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I hear and read that KLM communicates so clearly on its website. However, I hardly notice it myself.
Because I would like to return to the Netherlands sometime in April and my flight with EVA Air cannot take place until May at the earliest, I started looking for possibilities with KLM. They have a lot of general corona related information on their website, but little specific information per destination.
They do report that instead of return flights they now also offer single trips at a special rate. If you then search the flight options under the heading 'repatriation', you will come to surprising findings. Firstly, flights are offered every day throughout the month of April. Secondly, when you buy a return ticket in economy class, you pay approximately Bht 9.000 for BKK – AMS and another Bht 9.000 for AMS – BKK. However, if you want to book a one-way ticket, you pay more than Bht. 33.000. If that is what a special price means, then I agree with them, but I still prefer to book a return flight.
However, I suspect that this flight information is completely wrong, but maybe it is. Who knows may say. Even if you send a Whatsapp message with questions, you will only receive automatically generated general information.
Submitted by Bram
Dear Bram,
recently there was an article in the newspapers that another 200.00 to 250.000 travelers want to return to the Netherlands. Every day, countries are locked and we have to switch gears again to find solutions. Any idea how busy the employees are with that? And yes, I was a KLM employee, so I know what I'm talking about. I will not comment on rates, KLM is and remains a commercial company, but 90% of the flights have been cancelled. Existing bookings are converted free of charge, but for new bookings, like yours, they charge top price. Also suspect that the number of flights ex Bangkok will soon no longer be daily. At the end of March, 2 flights have already been taken out of schedule and I think they are now brooding over the month of April. The longer countries ban flights and/or supply to or from it, the thinner the rinse becomes.
That's not new. A one-way ticket has long been much more expensive than a return. I've had to do that twice in 10 years (KLM and EVA); booked a return both times. Still a waste of money, of course, but better than a very expensive one-way ticket. You would almost think: Thai logic?
No, not Thai or Dutch logic. How many people fly one-way and how many fly return? Just a matter of optimally booking a plane. Different booking classes are also necessary to fill aircraft economically so that costs are removed and profits are made. The latter is really necessary for companies in general to even survive.
I had bought a one-way ticket BKK to Amsterdam from Eva air for my girlfriend. She has an MVV visa. You can enter the Netherlands with that. Now Eva air has canceled all flights. So I also went to look at KLM. I've never found the service there to be the best. But need breaks knowledge. And indeed it is now kt
If you still have little work for your people. Then handle this misery well. Then you make a good turn with the Dutch public. But no….
Does anyone have information on what we can expect in the short term in terms of flights/companies to the Netherlands?
Little work applies to a large part of KLM staff, but absolutely not to Cygnific Service Center (which is an outsourced company, no longer KLM) because it handles telephone reservations, rebookings, etc. But yes at a distance without full insight and knowledge of business, it's always easier to criticize, right?
Today I booked a ticket to Amsterdam with Eva Air for tomorrow and I'm still going. So what is stated above that Eva Air has canceled all flights is not correct.
Your Thai girlfriend is also not allowed to enter the Netherlands for the time being, so watch what you do. All Schengen countries are closed to foreigners.
Sorry, but booking with KLM is very easy. You must be computer illiterate if you can't. I almost always fly KLM between the Netherlands and Thailand/Malaysia/Indonesia, both business class for consultancy (i.e. work) or economy class for private purposes, and I hardly have any problems. Service is excellent and care on board. Internal Asia I usually fly other airlines and I think they are just less than KLM. I really don't understand your problem. You probably like to complain.
In this time it's very difficult they want to but it's not possible they really do their utmost.
I don't know if you saw that a KLM plane wanted to land but couldn't because they had blocked the runway. Friends of ours were in Africa and it also took a while for them to return 4 x flight canceled also from the Canary Islands our family was there if they fly but no permission to land then you can't help it. Now take a look at the site previously mentioned on Thailandblog, maybe you will get a little further with that. It costs 900,00 euros one way.
Check carefully whether she is allowed to come this week, a large group of people were still stuck at Schiphol, were not allowed in and they were also in the air, the plane had to turn around.
Good luck and virtual hugs.
One-way ticket at KLM is indeed significantly more expensive than a return. We also experienced this. Singapore airlines did offer a good solution, with a transfer for 12k baht.
Maybe this is a possibility.
When are you flying if I may ask?
We had initially booked for March 13, now postponed to mid May. I see that the one-way fare is now only given at the end of May at 11,5k baht, before that they have now also increased it to 19,5k baht. However, at the time of booking, we also reached +28k at KLM.
Yes, but they claim on their website in the text about corona that one-way tickets are now cheaper than normal. Furthermore, it cannot be that difficult not to offer tickets for flights that will probably not take place. That saves a lot of false expectations and cancellations. A simple text on the website with expectations regarding future flights would be sufficient. Furthermore, it is a strange policy regarding single trips. Surely no one would be crazy enough to take a one-way ticket when a return ticket is much cheaper. If AH charges more for half a loaf than for a whole loaf, everyone thinks the company is crazy.
