31businesstraveller.com APRIL 2020
Then I needed to change the date
again, looked online and it was a £642
change. I called and explained I’d made a
mistake with my original change because
I am still jet-lagged (which is true!) and
she changed it again – for free. And as a
huge Brucie Bonus, I’m on the new
B787-900 and not the clapped out B777 I
am used to with KLM.
I am in a complete state of shock –
calls answered in under 40 minutes, a
helpful and understanding agent on the
other end of the phone who spoke perfect
English (Scottish!) and two changes to a
more convenient (and more expensive)
flight for nothing.➜ KLFLYER
Air France/KLM have really stepped up
their game, especially in terms of
customer and ground service. I used to
fly Turkish Airlines a lot, with its
elaborate lounges, onboard
chefs and fancy catering. But
when the tiniest inconvenience
happened (for example, lost
luggage, cancelled flight, not
enough catering happened), it
failed to impress. AF/KLM may
not be the most eloquent airlines
in terms of their hard product,
but they excel in dealing with
disruptions.➜ ALLOVERTHEGAFF
One of the things I love about KLM
is its staff/crew. They are so friendly
andcustomer focused. Coming back
onthistrip, all of them could not have
beennicer or more friendly.
Also,has anyone been to Amsterdam
Schiphol recently? What a transformation,
it is incredible and [KLM Crown] Lounge
52 is absolutely fantastic. Interesting that
an airline that does not offer first class is
able to invest more in its business class
product, all the while improving its
services and offering ridiculously
competitive fares. To be fair to Air
France, I’ve had no real issues flying with
them either and this interaction has
opened my eyes to sticking with them
when flying this route.➜ CAPETONIANM
If Air France has upped its game, and
is as good on the ground as in the air,
then I’m glad to hear it. I haven’t flownAIR FRANCE – GREAT
CUSTOMER SERVICE
(AND NOT IRONIC!)➜ ALLOVERTHEGAFF
I can scarcely believe I am typing this,
but here goes. I have been back and
forth to Rio de Janeiro [SDU] a number
of times with a new business venture,
the last-but-one time in British Airways
First via GRU [Sao Paulo-Guarulhos
International]. I just came back yesterday
from a round trip with Air France on the
way out and KLM on the way back. I
went via GRU on the way out because
Air France’s Rio plane is an antique with
a 2-3-2 configuration, its Sao Paulo one
being 1-2-1. Anyway, after two trips in the
past four weeks I have decided it isn’t
worth the extra
hassle of GRU as
I also have to
connect from
Edinburgh, so my
route is EDI-[Paris]
CDG-GRU-SDU.
Yes, a pain indeed.
I managed to get
a phenomenal fare
via Air France going
to Fortaleza [in Brazil] for£1,860,and
this included GOL airlinesto/
from Rio. All was well
and I was looking
forward to flying on the
B787 to Fortaleza when
I got an email
explaining that Air
France had changed my connection
from Paris on the way home. I was to be
in CDG for 14 hours. I called to complain,
and this is where the story has taken a
most unexpected turn.
I called its [London] 0207 number and,
within less than two minutes, was
speaking to a human. I promise I’ve not
made this up, I explained I would be
cancelling my flights as the connection
didn’t work and would I get a full refund- she said yes. I then asked what the
options were to change; she put me
there and back on KLM for no charge.
None. Oh, I also wanted to change my
dates to extend my stay, and she did that
too. For free.
them for at least 15 years and don’t
intend to, but the last flights I did with
them were Paris CDG-Bangkok-CDG
and were most enjoyable. The weak
point was ground service and its truly
horrible hub at Paris CDG. I understand
that has improved.
I agree about KLM and Schiphol – it is
possibly one of the best major airports in
Europe, after Zurich and Vienna. I always
enjoy flying KLM but then I am hugely
prejudiced as I love the Dutch and the
way they do things. I always take
advantage of a Schiphol stopover to see
friends there, or just to go and visit one
of the lovely towns, which are so easily
reached by train from Schiphol.➜ MARTYNSINCLAIR
I have no reason to fly Air France but,
like others, it is nice to read how
different airlines problem-solve customer
relations issues. Perhaps a suitable
thread could be to design the perfect
airline. Clearly this Air France review will
win hands down, especially speaking to
a human within two minutes of calling.➜ ALLOVERTHEGAFF
This is now turning into something rather
peculiar! I had to call them today for a
third time. When they sent me the
second changed flights, they’d made an
error in my Schiphol-Edinburgh
connection and had me on a later flight.
I called them and a full hat-trick:
1) Call answered in under a minute.
2) Explained I’d changed but they’d put
me on a later flight.
3) Chap on the other end confirms I want
the 1550 connect and not the 2135; I
reply, yes.
4) Chap profusely apologises for the
inconvenience and will reissue the
correct flight within 24 hours.
5) Chap thanks me for being a silver
member, apologises again and the
whole thing is completed in under four
minutes. Wow!SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES
ON OUR FORUM
BUSINESSTRAVELLER.COM/
FORUMI explained I would
be cancelling my
flights and would
I get a full refund- she said yes