Earlier this month, we flew with KLM from Paris to Vancouver. When we used the on-line check in service for flight, we noticed that we have been charged an additional $123.64 per ticket. We had not made any changes to the reservation, we were within the baggage limits and we did not upgrade to Economy Comfort. Has anyone else had this happen? We inquired about the fees when checking in at the airport but no one seemed to know what the fees were for. I am now attempting to find out the reason for the charge, but am being bounced around from KLM, Air France and Delta's customer service departments. In the meantime, I was curious to know if other Fordorites have had this experience.

whoops, sorry, I just realized I posted on the wrong forum. I will repost on the Airline forum. My apologies.

no, but I only flew KLM once and that was a couple years ago. I don't remember any problems. I don't really understand how you can be charged something without your permission and you not know it until checkin. Whenever I have bought an airline ticket online, I get the confirmation with full price I am charged within a short time, and that is when they charge my credit card. I tried checking in online once on Air France (which I didn't even know you could do for international) but it really didn't accomplish anything. You still had to stand in line at the airport, get a boarding pass, and check your bags as usual. In fact, the line for people who had already "checked in" online was longer and moved slower than the regular line. I was really po'd. In the US, you just go up to a special place to check your bags when you've done that, and already have your boarding pass. Hope KLM was more efficient.

anyway, can't help as a baggage fee would be the usual suspect for extra charges at check-in, or upgrade. Where did you buy your ticket, I wonder if that had anything to do with it (like if it were from a discounter or something). I still don't quite understand the charges. Did KLM charge your credit card without your permission several months after you bought your ticket or something? Some airlines were charging surcharges for fuel when it was real high but that was a long time ago and I haven't heard of that.

Very odd. The only thing I can think of is that the price you were initially charged didn't include fees and taxes.

There is a charge for a second checked bag but nothing like that amount.

If you flew from Paris surely it was an AirFrance or Delta flight with a KLM codeshare?


Christina - at Schiphol there is a place to check your bags in once you have checked in online. Sometiems a bit of a queue, but normally it is very efficient. At Boston I had checked in online and had to re-check in at the airport which was really annoying.

That's the gottcha they do. They advertise fares but then they * it which means the additional tax fees still have to be added on. The amount you mentioned looks just like the amount that is usually left out.

Ann1 - it depends on where Leuk2 bought the tickets. If they bought them in Europe all fees and taxes are included in the price by law. They should have been included in the final price they paid any way, not been added on at check in.

Oops re-reading the OP the fees were just added on somewhere before check in. So yes those are fees and taxes. Nonetheless if the ticket was bought in Europe that should have been in the initial quote, assuming they used a European site to book the tickets.

Whenever I buy an airline ticket, the fees and taxes are added in when you get the receipt or confirmation, which is usually within an hour of purchase. And they are clearly obvious when you click to make the purchase, KLM, AF or whatever. I have never bought an airline ticket that did not have all the fees and taxes added into the first receipt you got, not clear what the bottom line is when you hit the purchase button. They may not be in the "advertised" price, but they are definitely in the price when you buy it. So if it is fees and taxes, the OP must not be referring to the charge when buying the ticket, but some advertised price or price before you get the receipt. I have bought from KLM, they don't have a mystery charge you are not aware of before you purchase the ticket.

Christina: I agree with you but I don't know what it is in Canada. Some airlines in some instances when buying in the US show the price without taxes and then they're added on before you are finished. Others include the taxes in the advertised price. I've had it both ways.

There is also a possibility that something went wrong with the website and it didn't add in those taxes before it issued the ticket. Then when they realized the problem, maybe they went back to correct it. The amount just seems like the price of the extra taxes. Remember the glitches when the airlines have $7 fares by mistake and then catch it after many tickets have been issued.

The tickets were bought on-line using the KLM website and purchased in Canada. The original receipt includes the taxes.

While in Paris, we were staying close to the KLM/Air France office so used their computer to check in and print off our boarding passes and trip summary. The trip summary showed the additions fees. When we noted the additional fees, we asked an agent about it. We were advised that we needed to ask an agent at the airport...right.... It was obvious that they wanted us to go away with our question and weren't particularly interested in helping us. We left, figuring we would sort things out when we got home. However, we did ask the agent at the airport who advised us that we needed to talk to an agent at the gate...right....The agent at the gate said we needed to talk to....blah blah blah. The flight was a KLM flight from CDG to AMS and AMS to YVR.

The charge was made to my credit card without my authorization. Thanks for the advice to contact the CC company. I will contact my CC company as well as continue my inquiries with the airlines.

Could it be a fuel surcharge?

Their website says this: The price of kerosene is currently high and subject to major fluctuations. This situation has obliged KLM to levy a fuel surcharge on all its flight tickets, which depends on developments in the oil market. On European trips, this amounts to € 32 per segment flown; on intercontinental destinations, the surcharge is € 98(flights not langer than 9 hours) and € 108(flights longer than 9 hours) per segment. The supplement is calculated per flight, so it is charged on both the outbound and return trips as well as any intermediate flights.

http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_en/plan...ined/index.htm

leuk2: That represents a lot of what the problems are in the world today. The first person should have said to you...."If you have a minute I will find out." But no one cares and no one wants to put themselves out so they keep pushing you off.

Nonconformist: Good work!

Nonconformist - Thanks for the info. We had read that but the amount we were charged doesn't add up to the amounts quoted for the fuel surcharge. Also, we were only charged for the return flight, not the outbound (Shhhh, please don't tell KLM - they might want to add a fee to that flight too). Hopefully Delta will be able to explain the fee.

The added cost is not the fuel surcharge.

According to KLM's website

http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_en/plan...ares/index.htm

the fuel surcharge is included in the quoted ticket price (by law) because consumers have no control over it and it is thus an "unavoidable cost" of travel.