Confused by KLM's Delays & Cancellations? Your Top Questions Answered

Written By Joanna Teljeur

11 minutes read
Last Updated: May 9, 2025

You’ve found tons of information on how to handle KLM flight delays, but you still have unanswered questions, right? There are plenty of guides out there on this topic, but understanding airline policies and air passenger rights regulations can still be confusing. Lists and short answers can help, but sometimes you just need more details.

The good news? You’re in the right place to get it. To date, we’ve collected over £1,290,000 for KLM passengers, and in this guide, we’ll answer some of the biggest questions about delays, cancellations, and compensation.

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Answers About KLM Flight Delays

Based on laws in the EU (EU261) and the UK (UK261), KLM has the responsibility to help you when your flight has been disrupted, as you can see in the table below. You can also find detailed information about your passenger rights and entitlements with KLM here.

Why KLM Keeps Delaying Your Flight

Sometimes KLM will initially delay a flight for 20 minutes, then another 20, and another until they finally cancel it all together. This is known as a rolling delay, and it’s a way for the airline to buy time while they try to sort the situation. 

Why don’t they just announce a longer delay from the start? Well, because if they aren’t sure exactly how long the delay will be, they would rather push the flight back bit-by-bit rather than announcing a longer delay from the start. But if you have a connection to make, or you just want to get to your destination on time, this can be especially frustrating.

Are They Telling the Truth about the Delay?

Rolling delays can make you feel like KLM is being manipulative or dishonest. After all, you just want to know what’s going on, so you can make a decision about what to do next. 

It’s important to remember that the airline’s systems don’t always provide ground staff with the most current information. So, you’re left feeling like they’re lying to you. In reality, KLM staff is probably scrambling to get your flight operating on time again.

Why Does KLM Wait Until the Last Minute to Provide Updates?

Many passengers complain that KLM is slow at providing updates and information during delays. They do this because they would rather not issue the official delay notification if there's a chance the situation can be resolved.

If you’re not getting any updates from KLM, reach out to them on WhatsApp or by direct message on X (Twitter). Don’t bother calling because you’ll be on hold for ages, and email won’t be answered quickly enough.  

Speaking with a KLM agent in person could also be helpful, but in most cases they won’t be able to answer your questions thoroughly. Plus, if you’re at a busier airport like Schiphol (AMS), KLM agents are typically overwhelmed with passenger concerns, so you might have to queue to speak to someone directly. 

Not getting straight answers?

You ask the KLM gate agent what caused the delay, and they tell you it was because of “operational issues”. What’s that supposed to mean? Well, it means that they aren’t entirely sure, but it could also mean that they want to avoid triggering compensation liability. 

If this happens to you, ask them to clarify. If they still don’t give you an answer, try asking KLM agents on WhatsApp or Twitter, but be prepared to get different, and sometimes conflicting, answers. One might tell you it’s because of crew shortages, while another says it’s because of severe weather, but this doesn’t mean KML is lying to you. 

More likely, it’s the result of conflicting or insufficient internal information. Just be sure to make a note of every answer you get, as well as the name of the agent, the platform, and any other pertinent details. If you file a compensation claim, you’ll be glad you kept track of these things.

How to Tell How Long the Delay Might Last

• If your plane is already at the gate, and you see crew members present or boarding, chances are the delay won’t last long. Also, if KLM has given you a reason for the hold-up and an approximate departure time, then stay close by because the issue could be resolved quickly.
• If your plane isn’t at the gate, and the notifications you get are vague, then it could be a sign that your flight will be further delayed or even cancelled. 

What to Do

1. Look up your flight on apps like FlightRadar24. These can help you see the location of your inbound aircraft and will give you a better idea how long you might be waiting. You can also contact KLM via WhatsApp (+3120 649 0787) to ask about the status. This is much faster than queuing to ask the gate agent.
2. Depending on how long you’re waiting, ask for meal vouchers. You are entitled to them no matter what caused the flight delay.
3. If you have to wait overnight at the airport, you can also request assistance. KLM must put you up in a hotel and provide transportation there and back, but ONLY if they are responsible for causing the delayed flight. 

What about Missed Connections?

If you’re worried about missing a connection, you can always pre-emptively ask KLM about a rebook, especially if it looks like you’ll definitely miss your connecting flight. Laws in the EU and UK state that the airline MUST give you a rebooking to your destination, unless you decide to bail on your journey and opt for a refund. 

Also, if you end up arriving 3 or more hours late at your destination AND your whole trip was on a single booking, then you can still get compensated as long as KLM could have prevented the delay.

Answers About Your Cancelled Flight

If KLM cancelled your flight, here’s what you’re entitled to in a nutshell:

Do You Have to Accept the Rebooking KLM Gives You?

