EU airline (EC 261/2004) · KL
KLM refund & compensation policy
What KLM owes you when it cancels, delays or overbooks your flight — and how to actually collect it.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 844 557-2216 — our agents can also rebook you.
Free eligibility checker
60 seconds. No account. We tell you what you're owed and who can get it for you.
KLM refund policy in plain English
Light fares non-refundable; others per fare rules; KLM cancels → refund or rerouting under EU261.
Delays and cancellations
EU261 €250–€600. Schiphol's chronic staffing delays in 2022–2024 were ruled largely within KLM's control for compensation purposes.
Your rights on KLM (EU Regulation 261/2004)
- Compensation for arrival delays of 3+ hours, cancellations with under 14 days' notice, and denied boarding: €250 (≤1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km or intra-EU), €600 (3,500 km+) per passenger — unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.
- Refund or rerouting on any cancellation, and on delays of 5+ hours if you choose not to fly.
- Care: meals and drinks from 2 hours' delay, hotel and transfers if overnight.
- Applies to all KLM flights departing the EU, and to KLM flights arriving in the EU from anywhere.
How to claim from KLM
- Gather the booking reference, boarding passes and any messages from KLM about the disruption.
- For a refund, use KLM's own form: www.klm.us/information/refund, or call +1 800 618-0104. Cite your right to a cash refund and decline vouchers.
- For compensation (EU/UK rules), either file with the airline and escalate to the regulator if refused, or hand it to a no-win-no-fee partner via the checker above — they pull the flight data, counter "extraordinary circumstances" claims, and sue when needed.
- If a refund you are owed hasn't arrived in 7 business days, a credit-card chargeback for "services not rendered" is a fast parallel route.
Policies summarised from KLM's published conditions and applicable regulations; airlines change fare rules often — confirm on the link above before relying on a detail.
Other airlines
American Airlines · Delta Air Lines · United Airlines · Southwest Airlines · JetBlue · Alaska Airlines · Spirit Airlines · Frontier Airlines · British Airways · Virgin Atlantic · Ryanair · easyJet · Lufthansa · Air France · Emirates · Qatar Airways · Air India · Turkish Airlines
Flight disrupted in the last 6 years?
It takes a minute to find out what the airline owes you.