Possible refund airfare difference on klm.com purchase
 

I purchased in April 2008 HKG-AMS-BCN-AMS-HKG from klm.com for HKD$7294non-refundable discount fare, and checked today now priced at HKD$5916, a fare difference of HKD$1378. Approx USD176. When I called to KLM at HKG to inquire about possible refund of the fare difference. The klm agent said no way. This is my first time buying from KLM. I know for a fact that most US carriers, inlcuding NW, will refund the fare diff, or at least in travel credit. Is this common practice for non-US carriers?

Certainly for KL it is.

I'm afraid "no way" is the only answer you will get.

Johan

The HKD (being pegged to the USD) has strengthened significantly against the euro since April. (1 euro was around HKD 12.2, now trading at HKD 9.8)

So in euro terms the price of the ticket is pretty much the same. As KLM report financials in euro, I doubt whether they would send any HKD difference.

On the other hand, if the price had gone up by HKD1500 how would you feel if they then asked you to pay the difference...!

I agree with this. You bought a nonrefundable ticket for a price you agreed with. Why should they pay you the difference? Would you pay the difference when it was the other way around?

I agree, non-refundable is non-refundable.
That's the risk you run unfortunately.
Same applies to a reduction in fuel surcharges, they have gone down now but if the ticket has been issued they will not refund you even though the fuel has not been "purchased" yet...

Given KLAF's five-year hedging strategy, this whole fuel surcharge thing is a big charade anyway. The surcharge is based on fluctuations in oil price that bear little or no relation to what KLAF is actually paying for its jetfuel.

Johan

Why not re-open this discussion with what we know, and not with what we think:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7aead454-b...nclick_check=1

Nobody is saying that the airline industry is in great shape.
But I don't think you can deny that AF/KL is very quick to impose and increase fuel surcharges and very reluctant and slow to remove or lower them.
I repeat my point, the EU should ban fuel surcharge practices and force ALL airlines to include their costs in their fares - this increases transparency for all.

Bear in mind that, in general, hedging contracts are made in dollars. Add to that the current $/EUR value increase and you'll probably find that despite the rapid decreasing oil prices, the fuel bill of most airlines is exactly the same as it was when oliprices were $130+