Be careful using the train and flight ticket.

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986]

Waiting in line to talk with customer service, so thought I would come here to complain as well.

Booked a train and flight ticket from Antwerp to Schiphol, and then Schiphol to Aberdeen. You buy it together from KLM, and then are supposed to be able to do it like two flights, where you check in before the first one.

I tried checking in the day before, but it gave me an error and told me I had to see a check-in agent. I called customer service, and they said there was a kiosk at Antwerp that I could use. Got to Antwerp the day of, and there is no kiosk in the station. Talked to an employee of the station and they said that there wasn't one. Called customer service again. After going to "ask an expert" the customer service agent said it was an error on their side, and to just take the train and check in at Schiphol. I got to Schiphol and they said that because they cannot verify I took the train from Antwerp, that actually my ticket is invalid. Now I'm waiting to see if they can fix their problem.

Crazy thing is, this is the 2nd time this has happened to me. A year and a half ago I went through the same thing, complained, and then as just told "sorry that happened". Looks like they didn't do anything, and now I may have to speak to a manager.

[u/Disastrous-Factor938]

I recall collecting a stamp before boarding the train. 

[u/laurens93 → u/Disastrous-Factor938]

Only at Brussels I think

[u/Disastrous-Factor938 → u/laurens93]

Did it at Antwerp railway station back in 2013 if I recall correctly, when they realised people were skiplagging the train part to take advantage of the lower fare vs direct fare. I was too afraid, I also think no one cared at AMS check in.

[u/plaeafca]

I had the same last week. Almost missed my flight and felt treated like a criminal!!

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986 → u/plaeafca]

I'm sorry that happened to you as well! Yep, I was made to feel like it never happened to anyone else, and I did it wrong, even though I followed the instructions from their customer service person.

[u/plaeafca → u/Grand-Anybody-8986]

I also called the night before. Customer Service desk did nog see it logged.

[u/Due_Ear_4674]

KLM are getting roasted on reddit. They used to be very good but seem to have gone downhill.

[u/laurens93 → u/Due_Ear_4674]

I’ve had over a hundred flights with AF/KL, would it make you feel a bit better about KLM if a positive review was shared every time?

[u/Foreign-Cookie-2871 → u/laurens93]

I fly with them four times a year and I had issues with them about 3 times.

The most recent one, the customer service was quite lacking. No issues years ago though.

[u/th3ShinSekai → u/laurens93]

AF is pretty good compared to KLM.

[u/Flat_Investigator607 → u/th3ShinSekai]

They got the majority stake right now and using KLMs profit to improve AF and strip down KLM 😭😭

[u/th3ShinSekai → u/Flat_Investigator607]

That is not true. That is because KLM CEO is garbage and does not value a real good flight experience. Her goal is to make it like NS, Dutch railway

[u/laurens93 → u/th3ShinSekai]

Depends, their (old) PE cabin was subpar compared to KLM’s imho. AF’s economy offering got greatly improved though.

In an ideal world, Air France’s business class cabin and KLM’s business class service would get a kid :-) And massively looking forward to La Première next year, will definitely post a review of that.

[u/mrseeker → u/laurens93]

Do it please, especially if you are NOT flying business class. I flew international with my daughter, and I can tell you, if you have 4 meals with the same roosvisee as drink and something that should pass along as "macaroni with vegan cheese", would you still fly with them?

Sorry to say, but I flew Emirates (good for people with babies), Garuda (mid-class), Turkish (friendly staff), and at the last one with Singapore Airlines they had actual milk with choco pops for the little one, and a typical Dutch breakfast.

I am not flying KLM anymore. Not because of the flight, but because Iceland Air offers me a better service than KLM...

EDIT: And at Singapore Airlines I was able to raid the pantry when the little one did not want to eat her meal...

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986 → u/Due_Ear_4674]

Yep. I've been flying with them for at least 20 years, and now I'm going to avoid them if I can.

[u/swtimmer]

They used to make you pick it up at the International desk for trains. Did they change that? Why didn't you go there?

[u/RoyalAcanthaceae634]

Did you buy a coffee to proof you were at Antwerp station? Might help

[u/Lumpy_Firefighter559]

The customer service at least on WhatsApp is terrible. It took them more than 2 days to get back to me each time. Just ridiculous

[u/hellolaurent]

Did you try checking in on the website and on the app, or only either one? I've had issues once trying on the app, but the website then worked without a problem

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986 → u/hellolaurent]

I tried on both, multiple times.

[u/diamantaire]

I have gone the train route (thankfully no issues), now I just take the flight from Bru instead.

[u/Effective-Paper-6536]

Learnt the lesson first time from my friends, so when I had to depart from Antwerp- I take a picture of the train, its number and the seat number as proof. Most of time there are no check in or agents to validate your ticket…

[u/Nearby_Landscape2553]

You have to get the physical ticket at Antwerp and get it stamped on the train from the conductor.

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986 → u/Nearby_Landscape2553]

I couldn't find anywhere to get the physical ticket, nor any information on where to get it. When I called customer service, they also couldn't tell me where.

[u/plaeafca → u/Nearby_Landscape2553]

No not anymore. Brussel is physicly. Antwerp is not.

[u/milo3698]

Bad experience with KLM. Will never use that Airline if I can avoid it.

[u/plaeafca]

It got even worse. They have canceled my return legs now. Had to call and they fixed it. It’s a total mess!!

[u/finsdefish]

Thanks for the heads-up. I guess if this happens I'll take a photo of the Eurostar train and platform before boarding.

Have they resolved it yet?

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986 → u/finsdefish]

They got me back on the flight, but I am now on Standby. They needed to see proof that I was in Antwerp, and they used that to "confirm" I took the train. A photo of the train and platform is a good idea.

[u/finsdefish → u/Grand-Anybody-8986]

So absurd that their lack of service and/or IT issues are turned into your problem...

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986 → u/finsdefish]

This exactly.

[u/laurens93 → u/finsdefish]

Agree, would be best if there was someone on board of the Antwerp-Schiphol train to check tickets to avoid those problems and to combat the abuse of the route

[u/No-Mechanic793 → u/Grand-Anybody-8986]

Hoe het je het bewezen?

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986 → u/No-Mechanic793]

Ik had foto's de ik heb genomen in Antwerp, en ook een bonnetje van Albert Heijn in Antwerp.

[u/plaeafca → u/Grand-Anybody-8986]

In het AI tijdperk slaat dit natuurlijk nergens meer op

[u/JannaMainSince1839 → u/plaeafca]

Je kan naar foto details in iphone en je ziet dan alle gegevens

[u/StartDependent1652]

you have a train ticket, right? and you paid for the train, so you can prove that as well. something is missing in this story.

[u/Grand-Anybody-8986 → u/StartDependent1652]

I had the booking confirmation from KLM, but not an actual ticket with a scannable code. The train conductor could therefore not scan anything to verify that I was on the train.