"Only the French or Dutch office can do that"
Feb 18, 2024, 6:31 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2024
Programs: SkyTeam Elite+ & Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 9
"Only the French or Dutch office can do that"
Flying Blue support keeps telling me this and then saying they will transfer me there, I wait an hour on hold and then get an agent not from the France or Netherlands office. It has been 17 hours now over the past 4 days and 8 today alone. What do I do? The flight in question is less than 12 hours away now.
Feb 18, 2024, 6:53 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2024
Programs: SkyTeam Elite+ & Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 9
Just got yelled at by the Mauritius agent and hung up on when I informed her that the previous agents have all told me that only the Paris or Dutch office can do it. This is crazy
Feb 18, 2024, 7:12 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2024
Programs: SkyTeam Elite+ & Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 9
My bad! Losing my mind over here ya know
On an award flight:
So my original flight was EVN-LAX with CDG as a layover on Air France metal both legs, the first leg of this flight was cancelled and since there are no other ones until 2 days later I was instructed to call Flying Blue which I did. They advised me to take a 4 hour earlier Lufthansa routing as it was the only one they could see at that time and that if another opened up later to call back (specifically the French or Dutch line as the supervisors have more tools when it comes to re-accommodating on non-partner airlines, they also informed me that I was eligible the first time to be rebooked to non partner since the next flight was over 48 hours in the future, and that if another flight opened up within 24hr of my original departure to call back and I would be able to be put on that flight since the rebooking was over 4 hours before the original departure)
I have been trying to get in touch with them since early February and they said I'd hear back within 2 weeks from Feb 1 when I called since it had to be submitted to the internal team, they never replied or did anything when I emailed them asking for a response since the deadline they said had passed. I started calling back 3 days ago and every day have sat on the phone about 4-5 hours (10 hours today) where I keep getting agents not in Paris or Amsterdam who have me tell them the situation put me on hold to talk to their supervisor and come back saying the same thing and that they will transfer me and then I get another different office who says the same thing
TLDR: My OG flight on AF was cancelled and I was put on a LH flight 4hr earlier and told to call back if anything within 24hr after my OG AF flight opened to be put on it since the rebooking was 4 hours earlier and that was past the threshold they have. Since the new flight on the next day with 24 hours has opened up, I keep calling and they keep telling me only French or Dutch FB office can help but then I get transferred to Prague, Spain, Mauritius (the people on this one are so mean!) and told the same.
The flight is in less than 12 hours and over the past 3 days its been 17 hours on the phone with this loop
On an award flight:
So my original flight was EVN-LAX with CDG as a layover on Air France metal both legs, the first leg of this flight was cancelled and since there are no other ones until 2 days later I was instructed to call Flying Blue which I did. They advised me to take a 4 hour earlier Lufthansa routing as it was the only one they could see at that time and that if another opened up later to call back (specifically the French or Dutch line as the supervisors have more tools when it comes to re-accommodating on non-partner airlines, they also informed me that I was eligible the first time to be rebooked to non partner since the next flight was over 48 hours in the future, and that if another flight opened up within 24hr of my original departure to call back and I would be able to be put on that flight since the rebooking was over 4 hours before the original departure)
I have been trying to get in touch with them since early February and they said I'd hear back within 2 weeks from Feb 1 when I called since it had to be submitted to the internal team, they never replied or did anything when I emailed them asking for a response since the deadline they said had passed. I started calling back 3 days ago and every day have sat on the phone about 4-5 hours (10 hours today) where I keep getting agents not in Paris or Amsterdam who have me tell them the situation put me on hold to talk to their supervisor and come back saying the same thing and that they will transfer me and then I get another different office who says the same thing
TLDR: My OG flight on AF was cancelled and I was put on a LH flight 4hr earlier and told to call back if anything within 24hr after my OG AF flight opened to be put on it since the rebooking was 4 hours earlier and that was past the threshold they have. Since the new flight on the next day with 24 hours has opened up, I keep calling and they keep telling me only French or Dutch FB office can help but then I get transferred to Prague, Spain, Mauritius (the people on this one are so mean!) and told the same.
The flight is in less than 12 hours and over the past 3 days its been 17 hours on the phone with this loop
Feb 18, 2024, 7:21 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2024
Programs: SkyTeam Elite+ & Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 9
So i believe they are still open but I have been calling since they opened this morning as the flight departs before they open tomorrow and still haven't gotten through to them. never seen a 6 digit iPhone call time but now I guess i can say i have
Feb 18, 2024, 8:09 am
#8
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,443
Note down that agent's details to file a complaint afterwards.
You could also try calling Air France in Paris specifically. If I understand the flight(s) in your booking are within the 48 hour window, meaning that the ticket should be under airport control - and AF may be able to help. Worst case they can transfer you to the french version of the FB customer team.
You could also try calling Air France in Paris specifically. If I understand the flight(s) in your booking are within the 48 hour window, meaning that the ticket should be under airport control - and AF may be able to help. Worst case they can transfer you to the french version of the FB customer team.
Feb 18, 2024, 10:38 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Gold, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,428
It's a little hard to follow your story due to the lack of punctuation, but I think you said they DID put you on the earlier LH flight? And wanted to switch you to KL/AF if one gets scheduled? And now one is scheduled, so you want to change it?
As long as I have been completely ticketed on the LH flight, I'd go to the airport that day and explain it to the agents then. If they want to change me to a later AF/KL flight, fine. I just cool my jets waiting in that airport instead of another one.
As long as I have been completely ticketed on the LH flight, I'd go to the airport that day and explain it to the agents then. If they want to change me to a later AF/KL flight, fine. I just cool my jets waiting in that airport instead of another one.
Feb 19, 2024, 11:12 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,773
Perhaps choosing Dutch as a language at the languahe prompt would guarantee an Amsterdam agent. Very likely that the Dutch speaking agent will also speak English.