Hello everybody !

I am writing this post to witness the treatment reserved to AF's under 18 customer, and to ask if you had some ideas to solve the flowing problems.

A few weeks ago I've booked a flight from VLC to RNS for next summer with a stopover in AMS. I am suppose to fly with KLM on VLC - AMS ant then with Trade Air (with their Fokker 100 !!!) from AMS to RNS. I have booked the Adult Flex Fare which was at the same price that the Young Flex Fare : 247 euros, but the advantages are very different. Actually, with the Adult Flex Fare you can use SkyPriority and modify/cancel your flight without fees, whereas there are fees with young fare, and it doesn't offer SP. I have paid a part of the ticket with a voucher issued by AF after a delayed flight last summer.

A few days after booking the ticket, I wanted to change my flight, I logged on AF site with my FB account, and it appeared that I am unable to make changes online : every time I try to search a new flight the website displays an error message, and says me to disconnect my FB account, but if I do so I can no longer modify my reservation, which is attached to my FB membership number. Then I've reached the customer care service by e-mail, they answered that I had to call 3654 to change my ticket, dit is quite surprising to have to pay to modify a ticket that is supposed to be modifiable free of charge.

A few days after I decided to write an e-mail to a member of Air France direction, who transmitted my request to another service, and yesterday I received a call saying that I was unable to modify my ticket because I had paid a part of it with a voucher : Has anybody already face the same issue ? She also said me that the fact I was under 18 imply I am not allowed to change my ticket online, I need to call the line that is only open from 6:30 am to 10pm. She's recognized that adults and passengers under 18 aren't treated the same ways when booking an Air France ticket. I was advised to delete my FB account to be able to modify online. Another concern is that Flex Fare allows me to do a Go Show or After Show the day of my departure, but I won't be able to do it online, and my flight will leave VLC before the hotline open (departure 5:00 AM), so I would prefer avoid to go to VLC airport just to make the change and go back later ...

Thus, what could I do ? Do you think I really need to delete my FB account (it is not really easy to reach AF when the hotline is open, and my timetable is not really compatible, I would prefer being able to change at any time because prices are varying very very fast...) ? Do you think this situation is normal, or should I insist and file another complain about this situation ?

Thanks a lot for reading my long message, I have been reading Flyertalk's forum for a long time and now I'm needing a piece of advices

 

Welcome to FT FlyAF
First, I think there is something you assume wrongly : Flex fares are modifiable without having to pay a change fee but you may have to pay to readjust your fare if the one you were booked in is not available in the new flight you want to take (see the screenshot below). Before, it used to be quite simple for flex fares as they were only available on the most expensive ones and those were full fare/full flex without having to pay anything in case of change. Now AFKL have modified their fare structure to introduce this flexibility (and also light fares) on all sub-classes of Economy and that makes the things much more complicated.
This said, if you are in this situation, I believe it is normal as a minor to not be able to make any kind of change and payment. And as your FB profile contains your birth date, they know you are a minor. But, even if you remove your FB number, I am not sure this will solve your problem, as more and more countries, even in Europe, require APIS data (Advanced Passenger Information System) and this include birth date. Your travel involving 3 countries (ES, NL and FR), it is likely that those data are required.
So, try to remove your FB number (you may still claim the miles afterwards) and see. But I think you'll be obliged to deal with call centers.
And I don't think you have any ground for complaining (you booked an adult ticket while you're not and, as a minor, you are not entitled to complain. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not criticizing you for having done that because it was quite a clever thing IMO, but just accept the few inconveniences )

PS : the fact that you have paid partly with a voucher is irrelevant here, for a modification (it would be different of course for a cancellation & reimbursement).

 

Thank you for answering Goldorak

Actually I had called AF before booking and they told me I am entitled to travel with adult fare because I am more than 16 (I forgotten to tell you about this point).

I wrote to AF and I explained them that I didn't see the difference between making the change online or calling them to change, it is the same action.. I believe it is a bit inconsistent to let me booking a Flex Fare online alone, and then refusing any changes online, whereas I called AF hotline before booking and I was told that changes will be possible online...

I think I am going to ask AF to appoint my parents as my "travel managers", I read it is possible to do so online though my FB account, I just need to allow someone else to manage my travels... and so my parents would be able to change online the ticket ... I will try and let you know

Thanks again !

A last question : have you ever used the After Show service ?

 

Hello Goldorak.

I just made a call to AF customer service, asking them to remove my FB number from my booking, they did it in a few seconds, without asking me why. I have checked on AF website and I am now fully able to modify/cancel online. Thank you very much for the idea, I have spent to weeks trying to solve this issue with AF !

Regards

flyAF

 

Excellent. I am glad this was solved in a so simple way.
And don't forget to claim your miles afterwards.
And we hope of course to see you again on this forum. Being so young and already capable of playing with the fare rules and benefits of some tickets versus others is very promising