 Poster: A snowHead
|
Does anyone have any experience of getting compensation back from KLM for delayed skis? Bit of a long story, but....... ours were lost for 2 days. KLM very promptly paid me back for the cost of our 2 day rental skis, for which I have receipts. What I can not seem to get out of them is any more to cover other items (no receipts) and lost time etc. Due to the delayed skis we were 2hrs waiting in GVA (as no one admitted skis were lost till then), our driver was meant to charge us 100eur for late pick up, but kindly didn't, so we gave him a 50eur tip (ok, that was our call). We arrived very late into resort, missed dinner etc. Next morning missed breakfast etc to be first in queue at hire shop at 8.30 in order that we could get our children down to ski school at 9.30. Only just made it, but as I was in such a rush I did not get receipts for the 4pairs of gloves and 1 hat that I bought to replace those in the ski bag. End of 1st day got an email saying skis had been delivered, then spent 2hrs trawling all the accommodation on our road in case they had been dropped off somewhere else, but no luck. Lunchtime 2nd day got a call from the driver saying he was 1hr away, so I skied back from Meribel to Val Thorens to meet him as I had been told by KLM I had to sign for the skis and I knew our accommodation reception was closed. Got back to find no sign of the driver but a very cheery voice mail saying he'd left the skis in the hire shop for me. Picked up skis no bother from hire shop, no need at all for me to lose an afternoon skiing. I emailed my ski hire receipts to KLM, but also explained that I had had to buy a few other things and in the mad rush not to miss ski school hadn't got a receipt (I did however buy the cheapest gloves in the shop), that I had also missed half a days skiing, paid 50eur to our driver, missed dinner on arrival and spend our first afternoon scouring the resort for skis that had not in fact been delivered.
Am I being unreasonable (unrealistic) in expecting KLM to cough up for more than just the exact cost of our hire skis? Has anyone pushed back on first compensation received and been able to get more back from KLM and if so, any advice? I am not looking to make money out of this, but think at the very least my costs and half day of lost skiing should be covered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@trmacc, I have a vague feeling that you are limited to actual out of pocket costs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Had a similar but not as complicated thing with BA a few years ago. Very difficult to prove and claim for consequential and discretionary losses, which if you think about it could be infinite. Lots of folk put stuff in ski bags as well as skis/boards, but usually airlines only agree to carry the hardware so if other stuff gets lost/damaged/delayed difficult to make it the responsibility of the airline.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
No direct experience with KLM, although I've liked them when I've used them, they just didn't lose stuff on me.
I did once challenge BA when they tried the "you must have receipts or we'll not pay you anything" argument about food costs they caused me to incur. I suggested that I must have eaten something, and that I didn't think the judge in our local court would agree that the law required me to prove precisely what that was. They paid up in full, and I laughed.
In this case, well obviously it was a ski holiday, and if they'd lost your gloves, then obviously you were going to take some costs in renting or buying replacements. So I would itemise the actual costs, making sure that they are honest and reasonable. I'd double check the law on that specific (slightly different from my case), but assuming it's the same, then I'd threaten to issue proceedings for those precise costs. And of course I'd follow through on it, but they'd pay.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Thanks. Yes @philwig, I already itemised the costs for them (and pointed out that at 20eur a pair they were getting off lucky with the gloves considering our location). I did not ask them for a refund for the 50eur we gave our driver as that was our decision, nor did I claim for the pizzas I bought the children on the way up the mountain etc etc, or in fact for the ripped ski bag (about 10yrs old) so I think I have been more than reasonable and have actually requested quite a bit less than the whole thing cost us. We shall see, I suspect it is worth spending a small amount of time of writing emails etc, but not worth busting a gut for. All that said, rest of KLM experience was great, total novelty after years of easyjet being given a free sandwich and a beer on the flight!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Are they off piste skis? 
Al
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@sugarmoma666, that is a fair point, we had 2 pairs in each bag and were able to claim for hire to cover all of them. Hadn't thought about the one pair per bag stipulation!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Mrs MA and I have had ski bags not turn up on 2 or 3 trans-Atlantic trips over the years, with both BA and KLM. We always travel light and take only hand luggage plus one ski bag, containing two pairs of skis plus other bits and pieces.
Each time, we've reported the missing bag at the arrival airport and confirmed exactly what we would be entitled to buy if the bag did not arrive. We've always ended up hiring skis for a day or two and have also been paid out for gloves and ski polos. Claiming the money back from both KLM and BA has never been an issue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
