[Anonymous]

[MarkCymru]

I was travelling from Birmingham to Delhi via Amsterdam and the 40 hours it took me to get there will make me re-consider using KLM for long-haul connections in the future.

I had booked a semi-flexible business class ticket and I have a Flying Blue Platinum card. I checked in at about 8am for our 9.20am BHX – AMS sector. At 9.15, they told us that the flight had developed a technical problem on its way in from AMS and needed to be inspected by an engineer who was en route from London. In 20 minute bursts, this dragged out until about 11.45. They refused to escort passengers who wanted to leave airside and they refused to unload bags except for those of a dead-heading crew. They also refused to re-book any connections from BHX (I had several options for getting to Delhi that evening). After various traumas with the paperwork, we took off at about 12.30.

In Amsterdam, they said that my only option was to wait for the next day’s Delhi flight. They were very pleasant but explained that they had a grid and that passengers not on full-fare tickets could only be re-booked on AF, DL or KL flights, even with a top tier card. I pointed out that there was a Sky Team connection that night (KLM to FCO then China Airlines to DEL) but they said that they were not allowed to book this either. (And certainly would not book available connections on LH, BA or VS which would have got me to Delhi early the next morning). They even refused to use the AF / AI codeshare from Paris that night. I chose to go AF the next day (which, at least, got in three hours earlier than the KL direct from AMS). Most intercontinental passengers would have found themselves in my predicament: KLM flies most long-haul routes once a day (or less)

I should have asserted my right under EU law to be returned to my country of origin and to get a full refund. I could then have flown Air India from LHR that night for about the same price. I wasn’t quick witted enough.

KLM’s original plan was to re-route my bags automatically and give me “an emergency overnight kit”. Schiphol’s baggage handling is bad enough anyway and I had visions of never seeing my suitcase again. After a bit of insisting, they agreed to retrieve my luggage. It took two hours. There would have been a wait anyway as there is a bureaucratic shuffle from various desks to various others to get your coupon for a mediocre hotel in a industrial estate 15 minutes from Schiphol. Its shuttle bus is erratic and unreliable — this is the hotel reserved for “our best premium passengers”! I should have just paid for my own

I have had a few other connection problems in AMS before but none this bad. It’s tempting to consider KL as the British regional choice (because they fly from so many regional airports) but this experience suggests that you should think twice unless you’re on a full-flexible business class ticket (in which case, you’ll probably go Virgin or BA anyway) or you have 24 hours to waste in either direction. Fortunately, this time, I just missed dinner with colleagues but, on another trip, I might have missed a crucial business meeting.

I shall claim my €600 in compensation with great glee and thank the European Commission for protecting my rights so well.

[VintageKrug]

It’s a shame SkyTeam isn’t very joined up when re-routing passengers.

[MarkCymru]

A shame and a surprise. Air France seems to do much better within Skyteam. In Star, when LOT delayed me in London, they shifted me to United without complaint

[Pierre]

Bad luck MarkCymru!!
I am surprised they did not manage to rebook you on another flight even if not belonging to Skyteam.
Because of such a small technical incident, I missed a connection in Zurich, spent there one night, was then rerouted via London on BA who took me to GIG.
Since then, I fly only with hand luggage and allow ” ample” time to catch conbecting flights, rather than trusting airlines’ ones granting the connecting flight within 35 mn transit.
Even in Helsinki, 30 are too short.

[MarcusUK]

A very rare situation for KLM and Skyteam.
It seems pretty clear that much of the assistance could have been generated in Bham, buy putting you on the BA flight perhaps to AMS, if they were available. This would be the station Manager’s responsibility in B’ham.

KLM do have only one flight to some destinations per day, with AF perhaps having more, or an alternative time. At times when i have been on the late morning flight from LHR – AMS with 60+ passengers connecting, it is 75% delayed due top LHr gate, runway, wna delay problems often up to or over an hr.
The crew go round the flights to individuals, detailing their flights, and at the end they announce which flight connections will be possible and which will not. Passengers have already been booked onto the next option possible.

I only had this problem once with KLM coming in from HKG where the KLM flight was delayed 6hrs +, and they booked me on to LH. Grotty old 747, and poor service, so I wish i and waited.

Recently i received an email and text, for delays from LCY from KLM informing me an hr before it was announced in the airport, that my delayed flight would be cancelled. I was re-booked automatically onto the first flight out they could confirm. No announcements were made at the airport for over an Hr (City Jet / AF), but i told them and it was in their system. I collected my own new Boarding pass an hr before the rush of 130 others started to queue!
I would certainly trust KLM more than AF.

But in my experience this is rare with KLM.
Baggage is some of the most reliable in the EU and efficient in Schiphol in the 18 yrs i have flown through.

But they did what was within their parameters to do, even being honest about their grid system.
You will get your compensation, but really this could have happened with any Airline, especially those from other EU gateways that operate daily only, which may include SQ, MH CX.

Some Business cabins are so booked out these days it is not always possible to overflow passengers from other flights.

As many mentioned on here, KLM are some of the best when it comes to Service. If you also lodged a complaint, you will find extra miles or an MCO coming your way also I am sure, and a phone call within a few days. Your processing of the compensation would be prioritised.

Air Travel is not always smooth, and we all have to anticipate this. I always arrive a day early, so even if this happens, it is taken into account, especially on multi leg / Airline trips as far as Australia and back..

[Author]

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