KLM

[Nick Bartley]

Hello again everyone
Well even after sending the link to their UK general managers statement , KLM customer support where emailing that my flights in April were still ok and not changed !
So I decided to ring them and got the answer that they haven't been told yet about any changes - this was at 13:00 today ! After getting them to check my flights they found that the "ticketing people" had changed my return flights to a Manchester flight. They were full of apologies regarding the fact that no one has bothered to tell me that my family and I are flying back to a different airport and , I quote, "you should get a new eticket emailed to you sometime soon" !
Not impressed by the customer service at all.

[vinnym]

Since KLM started at LPL, Easy have started 2xdaily from MAN, so they were probably getting squeezed in two directions. Logically they decided to cut back NW operations and it was always LPL that was going to suffer.

[danairamb]

Its all beginning to make sense when one sees the big picture and especially competition from EasyJet. I guess the biggest gap KLM's absence will leave is the lack of interline opportunities into LPL. Not so sure how big that market is, but I would think it would be significant. As I said previously, it nixes any opportunity I have to use LPL as my destination when I visit the NW from Canada. I still think if the airport presented better it would have more opportunities. One can deny as much as one likes, whether LPL is international or regional it presents a very poor image by any standards. This does not help at all. I would prefer to use LPL out of loyalty, but I know there are very few people in that category and they are probably all members of this forum.

[Biggles]

A colleague who is flying RYR LPJL/Dublin for Xmas with only hand luggage has read somewhere that any gift wrapped Xmas presents will not be allowed to be carried on board without being unwrapped and examined. Is this correct anyone know ?

[ezs942]

Wrapped Presents & Gifts

Wrapped presents carried in hand luggage are subject to the usual screening processes and may need to be unwrapped to be screened properly. Security personnel may ask you to unwrap items that they need to examine more closely.

To avoid disappointment at Security and to help keep security queues to a minimum, if you are travelling with presents in your hand baggage, please do not wrap them !

Alternatively, wrapped gifts can be placed within hold baggage. Please note that once you have entered Security, it is not possible to place an item in the aircraft hold if it does not comply with Department for Transport (DfT) regulations. Any items that do not comply with DfT regulations may be confiscated and disposed of.

Christmas Crackers

Please note that airlines apply their own policies for carrying Christmas Crackers in baggage. In some cases, airlines will permit carrying Christmas Crackers in hold baggage (with restrictions) and in other cases Christmas Crackers are not permitted in either hand or hold baggage.

Hope this helps - taken from LPL web pages

[liverpoolman1]

Crackers in a KLM item? Seems we have strayed off topic, but to get back to it can I pose the thought that the demise of KLM's Liverpool/Amsterdam route may present easyJet with a business opportunity. With 3 services each between KLM and easyJet at the moment it seems that there is an opening here for easyJet to increase the number of flights when KLM cease operations. It all depends on the load factor that each carries and it could be that esayJet could put on an additional one or two flights to take up the slack. It doesn't compensate for the loss of the international hub at Schipol of course.

[ronturner]

Unfortunately the rules of the game have changed. Having been stamped on by KLM, Easy went up the road. Any increase in capacity from the North West by Easyjet might not necessarily be from Liverpool. This is the downside of competition and the free market. (Depending upon where you are standing at the time.)

[Deleted]

Well, easyJet can put on as many additional AMS flights as they like, but they won't get my business. There's no way I would fly EZY and then go to a connecting flight. I did it once, and it was just too much hassle.
One of the reasons the route failed, I suspect, is that there was insufficient business at the front end of the aircraft. Many airlines who operate with a business class base their revenue on the front end paying a high proprtion of the costs, and the back end is the profit - or some of it. The fact that people have seen the business class section fairly full doesn't necessarily mean a lot. Most times when I fly with KLM, I get an upgrade, and I've been upgraded a few times on the LPL-AMS sector, even though I've only paid an economy fare.

Nevertheless it's very disappointing, particularly when KLM seems willing to persevere with the DTV route, which must also be losing money, and is only an hours' drive from NCL, but that's airlines for you!

[Deleted]

In my opinion this is the worse news for Liverpool (city) and airport since British Midland left. Liverpool is now once again very marginalized as an International city. Onward interline connections will be lost, and frankly, unless KLM's decision can be reversed, there will be no other main-line carrier that will look at Liverpool. KLm serve more regional UK destinations than anyone else, and if they cant make it work no one will. Liverpool Airport will revert to a point to point only LoCo airport. Im very sad to have learnt of the routes demise, the management of the airport should doing anything they can to keep KLM.

[Deleted]

just re-read my quote I wrote on the earlier KLM post...it was dated 24/4/09 12.50 reply 46....depressed !

[CloudWarrior]

Dec 20, 2011 12:27:57 GMT 1 @carl727uk said:

Im very sad to have learnt of the routes demise, the management of the airport should doing anything they can to keep KLM.

Perhaps they should change the name to 'Manchester Speke' ;D

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2011 15:08:24 GMT 1 CloudWarrior said:

Perhaps they should change the name to 'Manchester Speke' ;D

Well if Stansted, Luton and Oxford can all put London in their names, then it might work.

How about Manchester Squires Gate ;D

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2011 12:27:57 GMT 1 @carl727uk said:

In my opinion if they cant make it work no one will.

The point is they did make it work. KLM's decision to pull out is purely a commercial one. They had to make cuts and Liverpool being so close to Manchester was always going to be the fall guy no matter which way you look at it. KLM have proved to the other major hub airlines that Liverpool can generate the passengers required but will the others be in a position to come in and capitalise on KLM's success. Only time will tell. I am certain that once good times return to the industry KLM will be back, providing no one else has beeten them to it.

[CloudWarrior]

Dec 20, 2011 20:00:56 GMT 1 @carmedic said:

Dec 20, 2011 15:08:24 GMT 1 CloudWarrior said:

Perhaps they should change the name to 'Manchester Speke' ;D

Well if Stansted, Luton and Oxford can all put London in their names, then it might work.

How about Manchester Squires Gate ;D

Manchester Yeadon??

No sorry, I was forgetting, LBA has a scheduled international carrier.

[panelman]

Now I don,t know if DG deems this a LPL- MAN thing but, CloudWarrior's comments were out of order in fact I might get my self kick off this forum over my comments, after being active since Peel took over and also being a Fola member, but after a week were KLM pull the plug, I,ve got to get this me chest, but I don,t need some smart arse Manc taking the p--s.