KLM Royal Dutch Airlines review: Lost rollator, and crutch dropped into my face

I am Jannetta Steyn Flying Blue member no. 1829555544.

On 20 October 2026 we departed from OR Tambo Johannesburg South Africa to Paris.

Your personnel has been immaculate as always- caring and friendly yet still professional and efficient.

On flight AF1000 on the second stretch of our trip Paris to Madrid the following unfortunate incident occurred:
I walk with crutches- the hostess put my crutch in the overhead rack before take-off. Before take-off she opened it again and the crutch fell right on to my forehead with the top, heavy part.

It immediately swelled up and it was painful but with the help of ice the hostess brought, it seemed to soothe the sharp pain. The personnel were caring and checked on me all the time.

Before landing in Paris, we enquired about our connecting flight to Madrid as it seemed to be a short time. A taller, blondish male host instructed me to remain in my seat to wait for a wheelchair and insisted there was enough time. Maybe after he had checked the schedule and realised there was little time, he went to look for a wheelchair. Needless to say, we missed the connection.

We were assisted to get another flight.

But this all resulted in a chain of mishaps- my rollator (walking aid) had not arrived and it took hours in Madrid to locate it, without success. It was located a few days later and we were told to collect it which was totally unacceptable as we were travelling.

Then we had to collect our rental car, and we arrived late at our accommodation so that special arrangements had to be made to obtain access.

By the next day the swelling of my forehead and eye was severe and it started turning blue. It was more painful and I became nauseous. We were in Spain in a rural area and didn’t know where to go for help. We tried to care for it with our own travel medication.

I then also realised that there was a problem with my spectacles as it seemed to have been bent and whenever I bent my head forward the spectacles slid off.

I didn’t have my necessary aid to walk easier and this totally spoilt our holiday. When my husband went in to tourist attractions I would sit in the car waiting.

Despite the claim submitted the same day in Paris, we stayed in regular contact with your personnel. An undertaking was made that it would be delivered on a specific day, namely 22 October, to our 2nd accommodation but it never arrived.

We received a call from a courier that was very rude because he didn’t understand English.

The Rollator arrived 10 days later at our 2nd accommodation when we were already on our way to Madrid to return home.

An undertaking was finally made to collect the Rollator and send it back to South Africa. GLS in Madrid undertook that the Rollator should be delivered by 6th latest 7th November. To date we have not received any notice of where the device is, and when it will reach us.

By this time the blue bruise had settled on my eye and I looked terrible. It was my birthday on 26 October, the purpose of the holiday, and it was totally spoilt and ruined by all the above.

I attach photos of the injury to my face and a video of my spectacles that are damaged.

Our flights cost us in total, with upgrades ZAR15566,80 x 2, plus upgrades KLM ZAR2323,99 x 2 plus further Air France upgrades ZAR2056,99 x 2, totalling ZAR39894.76

Accommodation ZAR27960,39 (Euro1518.89)

Car rental and charging costs ZAR23000,00

My MK prescribed spectacles approximately ZAR6000,00

Discomfort and suffering ZAR10000
Our total claim for this disaster is ZAR107769.00 (Euro5854.33)

You should refund me for pain and discomfort, the damage to my spectacles and the overall spoiling of my enjoyment.
We await your urgent advices in this regard.
Best regards
Jannetta Steyn

ALL SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE NEXT MAIL (I AM 80 YEARS OLD AND NOT TOO GOOD ON THE LAPTOP)