It is 30 June 2022. The Askerbøring women Anne Berit Trollstøl and her husband Arne Trollstøl step up to Gardermoen with luggage and passports, ready to get on a plane that will take them to the south of Europe.
In the holiday paradise Algarve in Portugal, a large house awaits them and several family members that they have rented in connection with the celebration of the couple’s 70th birthday.
But the start of the holiday was anything but what they imagined, and would eventually turn out to be the start of an almost two-year-long dispute worth thousands of kroner – where two different airlines in the same group have blamed each other and refused to take responsibility .
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Shock notice at Gardermoen
When Anne Berit and her husband approached the counter at Gardermoen to collect their boarding passes, they were told that there were no boarding passes with their names on them.
– We only got a note with a phone number we could call. We called, but quickly understood that it was only a chat phone in English, where we were not allowed to speak to anyone, says Anne Berit to Nettavisen.
– So then we stood there, then, she continues.
They had booked plane tickets with KLM, via travel agency Travellink.
It later emerged that the flight was overbooked, and that there were therefore no seats for the married couple on the vessel. They were allegedly not made aware of this until several months later, when Anne Berit complained to KLM.
Had to pay a huge sum
Nettavisen has seen documentation in which KLM admits that an error occurred on their part.
The couple got on a flight to Portugal the next day, but had to shell out NOK 23,610 for new plane tickets.
– It was the only available journey to reach the house we had rented in time, says Anne Berit.
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The rest of the family traveled as planned with Norwegian the following day.
Anne Berit believes that she and her husband are entitled to a refund on the new plane tickets, as they did not get on the first flight. They also demand standard compensation of 400 euros per person in accordance with EU regulations, as well as hotel costs related to an overnight stay in a hotel due to delays en route to Portugal.
This gives a total amount of around NOK 35,000.
Blamed each other: – Turns away
KLM did not want to take responsibility for this amount. They believe that it is Transavia, which operated the flight, that must be held responsible for the incident. Transavia is the subsidiary of Air France-KLM.
But Transavia has not wanted to foot the bill either. For their part, they have believed that it is KLM that must be held responsible.
“This reservation was not made through Transavia. We were just going to make the flight. Therefore, your request should have been made to the airline that took responsibility for your order, which is KLM,” the airline wrote to Anne Berit on 20 February this year.
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– We live well without that money, but it is the principle that the airlines cannot turn away in this way, she says.
– This process has been going on for almost two years. How demanding has it been?
– It has been very frustrating and time-consuming. For me, it has been extra time-consuming, because I have had to write in English and it is not something I do on a daily basis.
Succeeded in the Transport Complaints Board
The couple also appealed the case to the Transport Complaints Board.
In a unanimous decision, they have concluded that it is Transavia that is responsible for reimbursing Anne Berit and her husband.
“The Transport Complaints Board recommends that Transavia Airlines pay standard compensation of 400 euros per person, as well as refund the complainant’s expenses for new plane tickets in full. If the complainant submits receipts for expenses for food, drink and hotel accommodation in anticipation of a new flight departure, it is also recommended that this be reimbursed to the complainant,” says the decision dated 27 November 2023.
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Unfortunately for Anne Berit and her husband, the Transport Complaints Board has no legislative power. In practice, this means that the decision is only a recommendation – and not something Transavia has to submit to.
– Will you be traveling with KLM or Transavia in the future?
– Never. Never again, replies Anne Berit.
It is within a short time that Air France-KLM officially becomes the major owner of SAS, which has been struggling financially for a long time. In that context, SAS will move from cooperation in the Star Alliance to KLM’s alliance Skyteam, and work closely with KLM.
– SAS is really a serious company, so I hope that this will not also become the practice at SAS.
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Transavia turns around: – Sorry
After Nettavisen started working on this case, Transavia has apologized to Anne Berit and her husband, and concluded that it is right and reasonable for Transavia to pick up the bill.
Robbert Honing in Transavia’s communications department writes the following in an e-mail to Nettavisen:
– We would like to apologize to the Trollstøl couple for any delay and confusion in this matter. I have been informed and they do not need to provide any further information to us beyond what we already have. The appropriate department will take action and should provide the compensation within a short time.
– Then we’ll just have to wait and see, then, says Anne Berit when Nettavisen relays the message.
2024-03-16 21:52:14
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