KLM said no to your compensation claim

Updated 13 October 2026

Your KLM flight, often from a Nordic airport via Amsterdam, was delayed or cancelled, and KLM said no. Or it offered a voucher. A rejection is not a ruling. KLM has to prove its reason, and the Nordic boards have ruled against it more than once.

We are not affiliated with KLM and do not act for KLM.

Which rules apply to KLM

KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij NV) is a Dutch airline, so Regulation 261/2004 covers every KLM flight from or to the EU or EEA. Compensation is €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, depending on distance.

A few points matter for Nordic travellers:

• Connections in Amsterdam. On one booking, the delay counts at your final destination (Air France v Folkerts C-11/11). See missed connection.
• Flights into Europe. If the first flight from outside the EU was late and operated under a codeshare by a non-EU airline, you can claim against the EU airline that flew the second flight (SP v KLM C-367/20).
• Transavia and SAS. Transavia is owned by KLM and Air France, and some bookings mix KLM and Transavia legs. The airline that operated the disrupted flight pays (Article 3(5)), so check the flight number on each leg.

What KLM says, and what the decisions say back

"You did not fly, so no compensation." A passenger on Trondheim–Amsterdam–Vienna was offered a reroute arriving 21 hours late, took a refund and bought Air France tickets. KLM said he had no right to compensation because he did not travel. Transportklagenemnda awarded €400: he held a KLM ticket and was at the airport when, according to KLM, he was denied boarding (flysmart24, 23 August 2026). A refund (Article 8) and compensation (Article 7) are separate.

"Security risk" or "outside our control." A security risk on board can be extraordinary, but KLM must explain it. On an Oslo–Amsterdam flight it did not, and the board awarded €250 (reported February 2025). In 2023 the board also rejected "outside our control" when offloading a no-show passenger's bag delayed an Oslo flight. KLM refused to follow that decision.

Weather and air traffic control at Amsterdam. In BS-25495/2021-VLR (12 November 2021), Denmark's Vestre Landsret accepted that winter weather and air traffic control limits at Schiphol were extraordinary. KLM still lost a Billund–Amsterdam–Orlando case brought by a claims company, because it only checked rebooking with airlines in its own agreements, not Norwegian or easyJet. The airline must consider other airlines too (LE v TAP C-74/19). See ATC restrictions.

Technical faults. The EU Court decided this in a KLM case: an unexpected technical problem not caused by poor maintenance is still not extraordinary (van der Lans C-257/14). See technical fault.

KLM does win some cases: in January 2026 the board accepted a drunk passenger removed by police on an Oslo–Amsterdam flight as extraordinary.

How to claim from KLM

KLM's compensation page says compensation is paid as a travel voucher by default. The voucher is worth more than the cash amount:

• up to 1,500 km: €350 voucher or €250 cash
• intra-EU over 1,500 km, or other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km: €500 voucher or €400 cash
• other flights over 3,500 km: €800 voucher or €600 cash

The voucher is valid for one year. Under Article 7(3) a voucher replaces money only with your signed agreement, so if you want cash, say so clearly when you claim. See voucher instead of compensation.

Expect delays. After the snow cancellations in January 2026, NL Times reported that KLM's customer service was overwhelmed and its contact page listed no phone number or email address. Keep copies of everything you send. For deadlines, see EU261 time limits in the Nordics.

Does KLM follow the boards?

Not always. In October 2023, Norway's Transportklagenemnda had 115 cases on its list of decisions airlines had not followed. KLM had 18 of them, second only to Norwegian. KLM was also on the list in 2021. Build your file as if a judge will read it.

Step by step

1. Reply to KLM in writing, in English. Claim the amount per passenger in money, and ask for the delay reason and the evidence behind it.
2. Wait for the answer: about 4 weeks in Sweden and Norway, 6 weeks in Denmark. See airline not responding.
3. Go to the board for the country where the disruption happened. KLM is based in the Netherlands, so in Finland contact ECC Finland before KRIL. In Sweden, ARN may decline a non-resident's complaint about a non-Swedish airline; then use the ECC in your own country. Transportklagenemnda takes any flight to, from or within Norway, via www.reiselivsforum.no, in Norwegian or English. In Denmark, use Trafikstyrelsen with MitID. See the Nordic complaint boards.
4. Court if KLM ignores the decision.

When it is worth it, and when not

Strong: technical faults, a no because you took a refund, vague "security" or "outside our control" reasons, and weather or ATC where KLM only offered its own or partner flights.

Weaker: a documented incident with an unruly passenger, where KLM rebooked you quickly. Not sure? Try the rejection checker.

Appeal My Flight writes the reply to KLM and the board complaint for €29 per booking, however many passengers. You send it yourself and keep the payout. We cannot promise an outcome.

FAQ

KLM sent me a voucher. Can I still get money?

Ask for cash in writing. KLM's own page offers a cash option, and a voucher counts as compensation only with your signed agreement.

My flight was a Transavia flight booked with KLM. Who pays?

The airline that operated the flight. If Transavia flew the disrupted leg, the claim normally goes to Transavia. If KLM flew another leg on the same booking, KLM may have to answer for it too: Sweden's ARN took that view in a codeshare case (ARN 2023-04093).

I took a refund instead of KLM's late reroute. Can I still claim?

Possibly. In the Trondheim case above, the board awarded €400 even though the passenger took a refund.

Got the airline's reply? Paste it into the rejection checker and see what EU court rulings say about their excuse.