NETHERLANDS: KLM Declines To Accommodate Its Stranded Passengers

Dutch airline, KLM, is ignoring its legal obligations to stranded passengers and telling them that it is unable to book hotel rooms.

The false assertion is contained in a letter handed to travellers at the airline’s main base, Amsterdam Schiphol, which claims that hotels do not allow KLM to make reservations.

KLM emphasises that: Only individual travellers are allowed to book rooms.

In fact KLM, like any airline, is perfectly capable of booking rooms for stranded travellers. Indeed, it is obliged to do so under European air passengers’ rights rules for passengers who are stuck overnight.

Initially the flight was delayed. But then the airline apparently told passengers that due to a shortage of cabin crew the flight was cancelled.

At this stage the airline is obliged to provide them with a flight booking for the following day, a hotel and transport to get there as well as meals until they are due to leave.

Instead, staff handed passengers a bottle of water, a bar of chocolate and a letter containing a series of misleading statements, starting with: “Hotels do not allow us, an airline, to book rooms for our passengers.”

British Airways, easyJet and the Netherlands Board of Tourism have confirmed that there is no restriction on airlines booking hotel rooms around Amsterdam airport.

The letter goes on to say: We are left with no other option but to inform you of ways to book accommodation yourself. It suggests a number of websites, and recommends that passengers unable to find accommodation in the airport area should try Rotterdam, The Hague or Utrecht.

The rail journey to Utrecht late at night takes over an hour and involves a change of trains at Amsterdam Centraal.

Some passengers had no money and were very upset at the idea of spending the night in the airport.

They ended up flying on Aer Lingus from Amsterdam via Dublin to Manchester, where they arrived 22 hours late.

Under European air passengers’ rights rules, they asked for compensation of €250 each. But KLM rejected the claim, saying the cancellation was due to gusty wind from an unfavourable direction.

The passengers say that at the time of the delay they were simply told no cabin crew were available.

KLM insists that it is compliant with our obligations under the passengers’ rights rules.

KLM said that it has contracts with hotels for a certain amount of accommodation: Once the quota of rooms as per contract has been reached, hotels will not accept airline bookings as they require direct payment.

But there is no reason why the airline should not make payments via company credit cards or even cash.

KLM said: In the interest of good customer service, KLM offers its passengers information on ways to book accommodation. This is a genuine effort to be helpful to passengers.

Rather than having its passengers staying in lengthy queues, KLM prefers to give its passengers an opportunity to book hotels themselves.

There is nothing wrong with offering travellers choice, but they must always be provided with rooms if they prefer or unable to pay.


Tourism Observer

ARGENTINA: Air Europa Begins Direct Flights To Puerto Iguazu

Spanish airline will start its flights from Madrid to Puerto Iguazu with weekly frequency operated with the Boeing 787-8, ticket sales started already.

Flight Number UX-45 will depart from Madrid on Saturdays at 23:55 Local Time to arrive in Puerto Iguazu on following day at 07:05 Local Time with a duration of 12:10 minutes and the return of UX-46, will be at 08:35 Local Time, landing at the Spanish capital at 05:10 the next day after a stop in Montevideo.

In addition, the increase of an additional frequency is foreseen with a scale in the opposite direction in the Uruguayan capital, although the date has not been mentioned.

With 2 intense years of negotiations, the Province of Misiones will be able to be connected to Europe through the Hub of the airline in Madrid-Barajas and will further enhance the tourist attractions of the area such as the Iguazu Falls as well as benefit Ciudad del Este with its various shopping centers.

With the addition of Puerto Iguazu, Argentina will become the market with the largest presence in South America, currently flying from Buenos Aires with a daily frequency and Cordoba with a stopover in Asuncion with five weekly frequencies.

Air France-KLM and Air Europa (UX, Palma Son Sant Joan) are set to deepen their existing commercial ties through a tentative joint-venture agreement covering Europe and Central/South America.

The three Skyteam members' current partnership dates back over 15 years and involves codesharing on each other's European services out of Paris CDG, Amsterdam Schiphol, and Madrid Barajas.

A statement issued on Wednesday, August 1, said the parties were currently conducting an integral analysis of the joint venture given the complementarity of their respective networks from/to Central and South America.

Preliminary results show it would provide significant additional benefits to customers in the form of improved connectivity, increased seat availability and a basis to launch new routes and direct flights between the two continents.

The Franco-Dutch carrier group also has strategic partnerships with Virgin Atlantic for transatlantic flights although discussions over strategic cooperation on travel to other parts of the world are underway, Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes in Brazil, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and China Southern Airlines...

Late last week, lrish low-cost airline Ryanair began offering flights to various destinations at market-breaking prices, including a one-way flight from London to Belfast for €7.

The company is offering a one-way flight from Tel Aviv to Paphos in Cyprus in late October for €20 and a return flight for €32, a €10 discount in each direction.

Flights to Burgas in Bulgaria, for example, are being offered for €34 one-way and €42 for a return flight.

These prices include the flight only, without luggage, with a suitcase costing at least €30 in each direction. The bargain campaign is valid until September 3 at midnight.

A partnership between Ryanair and Air Europa is offering Israelis flights to Miami, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Paraguay with a stopover in Madrid.

For example, a roundtrip ticket to Miami in late October costs €580. Since these flights involve cooperation with a regular airline, in contrast to Ryanair's own flights, the price includes a suitcase weighing up to 23 kilograms and hand luggage weighing up to 10 kilograms.

Following disruptions and cancellations of hundreds of its flights, Ryanair announced that it was recognizing FORSA, the union that its pilots joined.

Ryanair's air teams are distributed among pilots unions in several European countries. The airline's flights in European countries were disrupted by pilots seeking better conditions.

Tens of thousands of the airline's passengers were affected by these disruptions at the height of the vacation season in Europe.

Ryanair announced that 65% of its cabin crew were unionized under agreements recognized by the company. Ryanair's management will now work with representatives of Irish union FORSA.


Tourism Observer