Good news!
Because my brother doesn't want his personal life spread on the internet, I'm just going to keep a lot of the details out. Junior had his last chemo therapy round 2 weeks ago and the tumor shrank from the size of a baseball to... well... nothing. It is not completely definite yet, but he did an MRI and the doctors could not find any signs of the tumor!! So the whole family is happy. As for Junior... well... he lost his hair and got thinner, but he is doing very, very well. Last week his son Milan also celebrated his 3rd birthday with a Spiderman party. I bought him an electric Hummer. As I don't have any clue how to put these things together, I let Dad and Junior do it for me. Thank God for them!
Enjoying his Pringles chips
Cutting his cake
Eating his cake
Dad and Junior putting the Hummer together
Junior... I call him Baldy. Hey... I'm just saying...
Milan a few hours ago. I am babysitting him for the weekend. Dus tandjes poetsen en naar bed!
As for me... well things are going okay. Remesh is still in the picture. I'm still living in Rotterdam, but I stopped travelling since Junior got sick. I only did one trip for work and that was to London. I was back in 24 hours. My employer is great and let me do a lot of work from home. I only had to go into the office once or twice a week. I am still enjoying work, but my days as a part-time KLM CA are of course over. There is an over capacity of CA's and some were diverted to Transavia. Anyone who was not needed were let go. That included me. I wasn't too sad, because KLM stopped flying to Aruba AUA, so I lost all inspiration so to speak.
But a lot has been going on. I am a 'Black Belt' (something like an Assistant Project Manager) on 2 projects right now. One is the synergizing of services of Martinair within the Air France-KLM Group and the other is the implementing of services in Europe for Delta Air Lines (combo of Delta and Northwest Airlines). As you know KLM now owns 100% of Martinair and Delta and Northwest have merged into one company.
I recently finished a project for the Ground Division of Air France (Air France Services Ltd. AFSL) and KLM (KLM Ground Services). Outside of Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris d'Orly and Amsterdam Schiphol both airlines had a ground handling company at London Heathrow LHR and London City Airport LCY. We merged the companies and there are now called Cobalt Ground Solutions and handle many airlines. That was a fun project we worked on. And that's why I was in London.
Cobalt Ground Solutions
Although I am still having fun at my current job, I recently was approached with 2 offers. One from SkyTeam Central with its headquarters in Amsterdam and one from Delta Air Lines. I haven't made my decision yet. We'll see...
I would like to thak EVERYONE for their support, emails, messages etc. Thanks from the bottom of my heart. Junior thanks you too!
See ya!
Enjoying his Pringles chips
Cutting his cake
Eating his cake
Dad and Junior putting the Hummer together
Junior... I call him Baldy. Hey... I'm just saying...
Milan a few hours ago. I am babysitting him for the weekend. Dus tandjes poetsen en naar bed!
As for me... well things are going okay. Remesh is still in the picture. I'm still living in Rotterdam, but I stopped travelling since Junior got sick. I only did one trip for work and that was to London. I was back in 24 hours. My employer is great and let me do a lot of work from home. I only had to go into the office once or twice a week. I am still enjoying work, but my days as a part-time KLM CA are of course over. There is an over capacity of CA's and some were diverted to Transavia. Anyone who was not needed were let go. That included me. I wasn't too sad, because KLM stopped flying to Aruba AUA, so I lost all inspiration so to speak.
But a lot has been going on. I am a 'Black Belt' (something like an Assistant Project Manager) on 2 projects right now. One is the synergizing of services of Martinair within the Air France-KLM Group and the other is the implementing of services in Europe for Delta Air Lines (combo of Delta and Northwest Airlines). As you know KLM now owns 100% of Martinair and Delta and Northwest have merged into one company.