After your flight has been cancelled, you’ll get automatically reassigned to the next available flight. But sometimes this means that you won’t be departing for hours, or sometimes days. Other times, you could mean extra connections. Whatever the case, you do not have to accept the flight KLM gives you.

If you’re not happy with the flight they’ve given you, you have every right to request a different one, even if it’s with a different carrier.

If your rebooked flight means you have a seating class downgrade, KLM will pay you back between 30% and 75% of the price of your ticket, depending on the distance of that flight.

Yes, KLM Can Rebook You on a Different Airline

Not surprisingly. KLM will try to put you on one of their own flights or on one of their codeshare partner's flights. However, if none of these work for you, or if nothing can be found, then you have a legal right to a rebooking on another airline, outside of any alliance or partnerships. 

You might have to push for this. KLM staff are trained to offer their own flights, but if you’re polite and respectful, they’ll eventually help you. It also helps if you approach them with a few specific flights that have available seats. And, don’t be shy about mentioning that EU261 requires KLM to put you on the earliest flight, even if it’s with another airline

KLM Partners

As part of the SkyTeam Alliance, KLM is most likely to find a booking for you with one of the following airlines:

• Air France 
• Delta Air Lines
• Virgin Atlantic 
• ITA Airways
• Aeroméxico
• China Airlines
• Korean Air
• Saudia
• Vietnam Airlines
• Middle East Airlines
• TAROM
• Czech Airlines
• XiamenAir
• Garuda Indonesia
• Kenya Airways

Can You Get a Refund AND a Rebooking?

Yes! If KLM cancelled your flight less than 2 weeks before the scheduled departure date AND they are to blame, then you could get a refund as well as a compensation payment.

How Rebookings Affect Compensation

Can you still collect compensation if you accept a rebooking and arrive later than your planned arrival time? The answer is yes, but the amount depends on how late you arrive and the travel distance. 

KLM Compensation if You Accept a Rebooking

The payout amounts are slightly different from what you would normally get in compensation for delays. Instead of the delay threshold starting at 3 hours, it starts at 2, as you can see in the following table. 

Answers About KLM Compensation

If you’re like most passengers, you’re probably wondering how the compensation process works and how much you can get from KLM for delays and cancellations. Assuming your flight meets all the qualifications, you’ll get between £220 - £520 based on how far you travelled on that particular flight.

• £220 (€250) for flights under 1,500km
• £350 (€400) for flights between 1,500-3,500km
• £520 (€600) for flights over 3,500km

(According to EU261, if your flight was over 3,500km, and you arrive between 3 and 4 hours of your scheduled arrival time, KLM will try to reduce the £520 to £260)

Paid for Your Flight with Miles? You’re Still Owed Compensation

If you used Flying Blue Miles, credit card points, or other non-cash methods to buy your ticket, you are still owed compensation from KLM on qualifying flights. Similarly, if you booked through a travel agent like Expedia, you’re still covered by EU passenger rights rules, so compensation won’t be affected. Just be sure to send your claim to KLM and not the travel agency.

Bottom line, if you were delayed more than 3 hours, or if your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure AND KLM is at fault, you’re entitled to compensation. Think of it this way: You’re being repaid for the inconvenience and loss of time, not for the price of your ticket.

KLM Says My Flight Was Rescheduled, Not Delayed

This is one of the most confusing responses you can get from KLM, but here’s what you need to know: 

Based on EU261 rules, anytime your flight is changed significantly less than 2 weeks before travel, and you end up arriving at least 3 hours late at your destination, it qualifies as a cancellation or an extensive delay. In other words, you weren’t just rescheduled. 

As a matter of fact, significant changes, like a 5 hour delay or moving the departure back by an hour or more, are still considered cancellations based on the European Court of Justice ruling (Case C-146/20).

How Long Do You Have to Wait for Compensation

Typically, you’ll have to wait anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks just to get a response from KLM, but if you sent your claim during the high season, you might be waiting even longer. If you don’t hear from them in 6 weeks or so, feel free to follow up or escalate your claim to a National Enforcement Body.

What if KLM Denies Your Claim?

If KLM denies your compensation claim, citing extraordinary circumstances or something vague like operational issues, remember this: 

Extraordinary circumstances must be something genuinely beyond their control, like civil unrest, dangerous storms, or a widespread IT outage, to legally use this as a reason to deny claims. 

Also, if they tell you the disruption was caused by operational issues, without giving you sufficient evidence, then you have every right to challenge them. Why? Because sometimes KLM will use this term to describe a situation that really could have been avoided, like a staffing shortage. Either way, the burden of proof is on KLM, not the passenger.

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