"Flight Coupon Order of Use" fee in practice
Jun 21, 22, 8:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 241
"Flight Coupon Order of Use" fee in practice
Does anyone here have real-world experience with skipping a leg on KLM and paying the "Flight Coupon Order of Use" fee specified in their conditions of carriage? Copied in below for reference.
I have a booking XXX-KL-AMS-KL-LHR-VS-JFK later this week, and really want to avoid the mess in AMS at the moment (7 out of the last 9 days I would not have made the connection due to delays or cancellations). KLM isn't able to rebook me onto anything that really works for me, but I also have a ton of BA miles and I am considering just booking XXX-LHR directly with BA and skipping the XXX-AMS-LHR part of my KLM ticket and pay their fee if need be. Now my questions:
1. If I skip short-haul legs that are part of a long-haul itinerary, does to short-haul or long-haul fee apply?
2. If I skip two consecutive legs, is it twice the fee?
3. Any experiences with the flight immediately after the skipped ones being on a partner airline? If I show up at a VS checkin desk in London, would they even know what to do with my booking that has two no-shows for the first legs? Would I need to call KLM on the phone beforehand to pay the fee?
Thank you!!
Conditions of Carriage, 3.4 (b):
I have a booking XXX-KL-AMS-KL-LHR-VS-JFK later this week, and really want to avoid the mess in AMS at the moment (7 out of the last 9 days I would not have made the connection due to delays or cancellations). KLM isn't able to rebook me onto anything that really works for me, but I also have a ton of BA miles and I am considering just booking XXX-LHR directly with BA and skipping the XXX-AMS-LHR part of my KLM ticket and pay their fee if need be. Now my questions:
1. If I skip short-haul legs that are part of a long-haul itinerary, does to short-haul or long-haul fee apply?
2. If I skip two consecutive legs, is it twice the fee?
3. Any experiences with the flight immediately after the skipped ones being on a partner airline? If I show up at a VS checkin desk in London, would they even know what to do with my booking that has two no-shows for the first legs? Would I need to call KLM on the phone beforehand to pay the fee?
Thank you!!
Conditions of Carriage, 3.4 (b):
(b) Except in case of Force Majeure, any non-compliant use by the Passenger (for example, if the Passenger does not use the first Coupon or if the Coupons are not used in the order in which they were issued) will result in the payment of an extra fixed fee at the check-in moment for the following Coupon (from 30 hours before the departure) at the call center, at a City Ticket Office or at the airport amounting to: 125 for flights in Economy Class within Europe and between Europe and Israel, 300 for flights in Business Class within Europe and between Europe and Israel, 500 for intercontinental flights in Economy Class and 1,500 for intercontinental flights in Business Class (or the equivalent in the local currency).
Jun 21, 22, 1:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: EU
Programs: FB Plat (Y3), All Accor Gold (Y1)
Posts: 589
Does anyone here have real-world experience with skipping a leg on KLM and paying the "Flight Coupon Order of Use" fee specified in their conditions of carriage? Copied in below for reference.
I have a booking XXX-KL-AMS-KL-LHR-VS-JFK later this week, and really want to avoid the mess in AMS at the moment (7 out of the last 9 days I would not have made the connection due to delays or cancellations). KLM isn't able to rebook me onto anything that really works for me, but I also have a ton of BA miles and I am considering just booking XXX-LHR directly with BA and skipping the XXX-AMS-LHR part of my KLM ticket and pay their fee if need be. Now my questions:
1. If I skip short-haul legs that are part of a long-haul itinerary, does to short-haul or long-haul fee apply?
2. If I skip two consecutive legs, is it twice the fee?
3. Any experiences with the flight immediately after the skipped ones being on a partner airline? If I show up at a VS checkin desk in London, would they even know what to do with my booking that has two no-shows for the first legs? Would I need to call KLM on the phone beforehand to pay the fee?
Thank you!!
