AIBU or is the airline?

[Bobby80]

My flight was cancelled and I had to travel home the next day. I booked online with KLM. The email confirmation came through and under the bold heading of "total price" was written £1079, underneath this there is the offer of "price specification" which I didn't look at as I was happy with the above "total price". I then realised (once home) that I had been charged £1674. After calling KLM I've learned that the "total price" which is the only price on the confirmation doesn't include fees, taxes etc. Am I being disproportionately annoyed by this, I feel it's very misleading.

What is grinding my gears the most is I submitted the confirmation as an expenses claim which I now know is £600 short!

Who were you flying with originally?
You usually cant just rebook yourself- you have to let the airline try first.

Is this an insurance claim- if so just call them an update the claim

YABU. You always go to the end of the booking confirmation to check for add ons.

Just update your expenses claim. They'll want a VAT receipt anyway.

Sorry I should have explained- it was with another airline hence I couldn't update the booking. The 2 flights out with them that week were full so I booked with the alternative.

The expenses is with the original airline so no VAT required, just booking confirmation.

Also, that is the end of the booking confirmation. There is nothing after it.

Yes I agree with you - total price should be exactly that, the total, including all fees and taxes.
When I get a bill that says 'total amount due' that's the figure I go with.

The very definition of "total" means 'whole', 'full' 'complete' etc. I could accept small print or brackets telling me otherwise but I do feel it's very been worded to be deceiving.

Just resubmit the claim stating that the amount claimed was incorrect for the reasons you have pointed about above. As well as this claim you can also make a compensation claim for the cancellation of the original flight which is separate to the expenses claim. Have you done that?

www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/cancellations/

Where were you flying from and where were you flying to?

If your flight originated in the EU, that would seem to contravene "REGULATION (EC) No 1008/2008 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 24 September 2008 on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community (Recast)" which states:

Therefore the final price to be paid by the customer for air services originating in the Community should at all times be indicated, inclusive of all taxes, charges and fees. Community air carriers are also encouraged to indicate the final price for their air services from third countries to the Community.

Unfortunately, they are not required to indicate the full price if the flight originates outside the EU, although they are encouraged to do so.

I've submitted for compensation, thanks for pointing that out as I'm always surprised how few people know about that.

I've been trying very unsuccessfully to explain the issue to the other airline. A combination of them being very busy and the claim process (you can only submit a claims form, there is no space to add notes eg explain the issue so it's being rejected as a duplicate claim) is making it quite frustrating.

Geneva so inside the EU.

That's really useful, I'll be quoting this in my strongly worded email 😂

Geneva isn't in the EU...

I know politically it isn't but I assumed it was still covered by the EU regulations for airlines hence why I was able to claim compensation. Also, we flew from the French sector which just confuses me more!

Although this (www.europarl.europa.eu/ftu/pdf/en/FTU_3.4.6.pdf) seems to suggest Geneva is included: Notably, the first (1987) and the second (1990) packages started to relax the rules governing fares and capacities. In 1992, the third package (namely Council Regulations (EEC) Nos 2407/92, 2408/92 and 2409/92, now replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council) removed all remaining commercial restrictions for European airlines operating within the EU, thus setting up the European single aviation market. The latter was subsequently extended to Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.

So Switzerland is in the European single aviation market but the rules may only apply if they are flying in to an EU member state as the Regulation 1008/2008 is for intra-community flights. Were you flying to the UK?

Regardless, I'd quote it at them and also do the same on social media. Twitter tends to be good for getting responses.

I was flying Geneva-Paris-UK (from the French side of Geneva). Goodness knows where that concoction of countries leaves me with regarding the EU!

I was flying Geneva-Paris-UK (from the French side of Geneva). Goodness knows where that concoction of countries leaves me with regarding the EU!

That sounds like 1008/2008 should at least partially apply. Leg A is completely within the European single aviation market so the price quoted should be the total price. The reg states: ^This Regulation regulates the licensing of Community air carriers, the right of Community air carriers to operate intra-
Community air services and the pricing of intra-Community air services.^

A quick google suggests Reg 1008/2008 still applies to the UK: The withdrawal Act retained EU Regulation 1008/2008 in its entirety on exit day. The amendment makes the changes necessary so that this EU regulation continues to function correctly alongside the Operation of Air Services (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018. That can be found on hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2021-01-26/debates/D8B59391-C47A-4AFE-9AF1-25CE2A2CDBC7/OperationOfAirServices(Amendment)(EUExit)Regulations2020

And presumably you will be tweeting some strongly worded tweets to their account?

I’d copy in their lawyers too. Lawyers often have a better sense of this kind of thing.

I would dispute the charge on my CC as it clearly says total price.