Addy van de Krommenacker now also knows how chaotic and bureaucratic things can get at Schiphol. The Bossche fashion designer has been waiting for three days for a suitcase with dresses that he needs for a show in Paris on Sunday. Almost out of desperation, he asked a woman who often works for him to finish two creations for him this evening. There is a rush, because Addy wants to travel to the French capital by car at six o’clock on Sunday morning.
Don’t get him wrong: Addy is not so disappointed with the airline that he canceled a plane trip (including transport of suitcases). “I was already planning to drive to Paris by car. I can better transport my dresses in it, then they don’t have to be folded in a suitcase,” clarifies the 72-year-old couturier.
“Waited and waited, but the suitcase remained untraceable.”
The problem of the lost suitcase arose on Thursday. Addy had returned from a stay in Milan. In a studio in the northern Italian fashion city, he worked on a presentation for Sunday’s show in Paris. “The organizers of the Oriental Fashion Show invited me after seeing my clothes at an event in Marrakech, Morocco. But the best dresses were in the suitcase, which was the only one not to leave the baggage claim. I waited and waited, was also greeted kindly and understandingly by an employee, but the suitcase turned out to be untraceable.”
At one point it was reported that the suitcase had been found after all. Addy, however, was made happy with a dead sparrow. There was no staff available who could get the suitcase from a specific depot. Strange but true. Addy (“I really couldn’t believe it”) wanted to stay at Schiphol for the evening to receive the suitcase, but he was advised against that. Moreover, there was really no room in his agenda to wait for that.
“There was no one to pick up the suitcase, really dramatic.”
“On Friday morning I called KLM at eight o’clock. I did not get someone on the phone until a quarter to ten. They knew where the suitcase was, but apparently certain procedures are needed to be able to retrieve it. But there was no one who could go through it. Really dramatic.”
When Addy still hadn’t received good news from Schiphol on Saturday morning, he thought it was enough and put his problem to the fore. The one from Twitter. KLM quickly came up with an apology, but also with a special question. “Whether I had created a so-called Property Irregularity Report, a reference number. Then I would receive a response within three days at the latest,” says Addy, whose pants almost sank at this reaction.
The fashion designer then enlisted help to finish two dresses that were not actually going to go to Paris. “The public won’t notice, but I always set the bar high for myself and would rather have shown other models. Oh, I’m used to putting my shoulders to the wheel when faced with setbacks. It will be no different this time.” But KLM has not yet got rid of Addy. He even sent someone to Schiphol this Saturday evening in the hope that he would return with the suitcase in question.