[Fyn]

Avoid Air Transat like the plague.

They will steal your money at the check-in. I booked a flight from Toronto to Manchester leaving Dec 08 and returning Jan 09. On my return, I was told that my baggage which was just fine on the way over now weighed 14 kg over the permitted amount and they demanded I pay another $300 on top ofthe $900 I had already paid for my ticket. I stood there at 7 o'clock in the morning, exhausted from the early start, and was told that despite having a valid ticket they would not issue me a boardfing pass until I paid $300 extra. On the way over to the UK my hand luggage was not weighed. In Manchester they weighed my hand luggage and included it. I had no warning that this would happen. The staff were rude and uncooperative and I had to get in line with all the other passengers who were being similarly ripped off. They have the whole thing very well organized to steal your money.

My complaints by email to customer service were greeted with rude and sarcastic emails back from the so called 'customer service representative'.

I demanded a refund of the extra money and was told that I was not entitled to one. Strangely, I was also advised against complaining about this.

The plane was then 4 hours late taking off.

Air Transat can make you pay one price when you book and then demand more money at the check-in and it seems they can get away with it.

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

The plane was then 4 hours late taking off.

On this basis you may be entitled to SOME compensation under the rules of the European Union. Go to the following link:

http://www.euclaim.co.uk/

As to the matter of charging you for overweight on the basis of your carry-on: Write Transport Canada. They maintain an airline consumer advocacy unit. I don't know if they can help you. The airline MAY have been within its rights. However, it's worth a try. I'm not sure what you meant by
Strangely, I was also advised against complaining about this.
If this means the airline was threatening you, include a photocopy of the airline's reply (with your letter to Transport Canada) which includes this comment.

[Fyn]

Thank you, Butch. I will try your suggestion.
There is a Canadian MP, Jim Maloway, who has started a private members bill for an Air travellers Bill Of Rights. I emailed him my story and it seems many many others did also with complaints about air travel. I encourage anyone in Canada to contact his office and offer your support for this bill.

I was told ny the 'customer service' person that the way I had phrased my complaint was defamatory and was told I should 'be careful' about the words I used. I take that as a threat. I admit I used ther common literary device of irony in my complaint. Clearly the woman was an idiot who either did not understand or chose not to and decided to threaten me. The responses I got were filled with sarcasm. She seemed to take my complaints personally and was extremely unprofessional in her replies. What can you do in this instance?

[jimworcs]

I would write to Air Transat again, maybe with a little less irony, as many airline employees are either a) too stupid to get it or b) drunk on power and use it inappropriately and demand your rights to compensation under Regulation 261/2004. The link Butch posted is helpful, but is a commercial compensation claims company who would take a percentage of your claim. You are entitled to this compensation if you meet the criteria and can claim this without paying euclaim any money whatsoever.

The issue of baggage weights is tricky. There are many passengers who believe that airlines allow passengers to go on the outbound leg with overweight baggage without charge, because they know that on the return leg the customer will have no choice but to pay the very excessive fees. If they had attempted to collect the fees on the outward journey, many passengers would have had the option of taking the goods out of their bags and putting them in their car or give them to family to take home before they leave. Ryanair have often been accused of this kind of duplicity. The problem is this... you will never prove the suspicion!! I personally doubt very much that they do this. Conspiracy theories are usually wrong and it is much more likely to be a ****-up. Air Transat could argue that they were generous in allowing you to fly outbound with no excess fees and you have no grounds whatsoever for complaint.

I would demand your rights under EU rules and pursue your political route. Canadians were treated apallingly by Air Canada during the severe weather over Christmas and this appears to have created a groundswell of political support for further reform to the rights of passengers. Now is a good time to pursue this. Bad publicity is also the best route. Post your experiences on here and on skytrax and any other forum you can find.

Good luck!

[Fyn]

Hi, I tried to post this same complaint on SkyTrax and they did not post it. I tried twice several days apart. So for some reason they will not post this complaint.

I do believe there was a purpose in charging me on the homeward journey for stuff I was not charged for going out. I think it was quite purposefully done to get money because I was going home and could not abandon my luggage. I have travelled Air Transat in the past on several occasions and this never happened before so I think it is a recent money making scheme.

I am just stunned at the rudeness of the replies I got. Also there seemed to be no limit to the amount of duty free you could take. I saw people with bags of heavy bottle and no one complained about that. The whole thing was a total scam.

[camela]

I book a flight for my sister with Air France from Colombia to Hong Kong a week ago. I was helping her to do the online check in and it didn't work. Just called Air France and they said that the ticket had been cancelled. After calling three different people in three different countries I was told that it had been cancelled because the name on the ticket was diffferent to the name in the credit card. No one informed us about this cancellation. They said that there was nothing the could and if she wants to travel tomorrow she has to pay for the ticket is cash,at the airport, even thought the payment has already been deducted from the card! So I said ok. but are there seats available? they said no. The flight is in about 10 hours.... the person on the phone, someone called Nelly Anthony, was very rude and at the end, after sorry there is nothing we can do he said "have a nice day". Are you kidding me?