Q: I flew from Amsterdam to Cape Town, South Africa, 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 that I was in the correct seat. It was clear there was an error in their system.
When I tried to check in for my return flight to Amsterdam, KLM told me that my ticket was “out of sequence.” They said I needed proof that 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’s customer service when I got home. KLM insisted that 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?
A: I can’t believe KLM refused to acknowledge that 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. This is probably why the flight attendants kept asking for your ID.
The problem is this meant that the airline had you as a “no show” for your outbound flight. Airlines automatically cancel your return flight when you miss the first leg.
You should never have been forced to pay for a new ticket. If you’d shown a ticket agent the digital boarding pass and a 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 to ensure that all was well.
KLM didn’t want to talk about your case. “This file will now be closed,” a representative told you in an email. “Any further correspondence will be filed and will remain unanswered.”