I recently finished a project for the Ground Division of Air France (Air France Services Ltd. AFSL) and KLM (KLM Ground Services). Outside of Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris d'Orly and Amsterdam Schiphol both airlines had a ground handling company at London Heathrow LHR and London City Airport LCY. We merged the companies and there are now called Cobalt Ground Solutions and handle many airlines. That was a fun project we worked on. And that's why I was in London.
Cobalt Ground Solutions
Although I am still having fun at my current job, I recently was approached with 2 offers. One from SkyTeam Central with its headquarters in Amsterdam and one from Delta Air Lines. I haven't made my decision yet. We'll see...
I would like to thak EVERYONE for their support, emails, messages etc. Thanks from the bottom of my heart. Junior thanks you too!
See ya!
posted by Traveller at 2:23 AM
31 Comments:
Finallyyyyyyyyyyy, you had me worried man. How is Robin doing and why you don't talk anymore about Lesley???
Thank God everything is going good with that sweet brother of yours Give thanks and Praise to The Lord.
Devon
Well, I'm still around. Just back from SXM for my grandma's 80th B-day party. Ryan, I'll call you to tell you about the drama with Insel and KLM from CUR. Hahaha!
Les
Blij toe Ry! En weet je het al? Ga je van baan veranderen? Hoop het niet, want ik zou je hier in Amstelveen heel erg missen!
Miek
Good to hear that news about your brother.
Lesley sinds yoiu said about it i wanna know the drama to you might as well post it here. I love aviation news so spread the word.....
LOL
Dev
I want to hear about that too LP. I am also interested in all news about aviation. Talking about Insel; what I don't understand is why a company as small as Insell has a St. Maarten based crew? Like, WTF? You are not KLM with its Japan based crew?!
And when the hell do you het back from the States, Ryan????
Laurey
Maybe for the language? Which language do they speak in SXM? And where is Insel based? Good 2 C U back again, Mr. Ryan!!!
Marlon G.
Hoi Devon,
Met mij is alles prima hoor. Een beetje moe van mij SIN, maar heb gelukkig 7 dagen vrij. KLM heeft crew basis in Japan (KIX, NRT), China (HKG, PVG, PEK & CTU) en Zuid-Korea (ICN). Vroeger hadden we ze ook in India (DEL, BOM, CCU) en deden we crew-sharing met ALM Antillean voor vluchten tussen de Nederlandse Antillen/Aruba en Amsterdam. Ook was er crew-sharing met SLM tussen PBM-AMS.
De Japanners, Chinezen en Koreanen helpen vooral met de taal barrière aan boord. Scheelt heel veel. Je zou verbaasd zijn hoveel mensen geen engels spreken!
Rob
Huh Insel has an SXM base crew, what? where? when? OMG not even Dutch Caribbean & ALM. I guess maybe it's because of the flights they do out of SXM like SXM-PAP-SDQ and i guess SJU also.
Well Robin good to know you're oke. Well i came back wednesday from Almaty shitty kazachstan. And now i'm 3 days RV then heading for Doha & Dammam.
Volgens mij vind jij Azië echt leuk want je bent altijd die kant op. Nou persoonlijk wil ik GEEN Azië just not my thing. Geef mij maar lekker NAM & SAM en middenoosten die rare landen :) And what you think of PBS??? Uhm what can i say yukkk. P&G rocks!!! Look what i got robin!!! You wanna trade with me LOL
THU 17 Sep 19:05 KL0877 8/5 744 AMS-BKK 20:45-07:30 (53) V+
FRI 18 Sep BANGKOK 46:00
SAT 19 Sep BANGKOK
SUN 20 Sep KL0877 744 BKK-TPE 08:40-12:15
SUN 20 Sep KL0878 744 TPE-BKK 13:30-17:00
MON 21 Sep BANGKOK 71:10
TUE 22 Sep BANGKOK
WED 23 Sep BANGKOK
THU 24 Sep 06:15 KL0878 744 BKK-AMS 18:20-05:45
Well Inselair is growing though, they were supposed to get 2 new aircraft one in august but seems like it has been postponed till november. But those MD83's are so outdated they should get some modern planes man. But then it's because the mechanics and most of everyone are very familiar already with those MADDOGS.
