In October 2011 I flew from London Heathrow Terminal 4 to Mauritius on Air France ( with a change of planes in Paris). On arrival in Mauritius next day I was informed that my bags had not arrived on the same plane(presumably delayed in Paris during the plane change) and that they would be coming on the next Air France flight next day-i.e. 24 hours later. But I was only in transit in Mauritius for 12 hours on my way forward to Rodrigues Island. I completed formalities and went to my pre-arranged rented accommodation. As I had no hand bags and only had what I stood up in, and was travelling on , I needed to purchase essential toiletries and a change of clothes. I did this essential shopping from my own funds . Two days later my bags were delivered to me in Rodrigues. I submitted my claim for my necessary purchases to Air France & some weeks later received a message to say the matter was being dealt with. Yesterday , 6 months later, I received assurance from Air France that my claim has been accepted and they will send me a cheque . Thanks Air France !

Trip from Mauritius(MRU) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) via LHR,ATL,JFK,AMS & CDG with SKYTEAM Members: Air France, Delta & KLM. I was booked to use several SKYTEAM Airline Partners, but found they did not work as a team as far as connecting with each other for my requests. For instance as I suffer from a slight claustrophobia, I always request window seats. Air France (SKYTEAM in Mauritius) told me that they could not assist me to request window seats on Delta & KLM as their Computers Systems don’t access each other for such requests. I ask… Why not? This is whole point of a ‘team’. So I wrote to Delta Europe, well in advance of travel quoting my Delta FF No and requesting Window seats on the Delta flights. I received NO ANSWER and there was No Action either. I assume my letter was ignored. AF Mauritius said check in on line 24 hrs in advance & then make seat selection.. But when you are already travelling – you can’t always check in on line . However in London I did manage it on line – but by that time all the window seats on the DL 2327 were already allocated and I had to take a middle seat.(19B) The flight was like rush hour- and completely full and there was no chance of a window seat. No chance to select a seat whatsoever. However there was provided a seat map for my return flight JFK- AMS. So I selected 42A on the KLM 777 But at check in at FLL I saw to my horror that despite all my efforts since several months to avoid a middle seat I had been allocated 37E probably the worst seat on the plane. I asked for a change- but was told again that the Delta Computer could not access the seat selection for a KLM flight. I would have to take what the Computer ‘spat out’. At JFK my request for a seat change was brushed off as not possible by a harassed boarding agent. It was the worse flight I have ever had – KLM 777. No leg room. Seat pitch the tightest ever. Totally squashed in. Torture ! all night long. I shall never fly a KLM 777 again. It ruined my trip and I feel sore that despite all my efforts to get acceptable seating.. I ended up with the worst. If Airline alliances do not offer full connectivity and inter member TEAMwork , and not just a seat sell, they are not fulfilling their job to the passenger. However on the positive side All the flights on the trip were on time and safely operated. But for at least some of them – unbearably uncomfortable.