KLM refund voucher

Kezza_B_81

Due to fly to the US in April with KLM via Amsterdam. Obviously that's not happening now but KLM are only offering change of flight or a voucher, not a full refund. Would it be easier to get the money back through my travel insurance as the FCO have advised no foreign travel? Insurance is with Cover for You.

fiish

Have KLM actually cancelled the flight? If they have, you are entitled to ask for a refund, according to the interpretive guidelines you can find on this page: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_485.
The same guidance says that airlines are allowed to offer you a voucher, if you initiate the cancellation.

I have a KLM ticket myself to Amsterdam towards the end of April. The origin airport (LCY) is closed to the end of April, but KLM have not officially cancelled my flight yet. So I'm in a similar situation to you, and I think I'm going to wait for the flight to actually get cancelled and then ask for a refund. I have no intention of settling for a voucher unless the rules say I have to take it or get nothing.

Probably they are swamped with requests from people whose flights were scheduled in the next few days, I suspect this is going to carry on, with rolling flight cancellations and people clamouring for refunds - if they can get most people to rebook or take a voucher (which is effectively a forced rebook further in the future), it will probably help.

MarloweMcD

I'm in a very similar situation, wherein KLM has cancelled my flight and are only offering the opportunity to rebook or a voucher. I managed to get through to customer service to request a refund, which they eventually processed after a lot of persuasion.

However, the email that I then received from KLM confirms only that I've made the request, not that the refund will be provided. I had thought the law was very clear on EU passenger rights, yet the KLM customer service rep was insistent that the standard EU passenger rights did not apply to tickets cancelled due to COVID 19 travel restrictions. 

We'll have to see if they grant the refund; the law seems to be clearly on the passengers side. 

Alan_Bowen

The law is on the passengers' side, and the EU Commission made it clear last week that whilst airlines could offer vouchers, the customer could insist on a refund. The problem is that with zero cash flow, although KLM seems to be planning more flights than virtually any other European airline, no one has the cash to pay

jo1326

Hi I’m in exactly the same situation with flights booked May 1st. KLM have cancelled and offered a voucher. I’ve no intention of flying in 12 months and they told me if I don’t use it with in the 12 months I can claim a refund then. I said that they are basically making me wait 12 months for a cash refund and they replied “yes that’s correct”. It’s £500 I can’t wait a year for that amount.

Aylesbury_Duck

jo1326 said:

Hi I’m in exactly the same situation with flights booked May 1st. KLM have cancelled and offered a voucher. I’ve no intention of flying in 12 months and they told me if I don’t use it with in the 12 months I can claim a refund then. I said that they are basically making me wait 12 months for a cash refund and they replied “yes that’s correct”. It’s £500 I can’t wait a year for that amount.

Looking at it from another point of view, if your trip went ahead you'd never have that £500.  Now you're being offered it in 12 months' time.

It's difficult for everyone at the moment, but at least you'll get your money back eventually.  Lots have lost much more.  It's not as if it would have earned any interest with rates as they are, either!

SevenOfNine

Aylesbury_Duck has it already been established that you have a vested interest in people accepting any length of time for reimbursement of their money, in effect, to accept an IOU.

Every post you respond to seems to promote that, so your role in the travel industry is.......what?

Aylesbury_Duck

None at all.  I'm quite happy to declare I have no role or interest in the travel or leisure sector.  If you have evidence of establishing otherwise I'd be keen to see it.   I'm just trying to inject some realism into the situation.

Well done for falling into the rather obvious trap of accusing someone of having a vested interest when you don't like the advice they're providing.  It never gets old.

SevenOfNine

Aylesbury_Duck said:

None at all.  I'm quite happy to declare I have no role or interest in the travel or leisure sector.  If you have evidence of establishing otherwise I'd be keen to see it.   I'm just trying to inject some realism into the situation.

Well done for falling into the rather obvious trap of accusing someone of having a vested interest when you don't like the advice they're providing.  It never gets old.

Actually the use of a question mark, it looks like this ?, indicates I was ASKING what role you had in the travel industry, given that it had not been established whether you did or didn't.

I'm not massively bothered what advice you're prolifically giving, I'm experienced enough as a traveler to decide for myself & that decision will be based entirely on my personal circumstances & what, if any, other avenues are open to me (or open up shortly should the UK government step in as the Germans appear to have already).  For me now it's not to accept anything, & certainly not to be ushered into rescheduling into something not quite when I want to go, to a place I've been or don't particularly want to go to.  It's certainly NOT going to be "take the vouchers" as a blanket acceptance, this situation is still fluid.

Aylesbury_Duck

SevenOfNine said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

None at all.  I'm quite happy to declare I have no role or interest in the travel or leisure sector.  If you have evidence of establishing otherwise I'd be keen to see it.   I'm just trying to inject some realism into the situation.

Well done for falling into the rather obvious trap of accusing someone of having a vested interest when you don't like the advice they're providing.  It never gets old.

Actually the use of a question mark, it looks like this ?, indicates I was ASKING what role you had in the travel industry, given that it had not been established whether you did or didn't.

I'm not massively bothered what advice you're prolifically giving, I'm experienced enough as a traveler to decide for myself & that decision will be based entirely on my personal circumstances & what, if any, other avenues are open to me (or open up shortly should the UK government step in as the Germans appear to have already).  For me now it's not to accept anything, & certainly not to be ushered into rescheduling into something not quite when I want to go, to a place I've been or don't particularly want to go to.  It's certainly NOT going to be "take the vouchers" as a blanket acceptance, this situation is still fluid.

Which is presumably why you felt the need to comment on it at nearly midnight. 
I'm pleased to have a follower dedicated enough to stalk me. 

SevenOfNine

Not really, I sleep extremely badly & have done for 4 years. Best not to even try now until late, often 2am. I'm afraid you're not interesting enough to stalk!  Though I'd like my money back, I worked hard for it, at the end of the day me & my family learnt what is valuable in life.......& it's not money.  Covid-19 has already started to teach that lesson.