lots of places in Europe without using KLM or Air France. I just hope some other airlines will operate on their routes and that they lose a lot of passengers and revenue until they learn that their service is very bad. I think they are so stubborn that they won't care - they'll just go mon strike like Air France are always doing when they lose jobs.:(

[anjouan]

Letting either of these abysmal airlines handle your bags is like letting Reynard the Fox handle your chickens - bad news:yuk:

[mini]

Just to add my vote.

AMS is the worst hub I've experienced (supply toilet roll if you want a list) regarding baggage. Similar to previous posts, a generous transfer time has little effect.

Grrrrrrr!

:}

[gofer]

We from my ripe old age, I can now confirm what I was taught by my parents 5 decades ago.

1) travel light (ie cabin baggage only if possible)
2) most things you need are available in stores at the other end - so why carry them ? Indeed in many cases they are cheaper there anyway.
3) if you do need something - wear it or take it in small quantities (you don't need 200g of toothpaste for a weeks trip - a mini-tube is stacks enough).
4) on multileg trips through large airports - when you can't avoid having check-in stuff - select the hub you are using with care. Some are better at short layover (rush connections) others not.
5) For the NOT's in 4 above - check baggage to the hub only - go pick it up and check in all over again for the next leg.

This is the ONLY way to go through CDG and probably also AMS. FRA is appaling for "tight" connections (99% delayed rate if connection is under 90 mins is my experience). LHR generally don't loose the bags they just get delayed and if nobody screams that they were not on the connecting flight - then go walkabout (especially true for boxes with possibly interesting contents (PC, Screen, TV, HiFi, whatever)).

BRU - so far very good - CPH same - also MUC and most small to medium sized places.

:8

[Evening Star]

KLM? Lost bags? Nothing beats this:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98756

Although in fairness, even though a lot of the time my connections at AMS are rather tight, this is the only time everything went pear shaped.

[TomBola]

Well, finally got my bags back after 5 days. Not a word of apology or explanation. Not a single reply to telephone calls or e-mails to them. Not a cent of compensation offered - I thought this was illegal under European law now?
The advice on carrying on bags is no good when you're going away for 8 weeks or so at a time, and if you have to start your journey from a small airport as I do you can only take a small briefcase onboard. That's my computer - no way I'd trust any of these clowns with that.
As for checking it only as far as AMS, then rechecking it for the next flight: I normally have only an hour or so at AMS and last time I had to pick up my case and recheck it for the next flight, with all the delays for security checks at AMS it took me nearly 2 hours which meant that I missed the flight:\
I still believe that KLM and Air France are 2 of the worst major airlines in the world and their 2 main hubs are 2 of the worst major airports. I'd rather drive or catch a train if it were possible, than submit myself to the torture of being messed around by incompetent, rude, arrogant organisations such as these.:mad:

[zed3]

TomBola ..... that just about sums up my thoughts also , KLM has been on my "no way" list for years now!

[Admiral]

Sorry to leap to KLM's defence but I think that they ocassionally get it right.
I took a party on a ski trip from BAH to GVA. The outbound flight was delayed due to fog in AUH. We were put up in a hotel overnight. I was informed that the flight would arrive in Amsterdam at 1900 and that the last flight to GVA left at 1915. They said that they would hold that flight for us for up to one hour. If we did fail to get on it they would put is in a hotel overnight and get us on the next flight out.
We only delayed the flight by 15mins and were pleased to get on it, but felt confident that there was no way that they could have got our bags on the GVA flight in just 20 mins. We landed in GVA and promptly all fell over as our bags were off first! Amazing effort.
As a side note I cannot praise the cabin crew highly enough on all of the flights and have great respect for the pilot who got us down in Amsterdam last Saturday in decidely unpleasant conditions!
If only their inflight ent was a bit better.........

[Avman]

Well, following on from my above posting, my bag made it all the way to LAX! On return I only checked it in as far as AMS as I needed to change my travel plans and rebook from there. As for KLM Business Class, both B747s (and they were different a/c) I flew in experienced IFE problems. On the outbound leg several videos "broke" and in the end most of the videos they showed were those for the return sector. Consequently upon my return, I'd already seen the films on offer!! Not that it mattered too much as the sound track on both seats in my row was intermittent. And with a full flight, no spare seats to move to. Otherwise I found the food, wine and our F/A quite satisfactory.