On Sun, 2005-06-05 at 22:53, Martin Vermeer wrote: > On Fri, May 20, 2005 at 11:31:15PM +0200, Jean-Marc Lasgouttes wrote: > > >>>>> "Lars" == Lars Gullik Bjønnes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > > Lars> So July 14-18 (the 16. weekend) it is? > > > > Yes sir! > > > > JMarc > > Assuming this is 'hard' now... I'll book my tickets tomorrow evening.
This sounds so simple, doesn't it... I tried first to book through KLM, where my wife has a substantial number of fly miles that will soon expire. This was last Sunday evening. The KLM bonus programme threw me to Air France, where the trouble started. How do these folks manage to operate aircraft, when they don't even manage servers on the Earth's surface? All the pages were slow like syrup. Finally I got to the place where I should specify the flight date and how many persons. Pressing "confirm", and up came an error message "The server refused to process your..." whatever... "(SERVER_RESPONSE_CLOSE)". Trying again and again. But then, it was Sunday evening, St. Murphy's Day, patron saint of malfunctioning servers, blessed be thee. Gave up and decided to return to the matter on Monday evening. Same failure. Sent a mail to the systems people "get your #¤%& server working". Tried again Tuesday morning (today). Suddenly it worked, the error message had gone. I managed to enter the flights, the flight times, that I want my ticket in the mail, and even my credit card details (for the airport tax). Pressing the final "confirm": "We're sorry, the server cannot handle..." whatever. Trying again and again. Same result. Entering credit card data again; same result. Again and again. Then, suddenly: no error message. Just an empty page. No confirmation. Has this order gone through, finally? I decide to phone and check. First the KLM number in Helsinki. Opens 8:30, but I get an automated response "We're sorry...". After 9:00 I get through to a carbon-based life form: "How can I be of service?". I explain the situation. - "When are you flying and at what time?" She wants to check the passenger lists. "Helsinki-Amsterdam? ...Helsinki-Paris, I see. Is that a direct flight? ... I see. I cannot look at the passenger lists from here, it's a Finnair/Air France code share flight. I'll give you the number of the points people, they should be able to help." Phoning the points people. English or French? I choose English, which is more or less what I get ;-) Explaining everything again to the guy. He asks the KLM bonus card number, my wife's name and address (happens to be the same as my own, a handy mnemonic circumstance) and then asks - "is that a Flying Dutchman card?" I say, yes. - "Ah, so you're not a Flying Blue member yet?" No, I say. - "You see," he proceeds to explain, "we are transferring everybody from Flying Dutchman to Flying Blue. Just these days." I am beginning to realise something. - "Is that why the servers are slow/not working?" He doesn't comment on that. - "You see, I cannot now look into the Flying Dutchman booking lists. This transfert will take a few days..." - "How many days?" - "You could call back in three days or so." OK... I'll do that. Four hours used up and counting. GROWL!!! Remind me to tell you all about an earlier disaster visit to Paris, with Sabena. After a few beers ;-) - Martin
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