KLM delay compensation: check your flight against the record
KLM is an EU carrier. Flights out of the UK are covered by UK261; flights out of the EU by EU261; flights from the EU into the UK by both, and you choose which to claim under.
Enter the flight number and date. We pull the actual arrival time, the Eurocontrol air-traffic delay logged at both airports that day and the airport weather, then tell you whether KLM owes you £220, £350 or £520 per passenger and how strong the airline's likely defence is.
Typical KLM routes
| Route | Distance | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester to Amsterdam | 485 km | £220 |
| Amsterdam to Heathrow | 370 km | €250 / £220 |
| Amsterdam to New York JFK | 5,850 km | €600 |
Bands: up to 1,500 km £220 / €250; 1,500 to 3,500 km £350 / €400; over 3,500 km £520 / €600 (halved for a 3 to 4 hour long-haul delay).
What to know about claiming from KLM
- KLM is a Dutch (EU) carrier. UK regional flights into Schiphol are UK261; the return legs are EU261 and UK261. Connections through Amsterdam count as one journey to the final destination for the 3-hour test and the distance band (Folkerts v Air France).
- Missed connections at Schiphol on a single KLM booking: the delay is measured at your final destination, not at Amsterdam, and the distance is the whole journey.
If KLM refuses or does not answer within 8 weeks: The CAA lists this airline with AviationADR. Free to you. You can go there once the airline has given a final answer, or has not answered within 8 weeks of your written complaint, and its decision binds the airline if you accept it.
You can claim from KLM for free.
Use the claim page above and a free template from the CAA, Which? or MoneySavingExpert. Our £4.99 letter adds the verified flight record and the day's delay and weather evidence, which is what you will need if KLM replies with “extraordinary circumstances”. Claims firms charge 35% to 50% of the payout for the same claim.
KLM compensation questions
Answers people search for
I missed my KLM connection at Amsterdam and arrived 4 hours late. Can I claim?
Yes, if it was one booking. Compensation is assessed on the arrival delay at the final destination and the great-circle distance from origin to final destination (Air France v Folkerts, C-11/11). A Manchester to Nairobi via Amsterdam journey is a long-haul claim.