Whatever crabby airline lady!!!!!!!!

Yes, I did.

I sent a leter to the 'Claims Office' which is at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. I was told here in Stockholm by KLM that this was the place to send it to, their website stated as much as well. I didn't hear a word from them which truly surprised me. I thought that at the very least that I would receive a letter of apology. I wasn't asking for free airfare after all...

Amsterdam isn't a very large city at all really -- the 'proper' city part of Amsterdam...we covered most of it on foot.  Do think about a short tour at least -- if they offer one.

Thanks Carolyn, I will check into it, but still really leery of it. You have to understand I live in a city of less than 15,000 and can get lost driving to the next city (if sent a new route) and I've lived in this area pretty much all of my life! Absolutely no sense of direction, I just never have no matter how I try. It's a running joke with my friends and family, since I usually end up calling one of them when I am lost  I am also perpetually late, a terrible combination when a flight I have been waiting months to take is in question!

Sabeine, sorry to hear about your experiences, that's horrible! Thankfully I am not flying with a pet, since just visiting! I've flown Northwest for years for domestic flights, and used them the last two trips to England with no complaints. Horrible to hear that happened to you and your cat! Makes you wonder what the animals go through in there! :\\\'(

Well and another member made a good point -- when you're traveling/flying, three hours may not be long enough to do something like that...  Once you factor in possibly late arrivals, check-in, security, etc.  Anyhoo - if you ever get the chance.

Unfortunately airlines has the right to change their departure times right up to the time you take off..........Not nice.....

always check your return time as well....

The only negative flying experience I ever had was with Continental, and I never got an apology either. 

I won a ticket, and purchased another so my daughter and I could fly to Mobile and visit friends in Pensacola for Thanksgiving in 1998.  This was my daughter's first plane ride, and we really looked forward to it. 

We had a great flight there and lots of fun with our friends.  However, when it was time to go home, the airport had booked my 8-year-old and I on separate flights---something I certainly did not ask them to do!  There was a dirty, unshaven guy in a T-shirt and jeans working the counter.  He looked at my ticket and strongly insinuated that it wasn't a real ticket and tried to interrogate me about where I got it.  I repeatedly told him I won it, and he then decided to get a clean lady in a Continental uniform to settle the matter.  She explained to him that my ticket was legit and made sure that my child and I got on the plane together.  I filed a complaint, and didn't get an apology either.   

I think this time I'll just pop my head out the door, or peek out the windows while in Amsterdam, but will be cool to see something new even if only a small peek 

I am hoping nothing changes with my Northwest flights between now and then, as November is still unfortunately a long ways off  :\\\'(

Mariposa, wow that is a crazy thing trying to send you on separate plans with a child!! I've had it happen that when traveling with friends, you purchase the tickets together and end up half a plane apart, but that is ridiculous. Luckily it all worked out in the end for you!

Thanks all for your replies, I was really just blowing off steam as the crabby lady had me a bit crabby by the end of the call!    Luckily the guy I spoke to when I called Continental back was polite and understanding! I get more airmiles with Northwest anyways since I have an account started there, so it all worked out and I only spent $16 more so not a big deal! Just another learning experience for me now that I am an international traveler LOL

I forgot about the thing I found most annoying in Amsterdam...  I had a layover there on my way to England and it was no problem. Spent some time online and then boarded my flight about 30 minutes before departure as usual. However, when my husband and I had a layover there on our way to the US it was different. They called everyone for boarding 1 1/2 hours before the flight! This was because everyone had to go through an interview to get on the flight! I've never had this happen. Everyone lined up... they had two people doing the little interviews. When it was our turn we stepped up (if you were flying with someone else they talked to you together). They asked who we were to each other (just bf/gf at the time), how long we knew each other, how we met, why we were going to the states, etc. Then he wanted to see our itineraries and he was giving me a really hard time because I didn't have mine with me. Well, I didn't need one because my flight info was the same as my husbands, obviously. Anyway, once you went through the interview then they released us all into a different part of the airport. We waited around there for about 45 minutes before we got on a bus and were taken out to the plane. Loooong boarding process!

So.... if you ever have a layover there on your way to the states, find out when they want you ready to board before you go anywhere!

So.... if you ever have a layover there on your way to the states, find out when they want you ready to board before you go anywhere!

Wow, I've never heard of anything like that either? But on the return flight I only have about an hour layover in Amsterdam, so can't be ready to board 1-1/2 hours ahead, and definitely won't be leaving the airport! I guess if they need to interview me to find out why I want to go home..... they can go for it 

You have to go through an interview now to get into the boarding area for flights returning to the US.  There is also an extra secutity check point just to get to the gates.  When you get there, just find your gate and then find the ridiculously long line snaking down the wall to get into the boarding area.  Sometimes you have another xray machine there too.

