Travel Troubleshooter: KLM owes money for a refundable flight. So, where’s the refund?

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I am writing because I hope that someone at KLM will help me with a refund for a “flex” flight I purchased this summer. This email comes from a place of desperation, as I’ve had a terrible time trying to contact KLM and getting any information regarding my refund.

Last year, I booked three round-trip, “flex” refundable tickets from Washington, D.C., to Amsterdam on KLM.com. I paid $4,907 for the tickets. In April, I had to cancel the trip, so I went to KLM.com and initiated a cancellation.

The next week, KLM credited my card for $2,293, which was less than half the amount of the original tickets.

I’ve been in contact with KLM through multiple channels, including phone, WhatsApp and Messenger, and I’ve had a very difficult time getting any information on the status of the remaining refund. Agents don’t have the complete information and also seem to invent policies as they go.

I’ve spent hours trying to settle this issue, and each communication with KLM’s customer service leaves me more confused than when I started. By making the refund process as opaque, time-consuming and difficult as possible, KLM is engaging in unethical and possibly fraudulent behavior. Can you help me?

— Mel Stevenson, Takoma Park, Maryland

ANSWER: You should have received a prompt refund for your ticket. KLM’s flex ticket allows you to change your flight without paying a change fee. (You only pay the difference, if applicable.) You can take an earlier or later flight without paying a change fee, if seats are available. And most importantly, you can cancel your flight and get a refund without paying a cancellation fee.

So, why didn’t you get it? Sometimes airlines process their refunds in batches, and it’s possible that KLM processed two tickets and intended to do the other two later. It’s also possible that the carrier misunderstood its own ticket terms — I’ve seen this many times.

All KLM would repeatedly say was that your fare did not qualify for a refund, even though you had purchased a fully refundable flex fare.

You kept great records on your refund request. I might have limited my interaction with KLM to text messages or emails, which would ensure there’s a record of your conversation. But it’s clear that KLM sold you a fully refundable ticket and that you should have received a prompt refund.

It looks like you even appealed this to the top executives at KLM. (I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the KLM customer service executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.) But they ignored you.

Come on. Airlines can’t just sell you a fully refundable ticket, then only refund half of it. After my advocacy organization asked about this case, KLM sent you an email.
“After thoroughly reviewing your previous reservation, we have determined that your tickets are indeed fully refundable,” it said. KLM processed the rest of your refund, as promised.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.
(c) 2024 Christopher Elliott
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