New rules accumulation and spending miles … As of next year, Air France-KLM Flying Blue will review background fills, its loyalty program, which dates from 2005.
The 12 million members of Flying Blue from next year should discover in detail the new rules on which its teams work with Frederic Kahane, the set of director of loyalty to Air France-KLM also Transavia, Hop , Tarom, Kenya Airways and Air Calin. The latter has unveiled some of the tracks already and already validated daily Les Echos. We learn that this reform will be spread over 24 months and meets a double objective: “to improve greatly the satisfaction index, maintaining the economic balance of the program.” Do much better without it costing the company more to the equation is somewhat complicated.
The company initially committed to simplifying the rules for accumulation of miles. It intends to build on this fact that Delta Air Lines. Since 1 January 2015, the faithful passengers of the American company no longer receive miles based on the distance traveled but just the ticket price (excluding tax). Similarly to change status, in addition to a minimum number of flights, must now have spent a minimum amount each year with the company. What further promote the most profitable passengers.
Bad news for Silver cards
It is unclear whether Air France will resume the letter that system or just be inspired, but everything suggests that passengers traveling only personally will have more trouble staying Gold status allowing free access to lounges the company and more broadly in the lounges of the Skyteam alliance.
Air France is also committed to reserve more seats in its planes to those traveling through cheaper tickets “premium” tickets purchased with their miles. The boss of Flying Blue ensures that its program distributes each day to its most loyal customers the equivalent of 1,000 round-trip tickets from Paris to New York. Without specifying all the new conditions of access to its ticketing “Prime”, Frederic Kahane ensures, for example, it takes 20% less miles for European flights. And those who did not accumulate enough can also use them to book hotel nights and pay the bill directly to miles on a dedicated website.
The few thousand customers “Platinum” – the most difficult status to achieve – will be more pampered. They will be entitled to a phone line that will be entirely dedicated to them whatever the nature of the service that Air France-KLM is likely to bring. However, bad news for passengers who do not travel enough to stay Gold. The Silver status will no longer allow priority boarding, baggage delivered first, and priority access to security checks and immigration.
BFM Business (via Google Translate)
Passenger mistakes door for loo on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight
A passenger who was banned for trying to open a jet door at 30,000ft claims he mistook it for the toilet.
James Gray was fined 600 euros by KLM after the incident on an Edinburgh to Amsterdam to flight, and was told he can’t fly with them for five years.
He says airline staff accused him of trying to open the door of the plane, but he insists he only touched the handle after confusing it for the door to the toilet.
Mr Gray, from Alloa, was escorted from the KLM flight from Edinburgh to Amsterdam the moment it touched down at Schiphol Airport.
But when he went to fly home he said KLM staff refused to let him board and said he was banned from flying with them for five years.
He only made it back after a pal paid for him to travel with a rival airline.
Mr Gray said: “The crew told me to stay in my seat and I was to be arrested when the plane landed.
“I tried to explain it was a simple mistake. It was a misunderstanding. The police came and arrested me. They weren’t too friendly.”
Mr Gray claims he spoke to a translator by phone as he was being interviewed by Dutch cops.
He also had to borrow money after the fine wiped out his holiday funds.
He said: “I was charged and fined 600 euros.
“I only had 750 euros with me so I had to borrow money for the rest of the stay over there.”
Mr Gray said he doesn’t know if he will face any further action over the incident but is adamant he wouldn’t dream of opening a plane door on purpose.
“I realise the danger of that sort of thing,” he added.
A spokeswoman for Schiphol Airport and a spokesperson for the Royal Dutch Border Police both refused to comment.
KLM said a passenger had been handed over to authorities due to “his misbehaviour” on-board.
The Telegraph