JohnRain

Mrs JohnRain recently traveled in AF Y on a Mini Ticket (no checked luggage allowance). I purchased a luggage allowance for one bag together with the ticket and she's FlyingBlue Gold which means she can check one additional piece of luggage at no cost. At the airport she was asked to pay 70 euros for her second checked luggage, which is clearly a mistake. She paid it because she had no choice and now I want to get it back. Who should I contact?

PS: the same thing happened to me a few weeks back, I had to show the lady at check-in the receipt of my (paid) luggage allowance, otherwise I would have had to pay as well. This is clearly a weakness of AF systems, namely that they don't recognise the extra bag you bought at the time of booking if you're flying on a Mini ticket with no checked luggage allowance.

irishguy28

Did you pay €15 online for a "first" bag, or did you pay the correct online fee of €45 for the "second" bag?

I ask only because, if you take up the frequent flyer baggage allowance, this counts as the "first" bag. The "first" bag is always cheaper (€15 paid in advance, €30 at the airport, or, when you have FFP privileges - free).

Regardless of the "cost" of the first bag (€0, €15, €30), the second bag is always charged at a higher rate.

You should have paid €45 online for this bag (it costs €70 at the airport). I suspect that perhaps you instead paid just the €15....

So there may be a little more to this than first meets the eye.

Given your earlier personal experience, I would advocate that you always print your luggage receipt, and carry it together with your e-ticket. If you can anticipate potential trouble, it is always better to confront it on the day, rather than trying to recover the money later...

JohnRain

Thanks for your reply irishguy28. I paid 30 euros at the time of booking for the bag, but I suspect that's not the problem here because on the other flight I mentioned it was exactly the same situation, ie I paid 30 euros online and after showing my receipt to the lady at check-in I had to pay nothing (I'm also Flying Blue Gold).

That's absolutely correct, Mrs JohnRain even had the receipt but she's not that experienced a traveler, which means that she didn't react in the right way.
That being said, it's really poor performace from AF not to be able to recognise such things in their systems.

irishguy28

Have you rung up to enquire about getting a refund?

I think this is a situation that would benefit from human contact.

Alternately, there is a generic online form for claiming refunds - though largely meant for refunding a ticket - that you could use. However, I fear that it may just end up in a black hole.

If I were you, I would call.

JohnRain

You're right, I'll call them.
Thanks again.

scubaccr

Given a choice book KLM over AF flights since the introduction 2years ago of flights that have 0piece bags allowance

KLM allow elites 2x pieces in these instances still, 1piece if flying blue Plus extra 1piece for elites (silver, gold, platinum).. So a total of 2pieces

AF only allow 1piece for elites

AND even KLM checkin staff are confused as see on their screens your ticket class gives allowance=0pieces and think you should only get elite 1piece free
They even argue and refuse to accept printed ticket details printed off during checkin showing 2pieces allowed saying that must be a mistake in KLM IT system

Luckily the first emailed e-ticket confirmation right after buying ones ticket has the right text as I quote/paste below

"When "0 pc" is stated as baggage allowance on the ticket,
Flying Blue Silver, Gold and Platinum members are entitled to carry 2 pieces of
check-in baggage free of charge.
BlueBiz members and contracted corporate accounts (who have entered their membershipnumber or account-code in their reservation), are entitled to carry 1 piece of check-in baggage free of charge. "

Goldorak

hmmm, something wrong here

SDQBound

Had a similar issue at probably the worst station AF has (SDQ). Allowance was 2 bags + Elite extra bag, however, their system was showing only 2. Spent half an hour arguing (I could have paid the extra but I was also paying overweight on 3 bags), plus another half an hour with a "manager" who ended up verifying that I was allowed indeed 3 bags, but the system wouldn't print a third tag. I tried to contact AF when arrived to Paris, but was never able to recover the payment.

cfischer

dispute with CC company.

JohnRain

Thanks for the info, scubaccr. I had no choice here unfortunately, it had to be AF. Still, they allow 1 piece for elites as you were saying and 1 piece had been paid for, thus my frustration.

Nothing wrong here: the magic words are "status match"... (And the other status card she got through her credit card)
Plus, she usually never flies alone and I handle all travel-relates issues.

That's also what I fear will happen in this case. They really need to get their act together with regards to luggage allowances.

I'd love to do that, but do you think it will work as this is not a fraudulent charge, bur rather a mistake made by AF (and Mrs JohnRain who didn't know better)?

brunos

Just a word of support. Not long ago moi and my wife were both FB Plat, earned through flying for both of us. But I do all the travel management even in the rare occasions where she lies alone. She would have no idea about bag allowance.

This bag policy is quite confusing. I did not realize (never had to use it) that the free elite allowance MUST be used for th first bag not the second bag.

In my last HOP flight (ten months ago), it was a MUST to bring a copy of the paid bag voucher as the checkin agent did not have a system were he/she could find it. Seems like middle ages. Has that changed.

JohnRain

Thanks for your kind and helpful message brunos, I appreciate it. And no, nothing has changed as my flight was a HOP flight as well and without a copy of the paid bag voucher I would have had to pay for it again as well.
I'll try to dispute the charge with the CC company as cfischer suggested, that might be easier than dealing with AF over the phone.

SDQBound

The free elite allowance is an extra piece, not the first bag, so if your allowance is 2 bags, as an elite, you can check the third one.

JohnRain

Thanks for clarifying this, B7e7US. That's why I'll dispute the charge with the credit card company. The ticket had an allowance of 0 bags, I purchased an allowance for 1 bag and the free elite allowance is for the second bag. The 70 euros Mrs JohnRain had to pay are therefore totally unjustified.

brunos

That is conflicting with views of irisguy28.
We are specifically discussing the rules of AF Mini fares. Irishguy28 version is that if you travel on a Mini fare (0 bag free) then you can credit your status for the first bag (free) and you must pay for the second bag, at the high rate for second bag. Everyone agrees that the OP should be paying only for one extra bag when checking two bags as FBG. The question is whether the rate charged should be that of a first extra bag or that of a second extra bag, which is much higher.
In the case of the OP, I suspect that she did not show a printed copy of the extra bag receipt, so was not even credited for the 15 paid. Am I wrong?

Could someone knowledgeable about the Mini/Hop rules confirm?
And I would not contest the charge with the cc company. She clearly signed the credit card receipt, so your contest is with AF.