Claim your KLM flight cancellation compensation

Founded in 1919, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the world’s oldest air carrier in operation. The national airline of the Netherlands is generally well regarded in terms of the quality of its service, however, it is not immune against flight disruptions. If KLM cancels your flight, you might be eligible to receive compensation of up to €600 (£520).
SkyRefund can assist you in claiming your compensation from the Royal Dutch Airlines. We will explain your air passenger rights in depth and provide you with the legal resources to receive what you are rightfully owed.

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Air Passengers rights

In the EU

EU regulation 261/2004 protects and guarantees the rights of air passengers from all over the world but only if they fly with an airline registered in Europe or depart from a European airport.

EU261 ensures that travellers get financial compensation in case of flight delays, cancellations, denied boarding, missed connections, or even downgrades.
However, compensation eligibility is only valid if the flight disruption is within the airline’s control. Thus, only flights that are delayed or cancelled due to technical issues with the aircraft, airline strikes, or other internal airline issues are subject to EU261.

In the UK

Many things changed after Brexit, not necessarily for the better, but there is good news for travellers. A law that directly mirrors EU261 was created to guarantee that UK citizens will keep their rights when they travel by air and that UK airlines will be held accountable for flight disruptions they are responsible for.
The components of UK261 are essentially the same as the ones of its EU equivalent, and the compensation amounts that you may receive as a UK citizen go from £213 to £520.

Extraordinary circumstances

Unfortunately, EU261 does not cover all possible scenarios of flight cancellations and delays. You will not be eligible for compensation if your flight with KLM gets cancelled or delayed because of extraordinary circumstances. These include but are not limited to: bad weather conditions like heavy thunderstorms, hail, and snow; air traffic control restrictions; airport staff strikes; protests; security threats.

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Compensation amounts for a cancelled KLM flight

The amount of compensation in case of a flight cancellation depends on two factors:

the distance covered by the flight
and
the time of notification, meaning when KLM informed you about the cancellation.

The table below gives a detailed overview of the different conditions and the compensation amounts you may receive in every scenario.

Notification about the cancellation	Compensation	Amount of compensation
More than 14 days before scheduled departure	None	0€ / 0£
Between 7 and 14 days before scheduled departure	Yes, if the alternative flight arrives with more than 4 hours delay	€250 (£213)	Under 1500 km
		€400 (£340)	1500-3000 km
		€600 (£520)	Over 3000 km
Less than 7 days before scheduled departure	Yes, if the alternative flight arrives with more than 2 hours delay	€250 (£213)	Under 1500 km
		€400 (£340)	1500-3000 km
		€600 (£520)	Over 3000 km

What to do in case of a KLM flight cancellation

Make sure you contact a KLM representative as soon as you find out about the cancellation, especially if this happens when you are already at the airport. We strongly advise you to insist on finding out the exact reason for the cancellation and get a written statement for it if the airline admits it is their fault.
Inquire about a replacement flight at your convenience or for a return flight in case of a missed connection. Keep in mind that KLM is obliged to either provide you with an alternate flight or a full refund for the cancelled trip.
Save all possible evidence for the cancellation, take pictures of the information boards, record the announcements, and do not throw away any receipts for expenses related to the cancellation (like food, refreshments, and even hotel stays). All these could prove useful for your claim and successfully obtaining compensation from KLM.

KLM flight delay compensation

As was mentioned at the beginning of this article, a KLM flight delay could also entitle you to compensation and the conditions are somewhat similar. It must be the airline that is responsible for the flight disruption (no extraordinary circumstances) and depending on the distance covered by the flight, the possible compensation amounts vary between €250 (£213) and €600 (£520).
Generally, KLM has a good reputation for its OTP (on-time performance): the Royal Dutch Airlines ranked #12 in the world in 2023 with a score of 74.64%. However, if your flight with KLM reaches its final destination 3 or more hours later than the originally announced time, you may be entitled to receive EU261 compensation. Check your eligibility with our free calculator and let us handle your claim on your behalf.

Why rely on SkyRefund’s expertise for your KLM compensation claim

Quick and easy

To initiate a claim with SkyRefund, simply provide your flight details and your personal information. The whole process requires no more than a few minutes and what is more, you will save a lot of precious time by entrusting us with the task of communicating with the airline and advocating for your rights.

Experience and expertise

SkyRefund has a team of law experts that have worked on over 700,000 compensation claims over the last few years. Our team of professionals possesses the experience, the expertise, and the resources to diligently assess each case, liaise with KLM, and take the necessary legal steps if needed.

No win, no fee

We at SkyRefund strongly believe that our remuneration should be contingent upon the successful compensation claim from KLM. Therefore, we work on a no win, no fee basis: we charge you a fee that amounts to 35% of the compensation awarded to you from KLM only until after you have received it.
There is no small print, no concealed or supplementary charges, and essentially no risk when you choose to work with us. We invite you to file your claim today and entrust the legal procedures to our experts.