There are many countries where you are not allowed to enter with a one-way ticket. A return ticket is then required. With low-cost carriers, the rates are based on a one-way trip. Hub-to-hub. With the reputable airlines, the rates are based on a return flight.
KLM is indeed very unclear in communication and also terribly difficult to reach.
Yes it is busy but that is also the case with other companies.
We have a warm heart for KLM, but even for our own staff they cannot be reached at the moment.
If you then look at Eva or China airlines who contact stranded travelers themselves, they unfortunately drop stitches
Your story is wrong. KLM is easily accessible for its own staff. My partner works at KLM.
Most passengers who have not yet been repatriated must ask themselves why. If it has been said for 2 weeks that no more flights will be allowed in a certain country and repatriation flights are being used daily, one should immediately use the free rebooking option and leave as soon as possible. If you now say that you are booked for the end of April and wonder whether there will be any flights at all at the end of April, then you are very late. Even a donkey gradually knows that from the end of March it is not allowed to fly, except for a few repatriation flights. If you went with an Eva air you have to be with Eva for your return flight. You shouldn't blame KLM for not being available because you want to get a cheap one-way ticket. These people cannot return until June. One bright spot is that the airline in question must ensure that stranded passengers are taken care of until they can fly back.
When is that flight with Singapore Airlines?
Today is the last chance to fly with Singapore Airlines.
the latest info from Eva-air this morning is that they DO fly from Bangkok to Amsterdam with passengers. Airplane comes empty from Taipei to Bangkok and also from the Netherlands to Tapai is flown without passengers.
Last flight is March 28, just got through from my travel agent is going ahead.
negative (-) lead
23MAR2020 – 09:26 PM (local Amsterdam time)
Flight BR76 from Amsterdam to Taipei will no longer make a stopover in Bangkok with immediate effect. This at the behest of the Thai authorities (see below). This currently only applies to flights to Taipei.
Flight BR75 from Taipei via Bangkok to Amsterdam will be operated according to schedule until March 28. Passengers will no longer be transported on the route between Taipei and Bangkok. This is still possible between Bangkok and Amsterdam for the time being.
By order of the Taiwanese 'Central Epidemic Command Center' (CECC), it is no longer possible to travel via Taipei to your final destination from April 24, 2020 00:00 (Taipei Standard Time). This is still possible between Bangkok and Amsterdam for the time being. This is to stop the rising number of imported infections in Taiwan. For more information, go to
https://www.cdc.gov.tw/…/Bul…/Detail/_4X1IrBQkPHiaVGm2T2A5g…
#EVAAir #experienceEVAAir
Unfortunately Singapore Airlines is no longer an option.
Singapore now bans airport transit passengers as well as visitors
Singapore will ban all transit passengers from Tuesday March 24, along with short-term visitors to the island nation, with the aim of preventing the coronavirus pandemic from taking hold in the city-state, which this weekend recorded its first two deaths from Covid- 19 complications.
Cheapest offer I could find, eg on April 7th was from Etihad, price around 350 us dollars. Are you on the road around 18 pm. Also depending on what is yet to happen in terms of closing traffic from certain countries. The overview also includes Qatar Airways and Eva Air, so I don't have much confidence in that site.
Etihad suspends all flights from March 25. See https://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/categorie/72/algemeen/verenigde-arabische-emiraten-stoppen-alle-passagiersvluchten
ps I just looked at the Etihad website and one-way ticket costs Thb 7 on April 10.815. Even 30 kilos of luggage. Since I don't know when you want to travel, I have only set a date in April.
Dear readers,
Yes, I also think KLM's website is a big mess of bad information.
I've been trying for 2 weeks now to cancel my vacation to the Netherlands and get my payment for four tickets back.
I send them an email, then after three days I get the stupid answer: sorry sir we can't communicate with you via email, you have to contact us via FaceBook or Twitter
Then I emailed them back that I don't have FaceBook nor Twitter.
Then it became very quiet until today, so tomorrow I will call them otherwise I may have to drive to Bangkok to their office.
But I think it's sad that a Dutch company offers its bad service to their customers.
I already bought these 4 tickets on October 10, 2019 via the KLM website.
I understand that they are very busy right now with the people who want to go home quickly.
If you help me a little further, they can sell 4 tickets again that leave on April 3…..
Best regards,
Jos
KLM can also be reached via Whatsapp.
Whatsapp number: +31206490787
Everyone is doing their stinking best. Also at KLM. For years we had the luxury of being able to travel all over the world together. We are now seeing and noticing the negative consequences of this. Let's hope that everyone who is stuck somewhere can get home as soon as possible. Everyone at KLM does their utmost to achieve this.
Is there even another airline with which we can fly to Amsterdam?
Etihad also suspended its flights last night.
We stood in front of the check-in desk!!
Jose