I've just got back from a short business trip to the Netherlands and I flew KLM.
A couple of points on my trip: in both directions, a member of staff managed to spill liquid on someone or something. In my case, it was water over my trousers on the outward flight, I don't know what it was on the return; the paperwork of the passenger behind me received a shower.
The check in in Schiphol on the way back was interesting, for all the wrong reasons.
I arrived with a colleague and a mildly overweight bag. He was carrying 12kg, I had 25.7 (according to the scales). The trainee behind the counter was unapologetic about me carrying "so much" and therefore charged me 6kg of excess.
At the same time, I heard the next check-in girl comment to another passenger that she could "accept only up to 22kg".
I don't like the fact I got charged for 6kg. If 22 is acceptable, why wasn't it four or three kg charged? I've only ever been charged excess luggage once before, when I was carrying 42kg. Then I was charged for 5kg. I had no status with that airline, or, at that time, history with them either.
I disagree vehemently with the practice that the two of us, travelling together, could not split a luggage allowance. The girl behind the counter appeared to suggest that I take luggage out of my bag - if it were in another bag, there would be nothing stopping it being attached to my colleague's name - but that would increase handling and probably costs for the airline. So what was the point? Is this acceptable and good customer service?
The only airline I know of who advertises "no splitting, no sharing" is Ryanair. That's an enviable boat to be in.
I find the statements on the back of the receipt for the excess baggage payment disingenuous; "Excess baggage is governed by international rules... by which all carriers are bound". That statement itself is an excuse for doing whatever you want and pointing the finger at "international rules", which as we all know, no-one reads. Further, there is a "some articles are free over and above... when retained in your custody"; this implies discretion is available, but you are bound by rules?
The intended implication is clear for me: "we can't do anything", with a strong hint of "we don't want to, either".
Saying "we can't do it" is simply not true: it smells of arrogance and is bad customer communication.
If you were to have "We must allow all passengers their basic allowance and therefore reserve the right to charge for extra" that would be a different story. As it is, I personally see the statement as misleading in the extreme. I would also like to know about the "international rules" you refer to? Your conditions of carriage refer back to the website, which is where they came from. The Warsaw Convention - at least from my reading - merely states that excess may be refused if it would prohibit other passengers from fulfilling their allowance. It was obvious on take-off that the 737 was fully-loaded, but refusing two passenger the ability to split an allowance reeks of a desire to take as much money as possible off the customer. Or is this the intention?
I await a reply with interest.
PS: the English on the bottom of the "excess baggage" slip is also incorrect. "This is not the luggage ticket, as defined..... nor is it the baggage identification tag" would be correct. As it stands it makes no sense.
Those tender little burgers with them little, itty-bitty grilled onions that just explode in ya mouth like flavor crystals every time you bite into one.. just makes me want to burn this muthafuka down.... Come on, Pookie, let's burn this muthafuka down!!!
