Business News of Thursday, 22 July 2004

Source: KLM

KLM Official Response to "Abuse By KLM Airlines"

KLM' official rejoinder to the article Abuse By KLM Airlines?Not So Royal

Reaction to Paragraph 1

  • All KLM frequencies are via AMS and does not offer same destinations as Ghana Airways. Ghana Airways is not our competitor.
  • Electronic ticket is different from computerized ticket. KL Ghana is not e-ticket eligible. GH and all other carriers in Ghana issues computerized and manual tickets when the need arises.
Reaction to paragraph 2
  • KLM does not charge extra for weekend flights and British Airways also have daily flights.
  • Lufthansa flies 5 times a week to FRA including Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
  • Alitalia flies 5 times a week to MIL including Friday and Saturday
  • Ghana Airways operate flights to London Heathrow airport on Friday, Saturday & Sunday
  • Swiss International seized operations since October 2003.
Reaction to Paragraph 3
  • The Acromyn MESABA is not known to KLM. We are identified with MESA being traffic to Middle East and South Asia
  • Average of 70% of pax on our flights to Ghana are Africans and not 98% as claimed.
Reaction Paragraph 4
  • ?Numerous times? - There is no record of the author by that name on our frequent flyer program (FD) although he claims to fly numerous times.
  • Staffs are trained to be courteous and friendly.
  • Boarding gate: Passengers are never screamed at. Irony why then do we allow parents and children to board first as per his claim. Normal procedure, parents with children, business class and Platinum Elite card holders before rest boards.
  • Coupons are transferable upon authorization of bearer and can be utilized for all published fares and other surcharges.
Reaction Paragraph 5
  • KLM Ghana follows the standard worldwide procedures for baggage claims and handling.
Reaction Paragraph 6
  • Delivering of bags to pax at home is not possible in principle due to instructions from Customs authorities to have bags screened unless in very exceptional cases.
  • Receipts are not requested before first need payments are made.
  • There is staff backup procedure in place in Ghana.
Reaction Paragraph 7
  • 50% of bags at baggage area for KLM is untrue. That invariably means that KLM controls half of the industry in terms passengers and baggage
Reaction to Paragraph 8
  • No complaint has ever been received in the name of Nimo, Sam (the author) regarding a $135 coupon.
The points outlined above clearly show that the comments made by Mr Nimo Sam are misplaced and do not represent the true picture of what KLM stands for regarding our service delivery and customer relations. We have diligently served our Ghanaian passengers for over forty years, this we did consistently even when other carriers pulled out, our empathy and customer orientation has stood the test of time.

Thank You