Amsterdam to London flight compensation

Example

A passenger arriving 3+ hours late at London on a covered flight could claim €250 per passenger.

If the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure without a close alternative, the same €250 applies.

Departing from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Schiphol operates under a capped number of annual aircraft movements and uses runways in combinations dictated by wind and noise rules, so the airport itself — not the airline — imposes many of the restrictions KLM cites. A restriction imposed by the airport or by air-traffic control can be extraordinary; KLM ground handling, crew and fleet shortages are not.

Almost every KLM long-haul passenger connects at Schiphol on a single booking. When the feeder into Amsterdam is late and the onward flight is missed, the delay that counts is the one at the final destination and the distance band is measured over the whole journey.

Direction matters

Amsterdam → London

EU Regulation 261/2004 · €250 · any airline

London → Amsterdam

UK261 (UK passenger rights) · £220 · any airline

The two directions are governed by different rules: the departure country decides which regime applies, and a flight from outside Europe is only covered when the operating airline is licensed in the EU/EEA, the UK or Switzerland.

Delay, cancellation or missed connection on this direction

Delayed

€250 per passenger is due when at least one door opens at London Heathrow Airport three hours or more after the scheduled arrival; the departure delay at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol does not count. From 2 hours of delay the airline owes meals and communication whatever the cause, and from 5 hours you may abandon the trip for a refund.

Cancelled

The same €250 per passenger is due when the airline told you less than 14 days before departure and did not re-route you within the legal windows (at most 2 hours early and under 4 hours late with 7–14 days’ notice; 1 hour and 2 hours under 7 days). A refund or re-routing, and care while you wait, are due in every case.

Missed connection

If London Heathrow Airport is not your final destination and both flights were on one booking, the delay is measured where the journey ends and the amount on the distance from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to that final airport (Folkerts, C-11/11) — even when the onward flight is outside Europe. On separate tickets each flight stands alone, and a missed onward flight is not the first airline’s liability.

Escalation for this direction

Enforcement body: Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) (Netherlands)

Court claims: 2 years (Artikel 8:1835 Burgerlijk Wetboek (two years for claims arising from air carriage)). Court claims are brought before the Kantonrechter.