And Ryan please start blogging more sinds you have more time at home now. Greets.
Dev
@ Marlon G
Inselair is based in Curacao www.flyinsel.com in SXM they speak English and French and Dutch 2. I guess the SXM based crew is pure for the LEGS/FLIGHTS they do.
Because when Suriname Airways used to fly with their MD83 they also had a curacao based crew. And most of that crew works now for INSELAIR. And believe me SLM only had 1 lousy MD83 that was always broken down/Tech. Now they have 2 737 from the year 1930 I guess LOL hahahaha
Dev
Hi Devon, hoe is 't? Uch! ALA! Ik moet er niet aan denken! DOH/AMM laten me ook koud. Maar ik heb geen 332, dus....
Maar ik ben hartstikke jaloers op je lange BKK/TPE. Ik peil NOOIT goed voor die vluchten. Dit is mijn schema voor de komende weken:
THU 27 Aug 19:15 KL0809 9/7 77W AMS-KUL 20:55-09:00 (53) V+
FRI 28 Aug KUALA-LUMPUR 47:05
SAT 29 Aug KUALA-LUMPUR
SUN 30 Aug KL0809 772 KUL-CGK 10:15-12:15
SUN 30 Aug KL0810 772 CGK-KUL 13:45-15:50
MON 31 Aug KUALA-LUMPUR 40:15
TUE 1 Sep KL0809 772 KUL-CGK 10:15-12:15
TUE 1 Sep KL0810 772 CGK-KUL 13:45-15:50
WED 2 Sep KUALA-LUMPUR 47:15
THU 3 Sep KUALA-LUMPUR
FRI 4 Sep 06:25 KL0810 77W KUL-AMS 17:15-05:55
SAT 5 Sep RV
SUN 6 Sep RV
MON 7 Sep RV
TUE 8 Sep RV
WED 9 Sep RV
THU 10 Sep RV
FRI 11 Sep RV
SAT 12 Sep 19:15 KL0809 8/6 772 AMS-KUL 20:55-09:00 (53) V+
SUN 13 Sep KUALA-LUMPUR 71:05
MON 14 Sep KUALA-LUMPUR
TUE 15 Sep KUALA-LUMPUR
WED 16 Sep KL0809 77W KUL-CGK 10:15-12:15
WED 16 Sep KL0810 77W CGK-KUL 13:45-15:50
THU 17 Sep KUALA-LUMPUR 47:15
FRI 18 Sep KUALA-LUMPUR
SAT 19 Sep 06:25 KL0810 77W KUL-AMS 17:15-05:55
Ik heb dus een dubbele KUL/CGK. Sja, wat moet ik van PBS zeggen??? Het heeft zijn voor en nadelen. We zien wel hoe het loopt. Op welke kisten vlieg je trouwens?? En wat is je functie?
Ciao!
Rob
Ik ging vandaag een vakantie boeken bij D-Reizen naar Aruba in Business Class en ik hoorde dat dit niet mogelijk was omdat de KLM niet meer op Aruba vliegt! Wat?!!! Sinds wanneer?? Ik ben SkyTeam Elite Plus (via Flying Blue Platinum) en ik vlieg jarenlang opde ABC eilanden. Elk jaar een ander eiland. Als ik nu naar Aruba moet in Business, moet ik via Curacao of Bonaire met KLM en dan met DAE naar Aruba. Of ik moet met Martinair in Comfort Class. Dan kan ik alsnog FB punten mee sparen. Ander moet ik met die vage Arkefly in Star Class als ik perse Business will vliegen. Dat is balen! Na wikken en wegen hebben mijn vrouw en ik ervoor gekozen om met Delta Airlines te gaan via New York en op de terugweg via Atlanta. Martinair is niks en Arkefly al helemaal niet met die slechte reputatie! Ik snap niet dat KLM gestopt is. Hebben ze alle personeel die voor hun werkte op Aruba ontslagen? Er waren er best wel veel!
