KLM has invested heavily in a digital customer service experience that emphasizes consumer choice and rapid responses. This means that, when things go wrong, passengers are usually kept informed of developments to their journey in a timely manner.
This summer, on a flight operated by KLM wet-lease partner Eastern Airways from Teesside airport to Amsterdam, the SkyTeam Alliance member’s digital investments were put to the test.
The experience actually began the day before departure when KLM sent a message to my phone informing me that the flight would no longer have a business class cabin due to a plane change. I spoke with an agent who was very clear and polite, reassuring me that I would be refunded the difference.
I didn’t think much of it until I checked in on the app but could not get a boarding pass or a seat number.
I arrived at Teesside airport to a chaotic scene. A staffer managing the priority queue informed me that, due to an earlier cancellation, I was now on standby. Nonetheless, I was handed a boarding pass which did in fact have a seat number on it, and bizarrely, it was still ticketed as business class (Eurobusiness style which entails an enhanced service and extra legroom).
Slightly confused, but quietly optimistic, I made my way to the airport lounge to await boarding.
Interestingly, whilst in the lounge, I was asked if I wanted to upgrade to an extra legroom seat for my disrupted flight (in what was likely an errant autogenerated message.)
I endured some bitter coffee while our Eastern Airways-branded Embraer E170 touched down and pulled up at the gate next to a totally unbranded aircraft, which turned out to be our original plane.
Teesside allows boarding from the lounge for business class, so I patiently waited to board, enjoying the sight of ex-Finnair water tanks being ferried back and forth to the plane.
Three minutes before our scheduled departure, boarding began. Entering the aircraft, I was greeted by a flustered cabin crew and a vibrant interior featuring blue, cubic-designed scratchy fabrics on the seats.
The cabin felt very dated and the physical seat was quite uncomfortable, but the legroom was not bad. RGN contributor John Walton spotted that the fabric would have been installed by the jet’s former operator, Finnair/Norra.
It was at this point that the flight began to unravel completely. Firstly, we were told there was a baggage loading issue so we would be delayed in taking off.
Then, the gate agents brought another passenger to the plane to be boarded, only for him to be told that it was in fact full. Several head counts then ensued before the additional passenger was returned to the gate.
Then, in an unrelated event, a bag was declared missing from the hold. I nervously checked the clock as the minutes ticked by, thinking about my short connection time in Amsterdam. The KLM app assured me that I would make my connection.
Any hopes of making that flight were finally dashed when the Captain informed us that the load sheet was incorrect, and we couldn’t take off without the correct one. So, I tried to rebook myself onto another flight for the Amsterdam-Hamburg leg.
The KLM app only showed me availability for the following day, even though later flights to my destination were available. With no help or information from the Eastern crew (who simply said “you have to speak to KLM”), I used KLM’s WhatsApp chat to find a solution.
The agent was quick to respond on WhatsApp, but said they could not provide an alternative. (If this was a bot, it was a good one!)
Two hours in — while the aircraft was still on the ground — the meal service for economy class began. It was a coconut macaroon, which was fine. Fifteen minutes later, we took off.
The 55-minute flight was uneventful. I stared at the clouds and enjoyed a small cup of Coke Zero as we zipped across the North Sea. The small, aged plane did not have Wi-Fi.
As we landed in Amsterdam, I was very relieved to see on the app that KLM had re-booked me onto a flight leaving later that same afternoon, albeit in economy class.
I received my ticket from the automated kiosk near the gate before speaking to a ground agent about my class of travel. They took my ticket, checked my booking, and then re-issued me a business class seat.
As I headed to the lounge to wait for my next flight, I wasn’t sure what to make of the preceding flight. It was hard to tell if the sheer chaos of the departure was the fault of the airport or Eastern, but it was unpleasant and stressful, and would make me think twice about flying with them again (if given the choice).
What was impressive, however, was the digital support I received from KLM to resolve the issues. Their customer service team was quick to respond and very clear on what they could and could not do.
Overall, KLM’s investment in digital is impressive, though negative customer experiences with partners can undermine such strides.
Related Articles:
All images credited to the author, Fintan Horan-Stear
