[MarcusUK]

I continue to mee my min 30 flights on KLm for my gold card, & have done for 15 yrs.
I just returned from Australia, but took MH from Thailand via KUL to AMS, then with a days to be in Amsterdam connect with KLM to LCY.
My bags were checked through all the way, & i double checked with KLM at Schipol. I have not ever had a problem with through connections, or on European short hops in any of these times.
I find Schipol & KLM the most efficient in Europe in Airport or Airline, & if anything does go wrong you find their control flight managers that entirely manage all aspects of one flight, have back up plans & have you informed prior to you ever having to ask.

hence my long established loyalty to them & their impeccable service on ground, lounges, & nothing special in the sky, but reliable helpful & very pleasant to fly always.

[Binman62]

BMIdiamondclubfan

Have just picked up this thread and of more concern to me than your lost bag was the statement “KLM cannot give the payload details as this are not available for the flight I was on”

This is basic safety information for any flight and the load sheet details how many men women and children were on board, along with details of every kilo of baggage and freight and the weight of the fuel carried. Every aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight based on aircraft type, any payload restrictions, the route being flown as well as the weather and runway conditions at the departure point. From this data a maximum takeoff weight is determined and once the fuel required for the trip is deducted that is the weight left for passengers, baggage and freight. If this is exceeded then something comes off usually starting with staff passengers then cargo then bags.

There are also routes that notoriously have huge amounts of passenger baggage such as Lagos where carriers have allowed passengers additional baggage allowance due to local needs. African and Caribbean routes are the worst for this and at times aircraft holds simply volume out. There are then flights that operate with the weight available to carry more freight and baggage but not the space to carry them.

The routing and aircraft type can also play a part especially when aircraft are at operational limits. If the en route winds are against the flight this requires more fuel leaving less weight for passengers and bags. Winds tend to be seasonal and this may account for the April to October issue with KLM.

This should also have been backed up by an electronic or manual baggage reconciliation statement detailing exactly what bags were carried by tag number and passenger name. It should also included details of any unaccompanied baggage carried such as those bags that have previously missed an earlier flight.
All of this information is mandatory and the paper copies must be retained for at least 12 months with the electronic versions for a great deal longer.

Hopefully KLM have said what they did simply because they could not care less about your missing bag rather than because the information is not available. If the latter, then KLM and its passengers have a much bigger problem than a few missing bags.

[bmidcfan]

Dear Binman62,

Thanks but it was some time now. After two bad flights on KLM I have given up and goone to Star alliance, but now SIA does allow anty reward tickets on I am at a lost. Tried Thai recently from NRT-BKK-KUL, and BKK – LHR. Bad/broken seats , old aircraft/ old seating on NRT-BKK and terrible service.

[MarcusUK]

I have been flying KLM as a Gold card (or equiv) in the various programs for 15 yrs.

Always get priority tags, & have never had luggage go astray or missing & I make at least 30 variable distance flights with them..
I flew today WBC LHR via AMS – Manila, & my bags came off first.

A month ago, i also used Malaysian from (Business(, from Phuket via KUL to AMS.
I was then due to take a KLM flight to LCY after a day in Amsterdam, (& a few hours in the Yotel).
I double checked my luggage was ok, with KLM on arrival. as the the bookings were seperate.
Bags were booked through, but KLM did not have them in their system.
This was easily done, the bags were in AMS, but apparently the MH system does not transmit through to the KLM one.
I was advised, & pass this on, that if you mix flights re-check at yr transit airport that the bag numbers are in each Airline’s system as i did, even though you assume they are checked through.

MH is a bit of a pain for these “pseudo” partnerships, as they are not full members of Skyteam or Virgin but mere partners.

I honestly can say taking KLM to Europe, or via Europe always through Schipol, that their system has been perfect for me extremely reliable.
Schipol is such an efficient airport so high tech now, & much improved on recent years, & LHR for eg in terms of baggage handling.

I would say often it is advisable to re-check yr baggage between Airlines these days, as not always are their systems compatible or stations remote, connected to the main Airline Hub systems.

I would propose KLM as one of the most smooth in terms of luggage handling in Europe, but they do depend on others, & their agents when it leaves their own system.

[TominScotland]

I am Platinum with KLM and have not had a luggage problem in a long while now. Similar to Marcus, tagged bags with a priority label always come off first when I am travelling away from home, especially in Hong Kong which is my most frequent KLM route. KLM’s UK airport handling agents (at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Heathrow) seem to totally disregard any priority labels and bags come out in a random way.

Linking to another thread here, KLM are also very flexible with cabin baggage if you are an elite member or travelling WBC. Not something to be abused but never any hassle.

[Bill_Penang]

We’re not all lucky enough to fly with Gold or Platinum cards. Shouldn’t luggage of economy class pasengers be treated with the same respect?

