The Air France-KLM group announced Friday that customers whose flights have been canceled due to the coronavirus crisis will be able to be reimbursed, as demanded by consumer organizations. "The recent developments in the world health situation and the gradual lifting of confinements gives better visibility on the evolution of the flight program for the coming months," the group said in a statement posted on its website.
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"Air France and KLM have therefore decided to adjust their refund policy for cancellations of flights effective from May 15: the customers concerned will have the choice between a credit or a refund," he said.
"It may take longer to process these requests"
The airline group warns, however, that "the processing of these requests could take longer", due to "the magnitude of the crisis and the number of cancellations". And customers are encouraged to continue to opt for a credit, with the promise of a 15% bonus on the value of the initial ticket if this credit is carried over to a subsequent reservation. At the end of April, the French consumer association UFC-Que Choisir had "given notice" to 57 airlines to allow customers to reimburse tickets canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic, in accordance with European regulations.
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In addition to Air France-KLM, the other targeted airlines were Lufthansa, Emirates, EasyJet, Ryanair, or Vueling. These unused tickets represent 10 billion dollars in Europe, and 35 billion worldwide, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).