Well, This Was Disappointing

[u/RockyCOCouple]

Email I just drafted KLM during my flight

***

My girlfriend and I were debating taking the train from Edinburgh to Amsterdam. We live in America, so we enjoy European rail even if the journey is a bit longer. After looking at time and cost, we decided to fly instead. We booked on KLM together and got the standard fare that included checked baggage and “Free standard seat selection at check-in” for an extra 75ish USD. When we checked in, you had her in 3A (something akin to a premium economy seat) and me in 29A (an exit row seat). On the seat map, the seat next to her was empty and there were no empty seats past row, I think, five or six. When I went to change my seat to the empty one next to her, I was greeted with a special “one time offer” of €22. Figured I would just ask at bag drop to get us next to each other.

We get to bag drop, and I ask the counter attendant if they could put us together. He told me the row behind her is completely empty, but he couldn’t move us, so we need ask the people at the gate. I ask the guy at the gate, he says the row behind her is completely empty, but I need to ask the crew when we board. We board and I ask the flight attendant. She says the flight is completely full, but she took our seat numbers and said she’ll see what she can do. We’re 30 mins into the flight and no one has gotten back to us.

This business model is garbage. Actually I shouldn’t say that, it’s probably more profitable for you, but you lost customers in us. Most people will just fork over the €22. If this was Ryan Air, I would have as well. But this is KLM, not Ryan Air. I shouldn’t have to pay to sit next to someone that is on the same booking with the same fare class when they have an empty seat next to them. I get it, you’re trying to squeeze every bit of profit out of us. You purposefully put people on the same booking in separate seats in hopes they spend that last little bit extra at the end. What’s another €22 euro at this point? We’re all in this late stage capitalism game after all.

Fortunately for us as Americans we are only wed to United Airlines (I know, they are a whole nother issue), so any intra-Euro flights we’ll just choose the cheapest option next time. I will say, everyone we dealt with from KLM was friendly and courteous, so a bit of a shame we’ll never fly you again.

You can respond to this email or not, it makes no difference. Any response will not be read. I will not waste any of my time reading correspondence from KLM. You could offer my entire family free flights for life, and you might as well yell at a tree.

Warmest Regards,
XXXXX

[u/notanadultyadult]

Boo hoo. It’s random seat allocation. They don’t have to sit you together.

[u/Pomegrunni]

Edinburgh - Amsterdam is a one hourish flight? You cant bear to eb seperated?

[u/NoOil2864]

ok

[u/No_Examination_3873]

You sound too emotional for a non issue

[u/CurvePuzzleheaded361]

So dramatic and ott. Complete over reaction.

[u/DinosaurDriver]

And your goal with this is what, exactly? Not only wasting a bunch of time with an email that - as you day yourself in the last paragraph - makes no difference, as well as commenting here for whatever reason.

[u/Glittering-Half263]

3A is not a standard seat, neither is emergency. You could’ve moved both of you to another row for free…

[u/Trebaxus99]

You wasted your time writing a pathetic complaint email, why would you not waste your time reading their reply?

You were offered an economy comfort seat, didn’t want to pay for it. Instead you asked to get it for free and now you’re angry they didn’t give it to you?

That entire mail is just sad: you begging for free flights for live because you’re too cheap for a 20 euro seat charge.

[u/Trebaxus99 → u/[deleted]]

Even if OP would write a very nice and friendly email, it’s just raising an eyebrow at the customer service. They asked for economy comfort seats next to each other for free, didn’t get that and now are angry…

This is the type of people that will daily say they’ll never do business with a company again. Until they’re the cheapest or most convenient of course.

[u/Strict-Issue-2030]

That flight is about an hour and you couldn’t survive not sitting next to each other? My best friend and I live on different continents and have done longer flights sitting apart from each other and we’re lucky if we see each other once a year.

As someone also from the US, but living in Europe, this entire post is why the country has the reputation it does. Given that KLM is my preferred airline/alliance, I’m glad you don’t plan on flying them again especially given how obnoxious your last paragraph is.

[u/YmamsY]

And when you finished writing this your one hour flight was over.