KLM has lost the plot
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My suitcase finally turned up at the hotel today (whilst I was out on business).
Thank you to everyone for their moral support and especially to Cavortingcheetah for his kind help at AMS.
Thank you to everyone for their moral support and especially to Cavortingcheetah for his kind help at AMS.
Está servira para distraerle.
A pleasure to attempt to help a fellow wrinkled plum and delighted that in spite of my efforts, your bag turned up. Happy tripping.....my turn next I expect.
Join Date: Mar 2007
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You have my sympathy. How awful though not to even get an overnight bag and that they needed authority for this. Where is customer service?
Happened to us on a flight ABZ-MUC via AMS a couple of years ago. Off for a week's holiday in Bavaria, arrived at MUC to be told both our bags had not arrived.
They did give us emergency kits and did give us 50 euros each for emergency items. As this was a Sat afternoon and we had trains to get to our final destination, we had no choice but to buy emergency items at the airport. Big mistake, my replacement underwear (two items) in Esprit cost 50 euros
Then things went gradually downhill. The tracking on the website did not work at all. We were originally told our bags would arrive on the Sunday. We stayed in most of the day to wait. No bags. Tracking still not working, gave no information whatsoever. Phoned and was told they were in MUC and we would have our bags on Monday. Monday came and went, no bags. Nobody could tell us where our bags were and when we would get them. They eventually arrived Tuesday afternoon by DPD. Not ideal when you are on a weeks holiday in a small Bavarian town with absolutely none of your personal belongings.
I did complain when I got home and they sent us 20 euros per person off next flight. Well I made sure I used that for our next flight and what a carry on it was to use it. I ended up having to post the vouchers to AMS by registered mail to use them. Think it cost me as much as the discount with all the phone calls and postage.
Happened to us on a flight ABZ-MUC via AMS a couple of years ago. Off for a week's holiday in Bavaria, arrived at MUC to be told both our bags had not arrived.
They did give us emergency kits and did give us 50 euros each for emergency items. As this was a Sat afternoon and we had trains to get to our final destination, we had no choice but to buy emergency items at the airport. Big mistake, my replacement underwear (two items) in Esprit cost 50 euros
Then things went gradually downhill. The tracking on the website did not work at all. We were originally told our bags would arrive on the Sunday. We stayed in most of the day to wait. No bags. Tracking still not working, gave no information whatsoever. Phoned and was told they were in MUC and we would have our bags on Monday. Monday came and went, no bags. Nobody could tell us where our bags were and when we would get them. They eventually arrived Tuesday afternoon by DPD. Not ideal when you are on a weeks holiday in a small Bavarian town with absolutely none of your personal belongings.
I did complain when I got home and they sent us 20 euros per person off next flight. Well I made sure I used that for our next flight and what a carry on it was to use it. I ended up having to post the vouchers to AMS by registered mail to use them. Think it cost me as much as the discount with all the phone calls and postage.
Short transfer time
Last year I had 45 minutes between arriving at Amsterdam and boarding my onward flight. It's the first time I've had to run across an airport, dragging wife behind. We made the flight and so did our bags. Maybe you were just very unlucky - my sympathy.
As for Shy's comments - well, hardly polite of sympathetic I think. Bode's well for a career in customer services perhaps?
(Please don't take offence Shy, for 'twas meant in good humour!)
As for Shy's comments - well, hardly polite of sympathetic I think. Bode's well for a career in customer services perhaps?
(Please don't take offence Shy, for 'twas meant in good humour!)
Rotate on this!
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This thread has struck a chord!
Three weeks ago we had 45mins to connect an ABZ - AMS flight to an AMS - OTP (Bucharest) departure. We arrived in Bucharest sans baggage
It was delivered to our hotel, (3 hours away in Constanta), 2 days later so we had time to 'not unpack' before we returned the next day.
