Dear reader,
Two days before the start of the summer holidays, the SNCF filed a strike notice for this Wednesday, July 6.
Only two out of five trains are expected to run today and many travelers are likely to find themselves on the floor.
What if this is your case?
The national railway company announced on its Twitter account on Tuesday that people whose train was canceled were
“currently contacted for an exchange or refund”
by text or email.
Contacted by
Le Figaro,
the SNCF lists the following exchange and refund conditions:
For TGV inOUI and Intercités
“Trains affected by cancellations benefit from the waiver of exchange and refund fees. The refund is made free of charge, automatically. Exchange is free of charge and at the same price for all customers and all fares (including non-exchangeable and non-refundable tickets). The new ticket is issued at the same rate and at the same price as the original ticket, with a new travel date chosen by the customer. Trains that run normally remain subject to the normal exchange and refund conditions linked to the fare
(see below, Editor's note)
.
But according to the SNCF, it is necessary to privilege the exchange to the refund:
"You should not be reimbursed and buy another ticket, which will be at today's price and therefore more expensive, but you have to make an exchange: the ticket will be at the same price as the one you paid for initially, there is no additional cost”.
Read alsoAirport strikes, canceled flights… Our advice for successfully flying despite everything this summer
For OUIGO
“Travellers affected by a cancellation were contacted by email on July 5 at the latest.
Two possibilities :
Or exchange the ticket free of charge for another OUIGO train, for a new travel date between today and July 13 inclusive (within the limit of available seats on the other trains).
Or cancel the trip.
A refund will be sent by email within three days, in the form of a purchase voucher, creditable to the bank account.
Without action on the part of the customer before Tuesday, July 5 at 10 p.m., the trip is automatically canceled (full refund sent by e-mail in the form of a creditable purchase voucher).
Apart from the aforementioned cases, i.e. if your train is maintained, the general conditions of sale apply, a social movement not being considered as a “case of force majeure”.
This is what the SNCF indicates on its website:
“In a normal situation, the usual fare conditions of your ticket apply for your exchanges and cancellations.”
They have relaxed a little since the pandemic: TGV inOUI tickets can be exchanged and refunded free of charge up to D-3, beyond that penalty of €15 per TGV inOui ticket or 40% of the ticket price (maximum of €12) on Intercities.
Complete trains
Despite the exchange and cancellation facilities offered by the SNCF, many users complained this morning, on social networks, of having had to pay cancellation penalties on their train tickets and of difficulties in finding a substitute travel, many trains being full a few days before the main departures.