Jochem
Arkefly? Varkensvlaai! Mijn niet gezien. Vorig jaar kwam ik terug uit Curacao met 36 uur vertraging!!!! En ik heb nooit zo'n onbeschofte cabine bemanning meegemaakt. Geef mij maar lekker de KLM. Een beetje duurder maar wel degelijk. Of niet?
Varkensvlaai! LOL! :-p
Hey thanks for the explanation Dev!
Marlon G
Volgens mij deed Air Aruba de afhandeling van KLM op Aruba. KLM heeft geen personeel op Aruba.
KLM heeft wel degelijk personeel op Aruba. Ik heb ze zelf gezien in de blauwe uniform!
Jochem
Hi Devon. With Insel it's how they screwed up a simple flight between SXM-CUR. With KLM it was that I bought the ticket on the Air France website. I flew AMS-CDG-SXM with KLM & AF. No IPB, just a normal ticket. I celebrated my grandmother's 80th b-day and with Insel I flew SXM-CUR to visit my family I have there. Well the flight ended up going to AUA first, then BON and then finally CUR. They told us about the rerouting after we were in the air!!! WTF??!! It took almost 5 hours to reach CUR!!!!!!!!
Then i was trying to do internet check-in on KLM the day before we were leaving and the stupid thing kep saying error. So I checked in at the airport the next day and they could not find my sister and my reservations!! The flight was full, so this KLM girl from Antillean Flight Services (handling agent for KLM at CUR) said I could either go on standby or we could be rebooked on MP. I was like hell no! I didn't pay almost €1100,- to fy no freaking MP. If I wanted MP, I would've booked MP. I demanded to speak to the KLM Manager and he put us up in C-class. OMG! What a drama that was. I paid for a full revenue ticket because I didn't want the hassle of IPB. But it was more hassle than anything else. Sheesh!
Les
@ Jochem: KL is eind maart gestopt i.v.m. tegenvallende (vervoer)cijfers. Maar een vriend van me in ASV zegt dat er meer erachter schuilt. Ik kan niet meer zeggen. Er gaan meerdere dingen veranderen op de Antillen/Aruba route. Let maar op.
@ Larissa: Da's een goeie :-)
@ Anonymous: Air Aruba? Wanneer ben je laatst op AUA geweest? Air Aruba is dood!
@ Jochem part 2: Volgens mij waren ze van een afhandelaar in KLM uniform. Kan het niet met zekerheid zeggen. Weet wel dat er KLM Management op AUA was.
Les
Dank je Les. Wat is ASV??
Jochem
AmStelVeen
Les
ben je ook KLM'er Les?
@ Artie: Nope. Ik werk voor British Airways in Hoofddorp. Heb wel voor KLM gewerkt in het verleden. Zo heb ik Ryan ontmoet.
les
OMG!
@ Larissa Varkensvlaaai meisje waar heb je die vandaan gehaald, ik lach me rot hier. LOL
@ Robin I
Dit bedoel ik nou kijk hoeveel reisverlof je na die vluchten hebt, en nog zeggen mensen JE BENT NOOIT THUIS ALS JE CABIN CREW BENT PFFFFFFFF. Ze moeten eens weten dat KLM geen cracker jack vliegtuigen heeft als Transavia heen en weer zelfs middenacht.
Ik ben 1 bander divisie 53 ben begin 2007 begonnen met vliegen. Ik weet niet of je nog herinnerd ik was toen al actief op deze blog maar toen werkte ik voor NS als conducteur. Ik ben bevoegd op de 747, A332, 737 en nu mijn 4de kist 777 kon ik maar die kut 737 wegdoen ielggg.
