(Click to enlarge.)

So, in some cases, we’re actually seen some increase in bag allowance, which is certainly nice. Though those increases aren’t always that high, due to the varying policies of the weight system. For example, if I was flying Paris – Johannesburg in business, my allowance is actually 40 kg under the weight system. Also, this is a bit of a trade-off for some business class passengers. For example, if I’m flying JFK-CDG in business, I get two 32 kg pieces of luggage, but now it’s three pieces at 23 kg each. That’s still more weight, but the bigger bags will cost extra, though I have to think that’s not a huge convenience.

It should be noted, however, that the airlines have sneaked in a small fee increase here. Right now, the second bag for economy passengers costs $50, and it will be raised to $55. So, like all the other airlines, it’s a good idea to pay for the bag fees online, as one can save 20%. (Though the KLM website does note a good number of exceptions of where that option isn’t available. I’ve yet to find out if the restrictions apply to Air France as well, but they probably do.)

I could number crunch some more, but honest, it’s really not worth it. In the end, Air France is making its policy more transparent and understandable, which is a good thing. I have to think there are some other benefits here as well – restricting people to one bag probably makes check-in faster, for example.

On a side note, it’s interesting to see how the two airlines are positioning their premium economy offerings. KLM seems to be positioning Economy Comfort as simply a coach seat with more leg room and recline, while Air France is setting apart its Premium Voyageur offering even further (that’s a nicer seat than KLM, too).

Air France originally announced that by the middle of last year, it would be codehsaring with Gol to thirteen Brazilian destinations. That’s a bit behind schedule – right now there are only six destinations (Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Florianópolis, Curitiba, Salvador and Vitória), though the airline says that “seven other destinations will be added soon…pending government approvals.” KLM and Gol have now entered into a codesharing agreement for some Brazilian destinations, though the company news release does not specify which. The deal also includes service to Buenos Aires. Connections will be made possible with AF-KLM’s 31 flights to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from Paris and Amsterdam.

AF-KLM calls Brazil “a key market.” Christian Herzog, SVP Americas for the group says that the deal “demonstrates once again our willingness to develop our position in Brazil. It offers our customers travelling to and from Brazil a larger choice of destinations and schedules, which reflects our group’s strategy: to ensure the best possible services between Europe and the rest of the world.”

Personally, I think that this is a great move for both carriers. Gol has a limited international reach with it’s all-737 fleet, so getting feed from Air France and KLM provides a nice boost to its current route network. Meanwhile, this is a good competitive move for Air France-KLM, as currently SkyTeam does not have any South American members, and Gol can increase service to not only Brazil, but other parts of the continent as the codeshare to Bueneo Aires demonstrates. British Airways and Iberia have noted that they have a dominant position when it comes to South American service, so this deal is one way that AF-KLM can respond. It should be noted, however, that Iberia and Gol announced a codesharing partnership back in October.

On another note, it’s interesting to see AF-KLM partner with LCCs – it has an agreement with WestJet as well. It’s just interesting to see traditional network carriers align themselves with the LCCs. JetBlue and Lufthansa is another example.

The tags don’t come with any way to attach them to your bag, so you’ll have to take care of that yourself, but that’s really not a big deal. It’s pretty cool get some custom printed tags for free, and I’m happy that airline employees won’t have to try to read my crappy handwriting if my bag is ever lost.

You can still design your tags here.

Anyway…

I found on airliners.net that KLM has launched a promotion where one can design his or own personal luggage tags, which the airline has done before in the past. The airline will send two tags for free. One can upload a personal photo to make a really unique tag, or use one of KLM’s destination or aircraft photos. Obviously, I went with the latter:

Some posters on the airliners thread have said that they never got their tags from past promotions, but it appears that they were US users trying to use a promotion on KLM’s UK website. Shipping is supposed to take three weeks – I hope they make it!

You can design your tags here.

This makes excellent sense for Air France and KLM. Air Canada is already a member of Star Alliance, so now Air France and KLM can take advantage of Wesjet’s network to get into the Canadian market. Meanwhile, having a European partner is a fantastic opportunity for WestJet, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this new international partnership could bring over some business travelers from Air Canada.

Now, I think it’s also worthwhile to mention Southwest here – would they do something similar? Probably not. SkyTeam has no presence in the domestic Canadian market, unlike here in the States.

First, here’s an excellent shot from Cees de Krijger:

This next photo is courtesy of Joop Stroes:

And finally, here’s a shot from Ruud Brinks:

I like the way this 737 looks, especially the tail colors. I wish more airlines would do this. I would love to see a Delta aircraft in the widget scheme or perhaps a United aircraft in the same scheme as the Caravelle.