KLM's cunning trick to fool the Chinese

[MAN Flyer]

Person concerned : 'We are flying to Taiwan but we don't want to upset China in doing so. What can we do ?'

Genius : 'I know, we'll put 'ASIA' in smaller letters underneath 'KLM'. We'll leave the livery exactly the same, we'll use the same cabin crew, same airport and same flight code, but they'll never know it's us'.

Person no longer concerned : 'That's brilliant!!'

[UMD]

This is really funny and pretty much the same as the facebook problem in China. To me, it's a true case of much ado about nothing with the Chinese government.

I wonder why KLM is the only airlines still doing it now. I believe there used to be a number of airlines doing this before to get away from this red tape. In all fairness, there is a slight skin deep difference between KLM and KLM Asia. The Netherlands flag and the crown are not featured on KLM Asia and that it is incorporated in Taiwan.

[FN-GM]

This is really funny and pretty much the same as the facebook problem in China. To me, it's a true case of much ado about nothing with the Chinese government.

I wonder why KLM is the only airlines still doing it now. I believe there used to be a number of airlines doing this before to get away from this red tape. In all fairness, there is a slight skin deep difference between KLM and KLM Asia. The Netherlands flag and the crown are not featured on KLM Asia and that it is incorporated in Taiwan.

I thought they had stopped.

If i am correct BA, JAL, AF & QF did the same.

[MAN Flyer]

In all fairness, there is a slight skin deep difference between KLM and KLM Asia. The Netherlands flag and the crown are not featured on KLM Asia and that it is incorporated in Taiwan.

Oh I didn't realise there were so many differences, no wonder the Chinese have never rumbled them then.

I thought they had stopped.

If i am correct BA, JAL, AF & QF did the same.

They are definitely still doing it, I have had two stays at the Sheraton Hotel at Schiphol this week and saw the 777's with these additional titles both times.

You are right that others used to do it as well, so they are not the only morons to be fair, just the only ones still doing it. Although I know BA don't fly to Taiwan any more so maybe the others don't either ?.

[MLflyer]

Yepp BA, QF & AF have dropped Taiwan altogether only KL & JL still fly to Taiwan.

I wonder if theres any extra costs associated with the branding? And what kind of market was Taiwan back then to make the brands economically viable.

[SQflyergirl]

I'd never have known that those delft blue KLM Asia planes i see in Taiwan are actually KLM planes! Sneaky - and caught me totally off guard there!

[sqdazz]

hehehe


Well Qantas changed their name completely for the Taiwan market back in the day. Australia Asia Airways they were called, even repainted the tail. Here is how they looked when a 747SP was plowing the route between Sydney and Taipei in the 1990s: