By Christopher Elliott | Travel Troubleshooter
Q: I recently flew from Amsterdam to Cape Town on KLM. When I arrived at the gate, an agent took my boarding pass and reassigned my seat. During the flight, attendants interrupted me three times, asking for my passport and ticket to confirm I was in the correct seat. It was clear there was an error in their system.
To make matters worse, the vegan meal I had pre-ordered wasn’t available, and I was served a meal with meat and dairy.
When I tried to check in for my return flight from Cape Town to Amsterdam, KLM told me my ticket was “out of sequence.” They said I needed proof I was on the outbound flight, like a baggage tag or ticket stub. I didn’t check a bag and hadn’t kept my boarding pass. KLM demanded I pay $550 to board the flight. I had no choice but to pay.
I contacted KLM customer service when I got home, explaining the situation. KLM insisted I didn’t board the first flight and refused to refund the $550. So I sent the airline my digital boarding pass, proof of an in-flight Wi-Fi purchase, and a time-stamped photo of me on the plane. I even escalated the matter to my credit card company and the European Commission. But still, nothing. Can you help me get my money back? — Lauren Stokowski, Utrecht, Netherlands
A: I can’t believe KLM refused to acknowledge you were on the flight after you provided so much proof. Did they even read what you sent them?
This is an obvious error. KLM switched your seats on the outbound flight to South Africa but then somehow lost the record of your seat reservation. That’s probably why the flight attendants kept interrupting you and asking for your ID.
Problem is, that meant the airline had you as a “no show” for your outbound flight. KLM, like other airlines, automatically cancels your return flight when you miss the first leg of your flight.
You should never have been forced to pay for a new ticket. If you’d shown a ticket agent the digital boarding pass and picture of you on the flight at the airport in Cape Town, KLM might have been able to fix it. Better yet, you might have called the airline before your return flight left to ensure all was well with your tickets.
You could have also appealed to an executive at KLM once you returned. I list their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
Regarding your missing vegan meal, I recommend you bring snacks in case the airline shoes not have the vegan meal you ordered. Airlines often forget their meal orders.
KLM didn’t want to talk about your case. “This file will now be closed,” a customer service representative told you in an email. “Any further correspondence will be filed and will remain unanswered.”
That was the wrong answer. I reached out to my contact at KLM and asked it to have another look.
“After extensive investigation, we have come to the conclusion that we charged Ms. Stokowski erroneously,” a representative told me. “Our customer service department has contacted her and will reimburse the $550 that she was charged.”
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 on his site.