Has anyone recently flown on the KLM service from Amsterdam to Bonaire recently. We are due to fly out at the end of October and would appreciate any reports.

Thanks

Neil

Flew in August and the planes in and out were early! However, there are no 'spare' planes around here so always pack enough for an 'overnighter' BOTH coming and going. If a plane develops a fault it takes a while to fix. However it hardly ever happens.

Julia

Do the planes have In Flight Entertainment to keep the kids quiet. Also how is the legroom and the food. I am 6ft 4in so usually struggle with space.

Thanks

Neil

The films are usually child friendly, the cartoon Robots was on last time. If you join the frequent Fliers programme, you can do this on line, you can ring KLM and reserve seats. Look at the seat plans on their website, you will be flying an MD11. Choose the bulkhead seats if you can. However Bob is 6'3" and does not find it too bad if we put the armrests up between us. If you are diving you can also ask for an extra allowance for dove gear. However make sure that you do it well in advance and tell them you are packing any gear with your normal luggage or they will charge you. If they try, tell them they are wrong. It is really worth joining the flyer programme just for the extra luggage. They are VERY hot on charging for excess baggage!

I have found the KLM food excellent. Also the service on board. Many of the cabin attendants who fly that route are divers, and I dive with them on Bonaire now and then. Great folks!
One caution: Fairly frequently the planes are delayed by quite a few hours or they don't fly at all. Once my reservation from Amsterdam to Bonaire was moved to a flight 12 hours earlier, but they did not try to phone me at my hotel to tell me. Then when I tried to check in, they told me I had missed my plane and that it was my fault. I had quite a time finding somebody who could ascertain that it was their fault and gave me a hotel room for the night and a new ticket for the next day.
Keep reconfirming your reservation to avoid problems.
Tish

Hi Neil,
we spent one week in Bonaire flying with KLM from Italy via Amsterdam. It was our first flight with KLM. Planes are on time, food: nothing special but we travelled in Economy. beverages as you want, hostesses came often to offer drinks. No complaints.

Well... I don't know if you should reconsider flying KLM... here's my story...
I have to say that I am very disappointed with the Service at KLM. Every year we fly to Mexico to visit friends and family. This year, on the 17th of November, we wanted to fly to Mexico, from Bremen (Germany) via Amsterdam. The trouble already started during the check-in at Bremen Airport. We had to pay "overweight" for our luggage, although we had a printout of the Amadeus System where it said that each passenger could take 2 suitcases 32 kilos each (we were amazed, but since it was written in the system and our agency even called KLM on this matter and they agreed, with the comment "if it says so in the Amadeus System then it should be so, don't you think?" The lady at the check-in registration desk said it's true, she could also see the "wrong information" on her screen, but regardless of that, we still had to pay the overweight. She "recommended" us to get the money back with our agency. (which, until this day, is trying to get the money back from KLM...which means, we will have to wait a long time until we see our money!). But that was not all! As we arrived in Mexico City (after passing 2 "Passport control desks" during the trip) my husband was taken to the migration "installations" (exactly like a prison but without bars, otherwise, everything cement and they treat you like a convict!) together with another 30 passengers from KLM. They said that there are new laws and alls South Americans, Africans and some Asians need a visa to enter Mexico. He had to spend 26 hours (no shower, only 1 phone call - after I had a lawyer call there !, 2 meals (after 8 hours!) in this "prison" together with other passengers. The migration officer informed me that KLM, together with other airlines, has to pay a very high fine for every passenger they fly in without a visa. Well, after these terrible 26 hours, we were sent back to Bremen. KLM Mexico assured us we would get our money back. I tried talking to KLM here in Germany and also asked them why they let people check in w/o a visa. They said that they cannot make changes in their system "as fast as the laws want them to". What a stupid comment. And the answer to my question as to what the passport controls are for they said "Oh...we do check if the passports are still valid...but we don't have to check if the passengers have a visa". Oh! Sorry, I didn't know that! Why don't we just send everybody around the world w/o a visa and pay high fines. It's so much fun!
Well! Just wanted to let you know that I won't get a cent back from KLM, since they don't fell responsible for our problem. (which actually is also their problem). I hope nobody else has to go through this. It is a nightmare!
By the way, through the years, I had already lost my luggage 3 times with KLM. But they always arrived two days later. But I will never fly KLM again. And a comment to Hans Kort's complaint, yes, you're right, KLM is really giving in on friendliness. That includes the stewardesses.