KLM —The Good, The Bad, and The Reimbursement Battle
When: Feb 2025 - March 2025
Where: AMS -> KJO, DAR -> AMS
Flying with KLM was a rollercoaster—from customer service highs to reimbursement battles that never seem to end. If you're considering booking with them, be cautious!
Flight Fiasco: The Missed Connection That Wasn’t Really Missed
We missed our flight. Or did we?
KLM claimed they held the plane for us, but when we arrived, it was still attached to the gateway and sat there for another 35 minutes. We had to just stand there, staring at our plane, knowing we weren’t getting on. Painful. I understand there’s several other passengers to worry about but it's not fun.
Adding to the frustration, the first customer service rep told us we couldn’t leave the airport without a visa. Turns out, that was completely false. Not exactly the kind of news you want to hear after a stressful sprint through the terminal and being told you’d be trapped at Schipol for 24 hours!
However, KLM redeemed themselves a bit by setting us up with a solid hotel, airport transfer, and food vouchers. So at least we weren’t stuck sleeping on an airport bench.
The Never-Ending Reimbursement Battle
Here’s where things went off the rails.
Amsterdam was cold AF, and we had only packed for 80+ degree Tanzania weather. KLM assured us that if we had to buy clothes, we could file a claim for reimbursement. Seemed simple enough, right?
Wrong.
It’s been over five weeks of back-and-forth emails, and we’re still fighting for our money.
KLM says it’s Delta’s issue because our first flight on Delta took an hour longer in air than planned.
Delta says it’s KLM’s problem due to their partnership agreements.
At this point, we might as well frame our receipts because we’re never seeing that money again.
Seatmates: A Tale of Two Flights
On the way there, we sat next to a super nice lady also hiking Kilimanjaro. Great conversation, great vibes. All was right in the world.
On the way back? Disaster.
Chantel got stuck next to someone who refused to move—not to let us into our seats, not when we needed to go to the bathroom, not letting us pass to deplane, nothing. So we had to literally climb over her. Like we had to straddle her. The awkwardness was off the charts.Just awful.
The Plane Itself: A Mix of Modern and Meh
KLM’s planes are decently modern with good entertainment options, but some quirks:
The windows had dimmers instead of shades, which was kind of cool.
The food? Mid.
KLM to Kilimanjaro:
Lunch: Chicken and rice but somehow even blander than expected. Served with bread. Nothing thrilling here.
Chantel’s meal: Leek and pea mac & cheese (not terrible), plus a side of stuffed peppers, tiny pickles, onions, and Chenin Blanc wine.
Dinner: A sauceless pizza that was supposed to be a Margherita. Was definitely not from Italy! .
KLM to Amsterdam:
We accidentally slept through dinner. Was bummed but our faults.
Breakfast: A muffin and a quiche thing that was 90% peppers and mushrooms and 100% regret. I took one bite and sent it to the seat pocket. Chantel didn’t even need to open hers.
Final Verdict: Would We Fly KLM Again?
KLM had some major pros and cons: ✅ Helpful customer service (once you get past the misinformation) ✅ Modern enough planes with solid entertainment options ✅ Handled our missed flight well (hotel, transport, and food vouchers) ❌ Food was mediocre at best ❌ Reimbursement process is an absolute nightmare ❌ Seatmate situation was horribly uncomfortable.
Would we fly KLM again? Maybe, but only if they finally send that reimbursement. But even then, I had really high hopes for them but was left disappointed. They felt more budget-y than a high end airline.