Consumers' assoc. threatens to sue KLM over no-show policy

Consumers' association Consumentenbond is demanding that KLM removes the 'no-show' clause from its general terms and conditions. If the Dutch airline fails to do so, the consumers' association will take the matter to court, RTL Nieuws reports.

Under KLM's no-show policy, passengers who miss part of a return flight will have all the flights on their return trip canceled. The traveler gets no money back, but the chair can be sold. If they want to take their original flights, the passenger has to pay extra. This can vary from 125 euros on a short flight to 3 thousand euros on long flights.

Other airlines also have no-show policies, but Consumentenbond is focusing on KLM because the Dutch airline's policy is most detrimental for the traveler, the association said to RTL. The association regularly gets complaints about KLM's policy.

As an example, Consumentenbond mentioned one traveler who could not travel with his family because of illness. He took another flight a few days later. As a result, his return flight was canceled because he could not take his original outbound flight. The traveler finally managed to fly home on his original ticket, but only after having to pay 250 euros. Consumentenbond calls this "unheard of and unlawful".