@ Anonymous AIRARUBA/FQ is al volgens mij sinds 2000/2001 failliet gegaan door slechte regering op Aruba, en doordat ze samen gingen werken met een Venezolaanse maatschappij Aserca Airlines die nog steeds bestaat. Grrrr
@Jochem KLM had een paar mensen indienst op Aruba en de rest die jij in het blauwe pak zag zijn medewerkers van GEN-AIR(general aviation) een grondafhandelaar die de vluchten voor KLM en Martinair incheckt, baggage, en reserveringen etc. etc. Zij droegen de KLM uniform omdat zij dedicated staffs waren. Ze werken allemaal nog steeds en dragen nu de Martinair uniform :) Ik was nog 4 weken geleden op AUA met vakantie. Jou keuze om via JFK met Delta te vliegen vind ik cool. Je spaart ook FB miles en ik vind Delta's service prima. En aangezien Continental uit de Skyteam netwerk gaat, is Delta de enige optie voor mensen die naar de Antillen willen vliegen en toch flink miles besparen. Want die KLM gedoe van hoe goedkoper de ticket hoe minder miles je spaart zie ik niet zitten. Alleen ik hoop dat je niet wordt overgevlogen in die krappe 757-200ETOPS.
Groetjes vanuit zonnige Haarlem,
Dev
@ Dev: Ik moet er niet eens aan denken om HV te vliegen. Ik vind het sneu voor de KLM CA's die naar HV gestuurd werden. Triest...
Rob
Hi people. Thanks for all the comments. Les, I got your mail. I will respond later to everything. I arrived from Chicago ORD this morning around 06.30. My 1st long-haul trip for work in months! I didn't sleep as yet. I wanted to go to the market, do my administration and clean my house. Then I am off to see my parents, brother and Remesh and later on when I am really tired, I will crash out in bed.
Anyway...
@ Dev: Long time no hear dude. Good to see you are still around. I guess Robbedoes and Les already asnwered on how they are doing. Also thanks about Junior.
@ Les: Insel and SXM based crew. Apparently they have money to waste. Whatever. AFS @ CUR: pity that money is short, because some of those AFS agents for KLM could do with some training. But at least you ended op in WBC, you lucky dog!
@ Marlon: Concerning the language, Dev already answered your question perfectly.
@ Miek: Hoi mied. Ik heb nog geen beslissing genomen over SkyTeam Central of Delta. We zullen zien :-)
@ Dev: "OMG not even Dutch Caribbean & ALM." You took the words out of my mouth! And oh yeah... enjoy that BKK! I just love Bangkok! Be careful with those ladyboys! Hahaha! And yes! SLM is one hot mess!
@ Jochem: Yep KLM is no more at AUA. Jammer, maar het was een zakelijke beslissing. Met KLM naar AUA is inderdaad alleen mogelijk via CUR of BON als je persé C-class wil vliegen. Comfort Class van MP is geen Business Class produkt. Arkefly... I don't think so. Ik ga niet liegen... ik heb ze 2 keer gevlogen en een vriend van me is Purser bij ze, maar hun aanbod is gewoon slecht en hun reputatie ook. Ik heb werk voor ze verricht toen ik bij Air France Consulting zat en ze bedoelen het wel goed. Maar toch... Je verwacht beter van een grote tour operator als TUI met hun merken Arkefly, Tomsonfly, TUIfly, Jetairfly, Corsairfly etc. etc. Maar goed. Misschien wordt het beter. Ze hebben volegens mij wel een Crew Basis op CUR. Ik weet het niet zeker. Ik zal het aan Purser Tony vragen. Misschien weet Dev het wel. Hij weet veel van de luchtvaart in de Caribbean enzo.
