Really really bad KLM service

[semisonic]

Hey Guys,

Not sure if this is the right forum, but I'm looking for an airline employee or someone with some bona fide knowledge on how I stand on this issue.

A friend and I had our seats cancelled on our return flight from Athens in August because the KLM CSA at LHR forgot to update our reservation after transferring us to an earlier flight to Amsterdam on our outbound leg. This meant we were a no-show on our original flight, and this cancelled the remaining journey.

So we turned up at Athens airport to be told we didn't have a reservation and we were stuck. Eventually the CSA admitted we used to have a reservation and that he could get us on the early morning (4am flight - eight hours away).

Not only did he childishly stall our attempts to transfer to another carrier (after agreeing in principle to it), but he then refused any compensation as we did not have a reservation to warrant this!!!

So we had to spend eight hours in Athens with nothing to do and we have since been offered nothing but a cold shoulder from corporate KLM since.

Is this par for the course or have we stumbled across a rude airline?

Thanks for any information.

[wawkrk]

I have been flying with KLM donkeys years. I have to add this is only for convenience and good connections through Amsterdam from Leeds and these days also low prices. I normally take a minimum of 60 or more flights per year only with KLM so I know them very well.
The KLM staff themselves are normally fantastic,alas, the airline has gone to the dogs. What has happened to you is very mild compared to the many stories I could tell.
KLM can only dream about competing on quality with JET2 in Europe for example. Inter-continental is still ok at the moment.
The rules on re-funds are if you dont like it, them f*** off. As simple as that, and I am not joking. They are out to be profitable at any cost.
I missed one flight through no fault of my own so I bought another outbound ticket and intended to continue with the series of six flights.I was unaware until later that all six flights were cancelled even though I had paid, just because of a no-show on the first flight. I must be stupid because I imagined that the airline made more money on paid for empty seats. I had to pay again.
The days of goodwill seem to be gone forever I am afraid.

[redfred]

If you were no show then they were in their rights but seems to me that it was their mistake and not yours so really they should have just put you onto your original flight and bumped someone else off who had not checked in yet if you get me and put it down to checkin error.If they could not do this as the flight was full lets say then really its up to them what they do but good customer service would have been to try and get you on another carrier or at the least given you some food money for the 8 hours, could it have been handling agents who dont really care and not KL employees? not too much you can do now, chances are if you write it you'll get a reply stating what you already know in corporate jargon, just dont use them again...

[MerchantVenturer]

Like wawkrk Ihave used KLM a lot from my local airport at BRS either to AMS or for onward travel from there, mainly transatlantic.

I have used them regularly for well over ten years, though not so frequently as wawkrk, and I have to say that he/she is right. The service has deteriorated significantly especially over the past three or four years.

There is a KLM passenger forum that you might find interesting.

Here is the link.

http://www.travel-mania.net/klmforum/