Travel Troubleshooter: I booked a ‘flex’ flight on KLM that wasn’t so flex

Q: Last year, I booked three round-trip “flex” refundable tickets from Washington, D.C., to Amsterdam on KLM. I paid $4,907 for the tickets.

In April, I had to cancel the trip, so I went to KLM.com and initiated a cancellation. The next week, KLM credited my card for $2,293, less than half the amount of the original tickets.

I’ve been in contact with KLM through multiple channels, including phone, WhatsApp and Messenger, and I’ve had a very difficult time getting any information on the status of the remaining refund. Agents don’t have complete information and also seem to invent policies as they go.

I’ve spent hours trying to settle this issue and each communication with KLM customer service leaves me more confused than when I started. By making the refund process as opaque, time-consuming and difficult as possible, KLM is engaging in unethical and possibly fraudulent behavior. Can you help me?

A: You should have received a prompt refund for your ticket.

KLM’s flex ticket allows you to change your flight without paying a change fee (you only pay the difference, if applicable). You can take an earlier or later flight without paying a change fee if seats are available. And, most importantly, you can cancel your flight and get a refund without paying a cancellation fee.

So why didn’t you get it? Sometimes, airlines process refunds in batches, and it’s possible that KLM processed two tickets and intended to do the other two later. It’s also possible that the carrier misunderstood its own ticket terms — I’ve seen that many times.

All KLM would say, repeatedly, was that your fare did not qualify for a refund, even though you had purchased a fully refundable flex fare.