@ Les: What IPB would you have bought with BA. I was checking in BA's RTZ system and you could have easily taken BA to LHR and then AA or BA to JFK or MIA and then on to SXM. As OneWorld you could have gotten a ZED L priority for you and your sister. You should have just bought a SXM-CUR-SXM and head back to AMS on the same route with AA/BA. Because from CUR it's hard to get a flight to the USA. AUA is much easier. But I get you didn't want the hassle of travelling via the USA with that TSA crap and the hassle of getting offloaded somewhere. Oh well, you made it!! For me to get to AUA on an IPB is going to be hard. MP will accept their own staff and their partners first. Then staff from other airlines. I might as well take KL to BON/CUR, AF to CCS via CDG or trying my luck on DL. Or just pay 700,- on MP and done with it.
I work for the damn company, but KLM can kiss my @ss with their 25% on the take-off fares for FB!
@ Dev: Aserca was the end of FQ. DEFINITELY! That whole FQ/Ogden/ASSA shit was proof of that. Everyone from GenAir for KLM became GenAir for MP? And what about the KLM City Ticket Office (CTO)? Is it gone or did it become MP? Do you have any info on the Station Manager? And did the KLM Airport Ticket (ATO) office become the MP ticket office?? And while I am at it, does OR have dedicated staff in AUA as well? Ugh, hear me... it's time for me to head to Aruba soon!
Ryan
Oh yeah, before I forget... about the Antilles & KLM: It could be a big secret in ASV, but every damn person is talking about it. Si I'm just going to say it. RUMOR is... that KLM will stop the tail-end flights to Quito UIO & Guayaquil GYE via Bonaire BON. KLM wants to start a non-stop UIO with the 772. But Ecuadorian bilateral agreements with the EU states that every European airline that wants to fly to UIO, must also fly to GYE. But because of payload restrictions at UIO due to the short runway and high altitude, the 777-200ER cannot make it to AMS non-stop. AMS-UIO is possible non-stop, but not UIO-AMS. So what they want is to make a fuel stop in CUR (not BON) and do AMS-PTY-GYE-PTY-AMS with the M11. PTY = Panama City. That way BON will go offline and become a dedicated MP destination in connection with AUA. In 2010/2011 the new UIO aiport should be ready. It is 500 meters lower and has much longer runway. In that case KLM can operate is non-stop 772 service AMS-UIO-AMS without a stop.
Then KLM should pull out of SXM and become a daily AF only. CUR can remain KL, because they sell a lot of C-class seats. AUA/SXM/BON do not!
Last rumor is to dismantle MP in 2 companies... leave the cargo under the MP name (for the landing rights) and absorb the passenger division into KLM. If that happens KLM can start flying to AUA, MCO, MIA etc. again with 767 in KLM colors. Nothing has been decided as yet. One problem remains is that KLM does not want to carry out charters to CUN, PUJ etc. So maybe the 767's that do charters can become HV. Because now AF-KLM own many brands. Maybe too many. So I am curious to see what will happen!!!! What are your thoughts people???
Just my 2 cents! Enjoy the weather!!! Ryan
Als KLM stopt met BON, zullen heel veel CA's teleurgesteld zijn. Dat is één ding dat zeker is!
Lies
Ik heb nooit van Aserca Airlines gehoord. Waren ze een partner van FQ? Wat is hun IATA code? Interessant allemaal!
I also heard that rumor about KLM and the Ecuador flights. KLM's Economy product is getting more attractive with the PTV's on the 744 & M11 now. But that you can only earn 25% of FB miles on a full revenue ticket at take-off fares is just ridiculous. I'm not going to buy a Flex Fare because I want 100% of my miles. Than I just rather fly CO or DL. Also when you want to redeem the miles, the taxes from Holland are really high! So not even an award ticket is that cheap. And on top of everything if you do not fly within 20 months, you lose all your miles! It used to be 36 months. FB is starting to suck big time. And KLM is starting to notice, because a lot of people are switching to a Star Alliance Mileage Program.
Les
Lufthansa's M&M is de beste! Geweldig gewoon!
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