KLM trouble

zaksmum

withabix wrote: »

KLM are really going to great lengths to avoid their legal responsibilities.

There should be plenty of people willing to gamble on an EU Class Action in a few weeks time!!

Once everybody finally gets home - whenever THAT may be - I'm sure all the horror stories will come out and the true scale of KLM's negligence will be known.

My daughter had to try to help an elderly British gentleman in Singapore who had become ill, and KLM couldn't give a stuff. When she told the KLM staff member she would make sure the media knew exactly what had been going on, the response was "that's fine." Just couldn't care less.

zaksmum

UKHCGirl wrote: »

try this?

http://www.flightradar24.com/

Ok thanks. I'll check that now.

zaksmum

Just found out that the KLM flight is listed as having left Singapore about an hour ago for Amsterdam. At least that's back in Europe...

andybrock

Good luck with your family getting home.

Watching the news tonight is frustrating with BA looking after people with assistance for hotels etc.
KLM have done none of this.

taliesin

withabix wrote: »

KLM are really going to great lengths to avoid their legal responsibilities.

Indeed. KLM (and Air France - they are the same airline now) seem to have ignored the needs of passengers in difficulties throughout this period. And of course, it is exactly when you are in difficulties that you need people and companies you can rely on.

There should be plenty of people willing to gamble on an EU Class Action in a few weeks time!!

I hope so.

My experience: A group from overseas, most with little or no English language skills and travelling on KLM, paid us a courtesy visit at work last week. They were unable to return home because of the ban on flying and I have spent much of my time since then trying to help them.

It has been impossible to contact KLM directly. The "customer support" phone lines were at first constantly engaged (understandable), then answered but kept you on hold before cutting you off after a few minutes, and now merely give a message saying to consult the website. The website instructed passengers not to go to the airport and told us to rebook flights through the "change of flight" pages. That process demanded substantial fees that this party simply did not have access to. Remember, the EC regulation outlaws charges for rebooking cancelled flights! At one point (Saturday, I think) the website did not work at all.

Fortunately, our regular travel agents were willing to help them. They have access to a special "agents only" phone line to KLM and were eventually able to rebook flights without charge. They asked KLM about arrangements for care of stranded passengers and were told that care was being provided only to passengers booked on premium tickets. Fortunately, the guest house at which this party is staying are willing to invoice them and wait for the cost to be recovered from KLM. If KLM don't live up to their obligations I expect my employer will feel obliged to pay the bill so as to maintain good relations locally.

The party were booked on a flight due to leave first thing (0600) this morning. The flight was showing as scheduled on both the airport web site and FlightStats at 2300 last night (as ever, no information at all from KLM), at which point they set off for the airport. They arrived to find that in the course of their journey, the flight had been cancelled and after waiting in a long queue were again told that no-one could do anything for them, not even rebook flights. They are on their way back now and I'll have to spend another few hours trying to get them on another flight, arranging accommodation and otherwise doing all the things that KLM should have done.

The point is, that this sort of thing, and worse, has been happening not just to one small group of travellers but to thousands, worldwide. KLM/AirFrance have acted in this way quite deliberately and need to be fined punitively by the regulatory authorities for doing so.

In the meantime, KLM - you remember, the people who couldn't even run a functioning let alone informative website through this incident - have now found the time to put up a video of a fat guy in a suit telling us how wonderful they have been through it all. I have a strong stomach but I think I want to vomit.

newleaf

Have to say none of this surprises me.
I flew with KLM once, about 12 yrs ago from memory, and christened them 'the couldn't care less airline'. I vowed then that I would never use them again.
A shame really, as their hub, Schiphol, is really nice.

zaksmum

Well, my daughter texted this morning to say she had landed in Amsterdam which, quote, was "hell on earth".

Apparently KLM there are even less interested than in Singapore. Her flight back to the UK shows as cancelled just now on the Amsterdam airport website, her phone's battery has died with nowhere to plug the charger in, and she's becoming increasingly frantic and ready to drop with exhaustion after six days (so far) of this fiasco.

KLM should be named and shamed by everyone who's endured their damaging indifference throughout this last week.

Ponkle22

Zaksmum,

I'm running late but wanted to part this info with you:

Chris Bryant, the Europe Minister was interviewed on the news earlier (he is at Madrid airport trying to help stranded passengers I believe - but dont take that as gospel as I wasnt paying full attention to where he was) said his department had a dedicated help line (well where the hell has that been advertised then?! I've not seen it anywhere!) to help people but now people must start using their airline and travel agents as help now (ROFLMA0!) and that his priority is for those stranded further abroad.

If I were you I would get in touch with the above Europe ministers office or google this help line or google him - I havent time now as I am running late but that is where you need to go next. He did say he flew in from Paris to Madrid - not sure if he lives in Paris or UK. Probably UK.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

usignuolo

Government has been on tv saying consular officials have all been instructed to help and Tessa Jowell (!) is coordinating their assistance from the cabinet office.

Trouble is what ministers say is what officials tell them they want to hear. Reality on the ground is usually different. No sign of the fleets of coaches at Madrid airport, or the Ark Royal waiting to pick people up at Santander, as announced by Gordon Brown two days ago. Now they are just bleating people should get to Calais.

Anyway here is the main help FCO line 44 207 008 0000
I suggest they ring them up and explain about UK citizens stranded in Malaysia in need of help who the local UK consul is avoiding.

zaksmum

My daughter now been told she will - hopefully - be flown to Heathrow later today from Amsterdam BUT....only after signing a disclaimer saying they absolved KLM from getting them back to Liverpool, their prebooked destination!!!!!!!!

If they don't sign, they don't get a flight.

I can't believe this.

She hasn't a clue how she is going to get back to Liverpool from Heathrow. She's now in day 6 of being stranded and is totally shattered. Heathrow is NOT what she needs right now.

KLM, what in the name of God are you playing at???????