What to Do if KLM Denies You Boarding: Compensation for Overbooked Flights

Written By Joanna Teljeur

Last Updated: 17 March 2025

You can get as much as $2,150 in compensation if you’re denied boarding from an overbooked KLM flight departing from the United States.

Facts about KLM overbooking

• Did KLM overbook your flight? You can claim up to $2,150 (400% of one way fare ticket) in compensation if you were bumped from your flight as a result.
• If you were involuntarily denied boarding, KLM will put you on the next available flight to your destination.
• You can also get a refund or a rebooking to your final destination if you don’t want to continue traveling.
• Check if you are entitled to compensation with our free Compensation Calculator.

How much compensation can you get if KLM overbooks your flight?

If your KLM flight is set to depart from the United States, and you’re bumped because of overbooking, you’ll first be given a choice between a new flight to your destination or a ticket refund if you don’t want to continue with your travel plans. 

• If you choose to be rebooked, it must be on the next available flight. 
• If you choose a refund, it must be sent to you within 7 days for flights purchased with a credit card, and 20 days if you paid for your ticket another way.

In addition to these choices, KLM must also compensate you, based on your arrival time at your final destination.

What’s the difference between voluntary & involuntary denied boarding?

Denied boarding happens when every passenger who bought a ticket for a particular flight arrives at the gate, but if the flight is oversold, there will not be enough seats to accommodate everyone. Because of this, KLM must find some passengers willing to take a different flight instead.

To do this they will call for volunteers, and if that doesn’t work, they will begin choosing passengers to bump. 

Voluntary denied boarding

If KLM calls for volunteers and you come forward to surrender your seat, it is known as voluntary denied boarding. Most of the time, the airline will offer some enticing compensation packages to willing passengers that can be very generous. Some passengers have reported getting thousands of dollars, plus additional perks like lounge access or seat upgrades on their rebooked flight.

If you do surrender your seat in exchange for a KLM offer, you will not be able to collect denied boarding compensation as mandated by the US DOT as well. You will, however, get a seat on the next available flight. If that flight doesn’t depart for several hours or overnight, KLM will usually provide meals and hotel lodging. 

Involuntary denied boarding

If too few people volunteer to take a different flight, then KLM will begin selecting passengers to deny boarding. They usually start bumping those passengers who checked-in and arrived at the gate last, unless they are first class passengers, disabled, or unaccompanied minors. 

If you’re involuntarily denied boarding a flight because of overbooking, your passenger rights give you certain entitlements as we’ll see in the next section.

What assistance can I get from KLM if I’m bumped?

If you’re denied boarding against your will, KLM will provide you with the following:

• A new flight to your final destination as soon as one is available, OR
• A refund if you choose not to continue traveling, and
• Compensation based on the US DOT compensation rules.

KLM isn’t legally required to provide care and assistance to passengers who have been bumped, but most of the time, they will give you meal and hotel vouchers to use if you have to wait for hours before your new flight leaves. If these aren’t offered, be sure to ask!

What should I do if I’m denied boarding with KLM?

1. The first and most important thing to do is ask the gate agent why you were bumped, and ask for written confirmation of this. KLM is supposed to provide a printout stating why you were bumped and the approximate compensation amount you are owed.
2. Next, ask for a rebooking or a refund, depending on what you plan to do. If you choose a refund you should get it within 7 days if you used a credit card to purchase your flight.
3. Then, inquire about your compensation. If you were bumped because of overbooking, KLM should give you your compensation amount right away, or at most, within 24 hours.
4. Finally, ask for meal and hotel vouchers if your new departure time is hours away or the following day.

When you won’t get compensated for KLM denied boarding

If you get bumped from a flight that was not overbooked, you might not be compensated. Here are a few denied boarding situations that will not lead to compensation.

• Intoxication or acting under the influence of illegal drugs
• Interfering with the duties of the flight crew
• Engaging in unruly behavior towards the crew and other passengers. An example is physically assaulting a passenger or threatening airline staff.

How can I tell if my KLM flight is overbooked?

Sometimes you can tell if your flight has been oversold well in advance of boarding.

1. If there are very few or no seats available when  you make your seat selection, it could mean your flight has been overbooked.
2. The busier the flight route, the more likely it is oversold. This isn’t always the case but popular routes during peak travel seasons frequently lead to denied boarding incidents. Some of the busier routes from the US include:
   
   New York to Amsterdam
   Los Angeles to Amsterdam
   Atlanta to Amsterdam
3. You might get a text or email from KLM asking if you’d consider taking a different flight in exchange for travel vouchers or seat upgrades. If this happens there is a strong chance you have an oversold flight. 

Need Help with a Claim?

If you’ve been bumped from a flight and need help getting compensated, AirAdvisor is happy to assist. We’ve been protecting air passengers’ rights since 2017, and our legal team has a 98% win rate for airline compensation claims.

See if your flight is eligible by entering your basic flight details into our free compensation checker.Check Your Flight