SNCF: how to obtain a 200% refund after the cancellation of tickets for Christmas?

The controllers' strike caused the cancellation of many SNCF tickets. Affected customers will receive a 200% refund.

With the strike of the controllers, alone 2 out of 3 TGVs will circulate this Friday, December 23 and during the weekend. People who wish to join their families for Christmas have their tickets canceled for December 23, 24, 25. SNCF has announced to its customers exceptional compensation measures which she decided to take. The 200,000 canceled tickets will be reimbursed at 200% . What are the terms of reimbursement? We tell you everything.

How will the tickets be refunded in two instalments?

Many passengers have booked a ticket for these dates , but they will not be able to take another train. If this is your case, the SNCF promises to refund you in two installments . The group seems to want to compensate for the repercussions of the controllers' strike .

The SNCF will contact you by email within a few days to inform you of the cancellation of your ticket . For compensation, she will first reimburse the price of the ticket by bank transfer . You will therefore receive the amount paid for the ticket on the account you used during the purchase.

The second refund will be done in digital voucher . The voucher will be of the same equivalence as the price of the ticket you purchased. This voucher will be valid for the following 12 months .

Note that customers who have requested a refund before the SNCF announcement also benefit from the exceptional compensation . If you requested a refund for your ticket before the December 21 announcement, you will also be reimbursed twice .

Do I have to apply for reimbursement from the SNCF?

The reimbursement measure is retroactive. As a precaution, SNCF invites you to contact its customer service . Given that the exceptional compensation from the SNCF is not automatic, you must therefore make a request to benefit from it .

Before that, you must wait to receive an email or SMS confirming that your ticket has been cancelled . You must submit your reimbursement request before the departure time of your train. This condition must be complied with so that SNCF services consider your request .

You can make your request on the group's website, in store or at the station. It is also possible to reach the SNCF by calling 3635. You just have to bring your file number .

Those who have booked a round trip by train for the holidays will have to wait before requesting a refund of the ticket . This applies to reservations, the cancellation of which concerns only one of the trains. These persons will have to wait for the return date of the train .

SNCF: what about Ouigo journeys?

The circulation of the Ouigo sector will also be disrupted and 1 in 4 trains will not be in circulation. Customers will be able to exchange their ticket at no additional cost. They can also opt for a refund in vouchers by going to the Ouigo site .

It is possible to pay these vouchers into a bank account. For that, you must have purchased your ticket with a bank card . If the ticket was initially paid for with a voucher, this option will not be possible.

Ouigo customers will have to show up before the day before their trip to avoid automatic trip cancellation . If the traveler does not arrive before 11:30 p.m., he will not be able to benefit from an exchange.

Other Things to Know About Exceptional Compensation

As the SNCF specifies, the exchange of tickets is free and at no additional cost . If you exchange your ticket for a more expensive one, you will not have to pay the excess price.

Take the example of a customer with bought his ticket for 50 euros . The second ticket on the same journey in exchange costs 75 euros. This SNCF customer will not have to pay the additional sum of 25 euros.

In addition, the SNCF promises to compensate its customer who exchanged for a cheaper ticket . The traveler will receive the amount of the price difference.

SNCF does not take into account these additional costs related to with the current social movement. Customers will not be eligible for compensation if they have to spend an extra night in a hotel.

Neither will the SNCF finance a journey that you booked after your train ticket was canceled .

Source : Ladepeche