Upshot is that this Sunday she is insisting that we get the 0600 ABZ - AMS so they have 3 hours or so to transfer the bags to the 1215 AMS - OTP flight
Three weeks ago we had 45mins to connect an ABZ - AMS flight to an AMS - OTP (Bucharest) departure. We arrived in Bucharest sans baggage
It was delivered to our hotel, (3 hours away in Constanta), 2 days later so we had time to 'not unpack' before we returned the next day.
Upshot is that this Sunday she is insisting that we get the 0600 ABZ - AMS so they have 3 hours or so to transfer the bags to the 1215 AMS - OTP flight
I'm another ABZ-based passenger who avoids KLM like the plague.
Years of hassles and Customer Service (an Orwellian title in this context) who see 'No' as the answer to everything and wilfully ignore issues raised hoping that they will go away.
The problem we face in this geographic area is that we pretty much only have three hubs to chose from in AMS, LHR and CDG. Lufthansa may well offer a future alternative but not for me at the moment.
Of the three CDG and Air France are the least worst alternative. Isn't that an awful thing to have to say?
Won't bore you with my KLM stories but clearly they see SLF as something to be endured and ignored much as their sister company AF now seems hell bent on copying.
Years of hassles and Customer Service (an Orwellian title in this context) who see 'No' as the answer to everything and wilfully ignore issues raised hoping that they will go away.
The problem we face in this geographic area is that we pretty much only have three hubs to chose from in AMS, LHR and CDG. Lufthansa may well offer a future alternative but not for me at the moment.
Of the three CDG and Air France are the least worst alternative. Isn't that an awful thing to have to say?
Won't bore you with my KLM stories but clearly they see SLF as something to be endured and ignored much as their sister company AF now seems hell bent on copying.
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dufc, just wonder why you have not used Lufthansa? Since they launched last year this now opens up with FRA as another hub. We used them earlier this year with flights ABZ-AUH via FRA and they were excellent.
Totally agree with you re KLM and customer service, it is pretty poor and yes they do like the word "no".
Totally agree with you re KLM and customer service, it is pretty poor and yes they do like the word "no".
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I've a rather unusual talent for an Englishman, I suppose: I speak fluent Dutch. I must say this has helped in my interactions with KLM staff over the years. I speak the language well enough for them to feel comfortable talking to me in their language, and while most Dutch people speak some English, and many very well, some of them do think they speak it better than they actually do.
What some fail to appreciate is the subtlety and understatement that native English speakers naturally use in everyday speech. We also make extensive use of eye and face movements to communicate displeasure which differ from those used by non-native speakers, including the straight-speaking Dutch.
It's just my impression, but this may have helped me communicate any difficulties to customer service staff in a way they may have differently understood to the same sentiments expressed in an English they had thought they grasped but not entirely had.
Dutch is a much easier language to learn than, say, French or German. It's the closest related foreign language to English, and once you've learnt the funny 'g' sound (= gentle throat clearing), the grammar and vocab are quite straightforward.
What some fail to appreciate is the subtlety and understatement that native English speakers naturally use in everyday speech. We also make extensive use of eye and face movements to communicate displeasure which differ from those used by non-native speakers, including the straight-speaking Dutch.
It's just my impression, but this may have helped me communicate any difficulties to customer service staff in a way they may have differently understood to the same sentiments expressed in an English they had thought they grasped but not entirely had.
Dutch is a much easier language to learn than, say, French or German. It's the closest related foreign language to English, and once you've learnt the funny 'g' sound (= gentle throat clearing), the grammar and vocab are quite straightforward.
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All the European "national" carriers are rather bad. BA is terrible, Air France and KLM, Alitalia. SAS shaping up slightly, but their intercontinental route is rubbish. Lufthansa can be OK, but I've also had terrible experiences. The only shining star amongst them is Turkish Airlines - they're really shaping up to be a premium airline. And their route network is great.
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It's just my impression, but this may have helped me communicate any difficulties to customer service staff in a way they may have differently understood to the same sentiments expressed in an English they had thought they grasped but not entirely had.
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Dutch is a much easier language to learn than, say, French or German.
