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I often heap praise on @Delta twitter on the blog. Heck, I often heap praise on just about everyone who works for Delta including the new-ish CEO Ed Bastian who has really been doing well since he took over. The only ones I gripe endlessly about are the team who have over the past few years all but destroyed Delta SkyMiles. Yes, they are as of late doing positive things with the Medallion program, but it is time for them to do some repair with SkyMiles like republishing the award charts and for crying out loud bring back stopovers on awards. But I am now WAY off topic (it happens whenever I talk about SkyMiles – sorry).
Anyway, I had just an amazing Delta phone rep early Sunday morning helping me with my summer flight to Sweden that I picked up for an amazing price and dumped my last chance at a “stock” 125,000 SkyMile LEVEL 1 business class award for a paid ticket. I did this so I could apply Global Upgrade certs that I have now accomplished and much of with help from this amazing Delta rep (if you did not know, early Sunday AM reps are some of the best – period). But there was one tiny issue – that is, that the KLM computers were not talking to the Delta computers correctly so they could not confirm the KLM segments to and from Amsterdam and Gothenburg. No big deal really as they are short regional hops, but still business is better than coach and I could get them free as part of burning my GU certs. I was told to call back later.
Not only could the rep not process the GUs for KLM she could not even pick ANY seats. That did not sit well with me. I could not do it on Delta.com or KLM.com so I attempted KLM twitter support. What a total waste of my time.
The first PVT message or DM was reasonably straight forward as on the same plane I had the same seats on the way back. But you can see the long response that I should get a hold of my travel against. The agent being Delta.com. Sigh.
After that I am told I cannot have the seats I have for the return already held so pick again. OK I can do that and I did not have a seat map in front of me but I wanted to be forward of exit row not just in front of it so I requested rows in front. They happened to be C+ seats.
Now if you did not know it, all of KLM’s domestic business class seats are coach seats. Yep, they are bad. Some birds have a blocked middle seat while others are just like the rest of coach. So, C+ seats are also just like all the other seats so NOT worth paying ANYTHING for and especially so for a short 1-ish hour flight.
But KLM decided to select them for me and send me a digital invoice. Really? You have got to be kidding me, KLM. What a total joke and I told them as much.
They did not seem to like the fact that I was not will to pay up as a Skyteam Elite+ me being a Diamond any my wife Gold. But they then, again, went back to this ridiculous travel agent thing (does no one at KLM read tweets up stream in a DM I ask you)?
Since this took ALL DAY LONG to tweet back and forth as each tweet took an hour or two to be responded to I at least had time to call Delta Medallion folks again and got a rep to confirm there was wide open GU space so they processed my upgrades on those two flights as well.
The last thing I then wanted was for KLM on twitter to touch the reservation so I did my best to have them leave it and move on. I would think a good rep would have looked and said yes I see you are now in business class and confirmed the seats but all I got was what you see.
I have just about never had a good interaction with KLM on twitter. Maybe it is just me. So you tell me – am I the only one who will never ever use KLM twitter support again? – René
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This reads eerily similar to my twitter conversations with Alitalia. I have yet to get a clear answer from them. It’s sad how other SkyTeam airlines are so bad with this! It’s not like we’re first-time SkyTeam flyers!!
I’ve had them (KLM on twitter) be perfectly helpful with seat requests (such as for their version of Comfort+), as well as providing lounge access information. In fact, on a later seat request, they noted that my Econ Comfort seat was free of charge as a Skyteam Elite member, and patiently put up with a lot of back and forth as I sorted out the best seat for an injured knee with them.
But I’ve not asked them for other help, such as with ticketing (which I have done with Delta – fantastic as you note – and Air France; AF is generally slower to respond than Delta, but I’ve had decent experiences with them)
Anyway re: KLM, this was mostly in 2015 and early in 2016. Wonder if something has changed.
@Todd – Thanks for data points. Interesting
I have had similar situations but PWAC slack channel kinda helped me push them / proper wording. It’s like KLM twitter agents need everything “digested” before. I had to mention my status, give my skymiles number, and specifically say my reservation was on delta .com for them to later get me “C+” seats in TXL-AMS and AMS-ATH
In my experience, if you’re super clear, they work fine (other than the long hours waiting like 1-2hs to each reply)
I flew KLM early December and have vowed to never again do so. It has been two months and my luggage is still missing. I’ve been to the airport, wrote to the complaints department (which they ironically also have for compliments), Facebook, Twitter, you name it. KLM Twitter department is actually the one that has been the most helpful. But I advise that if you want something done about it, talk publicly to them. They’ll try to get you to private message but don’t fall for that.
@KLM on Twitter, I find, are slow to respond, usually full of excuses why they cannot help, but very polite. Recently, I found another solution. Go to the KLM.com website under Contact Us, and you will find 2 or 3 800 telephone numbers. These connect to a Tampa FL office manned by Delta people whose job is to represent KLM in the US. They can select seats and do other things even the Delta Diamond people have given up on. They recently helped me with Air Baltic codeshare flights.
@Glenn – Sweet tip. Thanks!
I second Glenn’s comment — the Delta agents who staff the AF/KL line are very helpful. I talked with one last week (ATL based, not TPA). I needed to cancel a very good fare AF ticket because I’ve put off retirement for 3 months at boss’s request. AF charges a $450 change fee and you have to reuse the value before the 1 year anniversary of the original issue date (different from DL rules).
This agent figured out a way for me to transfer at least $650 of the value to pay for a DL ticket.
@Tom – Thanks. Lesson learned – call next time for service!
I used this for the second time recently. Actually, I don’t use Twitter but the Facebook link on the website. The first time it was excellent. An aircraft change had turned my carefully selected seat into a middle seat. I called in and suggested a solution. I couldn’t have exactly what I want, but they did make an excellent suggestion.
The second time was just a few weeks ago. It dealt with what kind of fees a DL Silver Medallion would pay to use at one of the AMS Crown Lounges. This passenger is blind and was traveling from SVO to the USA in a few weeks. First they didn’t respond at all. Then they said that I would have to contact the lounge and gave me the local number at the Crown Lounge in AMS. And they were very busy. I asked again for the answer and that I understood that they would get me the answer. They told me that the lounge was only open to DL Silver if there was space. I pointed that the passenger would be brought there by an AMS wheelchair attendant. Did they really want to spend 30 mins taking her to the Crown lounge only to find it was closed due to crowding, and then take her to the general lounge? So what were the hours? Finally she gave up and called her acquaintances at the Moscow office. They facilitated her entry. When she arrived, she was able to enter easily. I thought this service was ideal for answering questions like this, but the wheelchairafter late morning which did not match the time my friend was there. Why does KLM advertise this Facebook service and then deliver so poorly.
KLM is not helpful? Really? I have no love for KLM or their “Lounge Witches”.
I’ve been on numerous GUC’s from AMS to ATL and NEVER have been allowed a C+/1st class seat from GLA to AMS. NEVER!