Conditions of Carriage, 3.4 (b):
I have a booking XXX-KL-AMS-KL-LHR-VS-JFK later this week, and really want to avoid the mess in AMS at the moment (7 out of the last 9 days I would not have made the connection due to delays or cancellations). KLM isn't able to rebook me onto anything that really works for me, but I also have a ton of BA miles and I am considering just booking XXX-LHR directly with BA and skipping the XXX-AMS-LHR part of my KLM ticket and pay their fee if need be. Now my questions:
1. If I skip short-haul legs that are part of a long-haul itinerary, does to short-haul or long-haul fee apply?
2. If I skip two consecutive legs, is it twice the fee?
3. Any experiences with the flight immediately after the skipped ones being on a partner airline? If I show up at a VS checkin desk in London, would they even know what to do with my booking that has two no-shows for the first legs? Would I need to call KLM on the phone beforehand to pay the fee?
Thank you!!
Conditions of Carriage, 3.4 (b):
(b) Except in case of Force Majeure, any non-compliant use by the Passenger (for example, if the Passenger does not use the first Coupon or if the Coupons are not used in the order in which they were issued) will result in the payment of an extra fixed fee at the check-in moment for the following Coupon (from 30 hours before the departure) at the call center, at a City Ticket Office or at the airport amounting to: 125 for flights in Economy Class within Europe and between Europe and Israel, 300 for flights in Business Class within Europe and between Europe and Israel, 500 for intercontinental flights in Economy Class and 1,500 for intercontinental flights in Business Class (or the equivalent in the local currency).
It's still June and KL is supposedly relatively flexible with itinerary changes and voucher refunds.
Jun 21, 22, 5:48 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 241
I asked at the airport earlier (had a different flight today), and the agent at the KLM desk said they couldn't do anything until either flight is officially cancelled or delayed, but of course that won't happen until 1-2 days before. Ideally I'd like to be able to plan ahead a bit more. But maybe I'll try again tomorrow on the phone.
Jun 22, 22, 4:22 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Miles&more, SPG, Hyatt
Posts: 536
If the flight operated and you didnt turn up on XXX-AMS-LHR, your segment on VS to the US will get cancelled, no doubt about this. Their fee is charged in addition to cancelling the rest of your unflown segments in the event you have to interact with them after youve skipped your segment (ie you have through checked luggage and you need to get it). In practice its not a fee you can pay in order to use your coupons out of sequence, rather a fine if you have to have them help you after you skipped something on the ticket. If you have JFK-AMS-XXX and simply walked away in AMS with hand luggage only, they arent going to chase you down for this fee unless you do it extremely frequently.
Jun 22, 22, 6:15 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 241
If the flight operated and you didnt turn up on XXX-AMS-LHR, your segment on VS to the US will get cancelled, no doubt about this. Their fee is charged in addition to cancelling the rest of your unflown segments in the event you have to interact with them after youve skipped your segment (ie you have through checked luggage and you need to get it). In practice its not a fee you can pay in order to use your coupons out of sequence, rather a fine if you have to have them help you after you skipped something on the ticket. If you have JFK-AMS-XXX and simply walked away in AMS with hand luggage only, they arent going to chase you down for this fee unless you do it extremely frequently.
Jun 22, 22, 6:28 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 241
Also, these two Guardian articles seem to imply that it really is a fee for using the remaining coupons:
https://www.theguardian.com/business...for-passengers
https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...celled-sold-on
https://www.theguardian.com/business...for-passengers
https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...celled-sold-on
Jun 22, 22, 6:40 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Miles&more, SPG, Hyatt
Posts: 536
Also, these two Guardian articles seem to imply that it really is a fee for using the remaining coupons:
https://www.theguardian.com/business...for-passengers
https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...celled-sold-on
https://www.theguardian.com/business...for-passengers
https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...celled-sold-on
Also even if they don't cancel you, you'd have to pay UK ADP in order to board in LHR, which will result in the ticket being recalculated and you be charged a LON-US fare (which is presumably much higher than your existing ticket's value) plus the ADP
Jun 22, 22, 6:49 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 241
For the return direction, not for the remaining coupons in the same direction.
Also even if they don't cancel you, you'd have to pay UK ADP in order to board in LHR, which will result in the ticket being recalculated and you be charged a LON-US fare (which is presumably much higher than your existing ticket's value) plus the ADP
Also even if they don't cancel you, you'd have to pay UK ADP in order to board in LHR, which will result in the ticket being recalculated and you be charged a LON-US fare (which is presumably much higher than your existing ticket's value) plus the ADP