I flew home through Amsterdam recently (May of this year) on Northwest, and checkin was really fairly efficient.  It was just at the gate, though....I sent my hand luggage through the x-ray machine, they asked the normal "did you pack your own bags, etc." questions, examined my travel docs, then reunited me with my hand luggage and sent me onto the plane.  There was quite a line, but it moved really fast.  I was closer to the end of the line than the beginning, and still I was on the plane in less than 20 minutes.  It's entirely possible that things have changed since then...

Well as long as I make my flights, I am sure it will all be fine, here's hoping I have good luck and make it through quickly 

Sillysnip, I am VERY well acquainted with Schipol, as I got stuck there during a blizzard in March, and I can tell you that there is no possible way that you could go see anything in Amsterdam with a three hour lay-over. This airport is absolutely massive. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was flew from Aberdeen to Paris with a lay-over there and I BARELY made my connection with an hour. . . .

Having said that, at least you will have a little bit of time to check out their duty-free, which is awesome. 

I agree with Sabine (and certainly feel sorry for her poor cat,) though I think that her description just applies to KLM in general, and not the Schipol staff specifically. I have nothing but bad things to say about the KLM staff in every city I've flown them in. They are worse than Southwest in the States. In the four months I have been flying with them, they have lost my luggage in Houston and informed me that it was "funny" (I SWEAR I'm not making that up.) Their ground staff has been grossly incompetent, inefficient, and rude on a consistent basis (six times in four months.) . . . .I try to fly BA, but unfortunately, KLM is much easier to catch out of Aberdeen than BA. . . .These days, I long for Continental.

Sillysnip, I am VERY well acquainted with Schipol, as I got stuck there during a blizzard in March, and I can tell you that there is no possible way that you could go see anything in Amsterdam with a three hour lay-over. This airport is absolutely massive. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was flew from Aberdeen to Paris with a lay-over there and I BARELY made my connection with an hour. . . .

Scary Brimarie! I've never really had to do a connecting flight before and only have an hour layover on the way home... Well at least if I do miss my connection it's going home, instead of messing up my time getting there! It will be interesting anyways, which is always good for a laugh!

Sorry you've had such trouble with KLM, now are they are part of Northwest or just a partner airline? I am not clear on that, though I know there is some connection. I really like Northwest, I have used them to travel from Minneapolis to Los Angeles at least 8 times, once to Las Vegas, and twice to London. The only thing I could complain about was the last flight home from London, the bathrooms were unbearable!!! Disgusting! The man seated next to me commented about it, saying they should have emptied them before we left London! No idea, but other than that I have never had a problem! Continental on the other hand was where the "crabby airline lady" worked, but the gentleman was very nice and I've never flown with them so can't comment one way or another on their service.

SillySnip. . . .I THINK (and I'm not 100% here) that they are just a partner airline. Just like Continental and Air France are merely partners, and not the same entity. . . . .I don't honestly know how this works either. It seems like they're the same, yet totally different. If you find out, let me know!  . . . .Before I came over here, I had flown exclusively with Continental since I'm from Houston and that is their hub.  I have probably flown the airline at least 30 times, and have had one minor incident, and one delay that I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sorry the "crab" worked for them. I don't think that's reflective of their level of service.

You should be able to make your connection, but you will have to walk fast, unless you get lucky enough to connect in the same terminal. (This doesn't seem to happen too often. My husband flies through there at least once a month and runs into the same problem. This means that you may have to go back through immigration and security during your lay-over time.) If you are in a different terminal, just move as fast as you can, and take advantage of the moving walkways. I hope you have better luck than I have! 

Brimarie..........your right they are part of an Alliance called Skyteam.

It's like BA & AA are part of One World Alliance..BA & AA co-share flight numbers...they are totally different airlines owned separately but as part of the alliance you can get a thru ticket and you can be a member of One World Alliance and get air miles for flying One World routes...Aer Lingus is part of the One World Alliance...as is Quantas.

Just so you know for next time travelling a Thru ticket is invaluable.

If you have a thru ticket from point A to point B and you have a connection somewhere in the middle, if for any reason your first flight is delayed and you miss your onward connecting flight the airline is responsible for you! They have to put you on the next available flight....

But there is a limit..like I don't think some of them will pay for a overnight hotel..and if you have delays for longer than a few hours they should provide you with meal vouchers....


But if you have two separate tickets...say...like I was to book off the IOM to Manchester with BA and then onto Prague with BMI Baby, if the BA flight was late leaving and I missed my BMI flight neither airlines has to do squat for you........unless I paid the premium amount and had a changeable ticket....but unless you are able to pay those kinda fares....and I am not....you get the cheapest...which are general non-changeable and non-refundable...so to get to Prague you would have to buy a new return ticket.


Shell

PS...also if you book a return ticket...if you don't use your outbound ticket they will cancel your return one as well....
So be sure and call the airline and let know if you have made alternative arrangements for you outbound flight but still using your inbound flight.