KLM about Munckhof: “Trust is the foundation for a versatile partnership”

KLM and Munckhof have been working together for years in the field of bus transportation, and for even longer when it comes to booking airline tickets for the business market. It is a unique partnership built on mutual trust and understanding of each other’s position. David Vinke and Raymond Reedijk from KLM Netherlands explain what makes this collaboration so valuable.

Trust

In his role as Commercial Director Benelux at KLM Netherlands, David Vinke is primarily involved with the bus transportation that Munckhof provides for KLM. Since 2018, Munckhof has operated shuttle services on behalf of KLM from Maastricht via Eindhoven to Schiphol, and from Nijmegen via Arnhem to Schiphol. Notably, these buses are fully wrapped in KLM’s corporate branding. Naturally, these serve as moving business cards for KLM and are therefore also gladly used at events.

Our ambition

“Munckhof stands for quality and transparency. When you work with Munckhof, it is clear what you get and at what cost. That gives us confidence in operations. Because we have been working together for so long, we know exactly what to expect from each other. We value their willingness to collaborate and innovate, including in the area of sustainability. One example is the service for passengers who unexpectedly get stuck in traffic with the shuttle bus. In that case, the Munckhof bus automatically notifies KLM, and we rebook their flight. Another example of innovation is that the buses operating on behalf of KLM run on biofuel. In the future, we aim to jointly invest in hydrogen or electric propulsion. Investing in the future is something we do together. Of course, it’s a small step when you look at KLM’s total CO₂ footprint. Aviation is a sector that is difficult to decarbonize. But only by taking both big and small steps can we improve ourselves.”

The strength of the triangle

Raymond Reedijk, Sales Director Business at KLM, supports his colleague David’s view. “The strength of our collaboration lies in the chain: Munckhof, the organizations we serve (the Corporate accounts), Air France, KLM, and partners. Together we look for ways to align even more in terms of innovation and service. By engaging in discussions, we arrive at the best solutions for the Corporate accounts.”

Always improving

“When a collaboration is strong, you start looking further, thinking in terms of opportunities, and exploring them. Booking through New Distribution Capability (NDC) is a good example of this. Besides being a bus company, Munckhof is also a Travel Management Company (TMC), essentially a corporate travel agency. In 2023, Munckhof was one of the first TMCs to start booking airline tickets using NDC. By jointly investing in booking tickets through this new technology, we are both getting closer to the needs and wishes of our customers. What sets Munckhof apart from other TMCs is their constant willingness to go the extra mile to try new things. Munckhof has positioned itself as an NDC frontrunner and embraces that role with enthusiasm. As a partner, we fully support them in this.”

A positive approach

So, has the transition to booking via NDC gone completely smoothly? “No, not entirely,” Reedijk answers. “But trust is the foundation for a versatile partnership. For both Munckhof and KLM, booking through NDC is not only about IT and technology, but also about change management. We have both understood this very well. We involve employees in changes and think together in terms of possibilities. This way, we create positive energy together and come up with solutions, allowing us to overcome many challenges and continue celebrating business successes.”