[bmidcfan]

Yes, Bill.

Not to worry as in my case I checked in two bags to Lima , Peru and only one arrived! So much for KLM efficiency. The service these days is appauling and the business class seats on the 777 uncomfortable for a good night sleep. Who sleeps at an angle! Perhaps only Gold and Platinum members in their beds at home. I was a Platinum member but I have fled to star alliance group! So far so good!

[MarcusUK]

I got off my 777-300 KLM flight from Amsterdam to Manila this morning.

Whilst the seat is not the best for sleeping, the privacy is good both to the rear front & side, & i slept very well for a good 6 hrs. Fortunate they offered to put me in front seat with no other passenger beside me. The crew were great, friendly food & wines with a South African theme, thought out & excellent.

You should try “Regional Aircraft” 773 Singapore Airlines down from SIN – SYD, where they boast camel leather angle beds where you slip down constantly, back of yr head is above the seat head rest, & you can see everyone & hear others without having to raise from the seat. Or the broken TG seats, frayed or Lufthansa’s 747’s that don’t have proper entertainment systems on them still|!

It is not just luggage that matters, but many aspects to a flight.
Sometimes, travellers can be very selfish to think they are the most important, & they never pay for their own tickets or value the services they have. Certainly i do, & I value the staff teams, who always make my trips very friendly & the best they could be. Attitude counts for a lot.

KLM is run “As a family” as the Senior Purser was chatting to me about today, & it shows in how well looked after, morale, & the atmosphere on board. The bed being flat is not the most important, neither is your luggage coming off in the first 5 when there maybe 1,000 cases to come off.
These days with few businessmen in the premium cabins, it is good to see others paying for themselves & enjoying & valuing their travel more.

[AMcWhirter]

I wonder if the connecting time at Schiphol has anything to do with this ?

In summer 2009, the flight to Lima was scheduled to depart at 1000 (this summer it has a later departure slot). To make a connection from Heathrow meant taking KLM’s 0630 flight which is set to reach Schiphol at 0855.

Although 65 mins is within Schiphol’s official connecting time it doesn’t allow much room for delays.

Bmidiamondclub fan doesn’t say whether or not the Heathrow-Schiphol flight he took ran to time.

I would imagine that, when deciding whether or not to carry a passenger’s bags, a transit airline would give preference to those whose luggage was first to reach the plane, ie originating pax who had checked in much earlier at Schiphol or connecting pax who had arrived on flights where the transfer time was longer.

[Bill_Penang]

Well, I had over 5 hours transit time between KLM flights at Schipol and my bag wasn’t transferred to the next KLM flight. Is that too long for them?

[MarcusUK]

LHR KLM flights often run late, especially the 9.55 & 11.40am flights, mainly waiting to take off. Often i have sat for over an hr after leaving the gate to take off. Often KLM staff have to announce that certain connections will not be made prior to landing, and have a hard time trying to explain to those passengers.
Schipol is so pleasan,t what’s the harm in having an extra couple of hrs with no stress.
This is what i did a couple of days ago, but took the 8.40am KLM LHR flight, to connect to my Manila 14.10 flight.
It worked perfectly. Often gate Security begins 80 mins for Long haul from Schipol, boarding 30 minutes before.

LHR has the same problems with KLM flights inwards, often circling to land longer than the 40 minutes flight time, & at times have sat on the plane for over 2.5 hrs!

LCY if you want a tighter lesser connection time would be more reliable to Amsterdam?

[bmidcfan]

Are saying that there was time to transfer one bag and not the other? Both bags were checked in on time and there was ample time in AMS!
It was the first flight from LHR!

[AMcWhirter]

Schiphol’s MCT for international flights is 50 mins so, yes, assuming your flights were to time (and your flights were operated to the above schedule) then you should have had sufficient time.

But the key word is “should.” It must be noted that an airport’s MCT does not guarantee that passengers and their bags will make a connection.

For that reason, wise travellers with luggage will always schedule connections which allow much longer than the MCT. If this isn’t possible (especially where a a really early flight is involved) then they will overnight at the transit airport.

For this reason, carriers like KL, LH and LX will generally allow this without any increase in the fare (although you will normally have to pay for your accommodation).

[Bill_Penang]

>wise travellers with luggage will always schedule connections which allow much longer than the MCT

What has the wisdom of passengers got to do with an airline transferring or not transferring luggage on to a connecting flight? I had more than 5 hours between KLM flights at Schipol but my luggage wasn’t put on my flight to KL.

If KLM was able to transfer one of BMIdiamondclubfan’s bags, why not both?

KLM should compensate passengers when they offer such poor service and not hide behind the small print in the general conditions.

[bmidcfan]

Well said Bill _Penang!

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