Amsterdam to New York flight compensation
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Quick answer
Amsterdam to New York is about 5,848 km, so compensation is €600 per passenger under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 (EU261) for delays of three hours or more, short-notice cancellations and denied boarding, on any airline. Delays of three to four hours pay half. The airline can only refuse by proving extraordinary circumstances; the return direction has its own rules.
Great-circle distance
5,848 km
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) → John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Compensation band: Over 3,500 km
Fixed compensation
€600
€600 per passenger
Applicable rules: EU Regulation 261/2004
Example
A passenger arriving 3+ hours late at New York on a covered flight could claim €600 per passenger.
If the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure without a close alternative, the same €600 applies.
On this long-haul route the airline may halve the amount if the arrival delay is under 4 hours.
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlinescovered on this direction· EU/EEA licence
- Delta Air Linescovered on this direction· third-country licence
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 → New York
- EU Regulation 261/2004 · €600 · any airline
- New York → Amsterdam
- EU Regulation 261/2004 (covered airlines only) · €600
What changes on the return leg
| Airlines covered | any airline | covered airlines only |
|---|
Delay, cancellation or missed connection on this direction
- Delayed
- €600 per passenger is due when at least one door opens at John F. Kennedy International Airport three hours or more after the scheduled arrival; the departure delay at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol does not count. From 4 hours of delay the airline owes meals and communication whatever the cause, and from 5 hours you may abandon the trip for a refund. For an arrival delay between three and four hours the amount is halved to €300.
- Cancelled
- The same €600 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 John F. Kennedy International 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.
Direct answer
- Short answer
- Yes — a flight from Amsterdam to New York delayed 3+ hours, cancelled at short notice or overbooked can be worth €600 per passenger, on any airline.
- Amount
- €600€600 per passenger · 5,848 km
- Why
- The distance is 5,848 km (Over 3,500 km) and the flight falls under EU Regulation 261/2004; the fixed amount depends only on the distance band.
- What can change it
- The airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, ATC, security) that it could not avoid.
- Arrival delay under 3 hours at the final destination.
- Cancellation announced 14+ days ahead, or re-routing within the legal windows.
- Delay between 3 and 4 hours on this long-haul route halves the amount.
- Check your flight
- Check compensation for this route
- Official source
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights — European Parliament and CouncilLast checked against the source on 23 September 2026
What happens if my Amsterdam → New York flight is delayed or cancelled?
EU261 applies to every airline on this route: €600 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, a cancellation announced under 14 days ahead, or denied boarding, unless the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance. Refund, re-routing and care are due whatever the cause.
Does this apply to your flight?
Checking a Amsterdam → New York flight?
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Already known from this page
- Amsterdam (AMS) → New York (JFK)
What happened to your flight?
Which rules apply on this direction
Flights from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) depart the Netherlands, so Regulation (EC) 261/2004 (EU261) applies to every airline that operates the route. The great-circle distance is 5,848 km (over 3,500 km), which puts the fixed compensation at €600 per passenger for a delay of three hours or more at arrival, a cancellation announced less than 14 days ahead without a close replacement, or involuntary denied boarding.
For arrival delays between three and four hours on this long-haul route the amount is halved (€300).
Whatever the cause, care starts earlier than compensation on this long-distance flight: after 4 hours of delay at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol the airline owes meals and communication, and after 5 hours you may abandon the trip and demand a refund of the unused ticket.
Airlines on the route and whether they are covered
-
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, EU/EEA licence): covered on this direction (EU261 applies to every airline departing the Netherlands).
-
Delta Air Lines (DL, third-country licence): covered on this direction (EU261 applies to every airline departing the Netherlands).
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.
Airport guides: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol — the causes airlines cite at each end, the enforcement body, and the other routes with their own page.
Return direction
The return, New York → Amsterdam, departs outside Europe: Regulation (EC) 261/2004 (EU261) only applies when the operating airline is licensed in the EU/EEA (€600 per passenger). Third-country carriers are outside the regime on that leg, although every one of them is covered on this one.
Where to escalate
Claim from the airline first. If it refuses or does not answer, the competent enforcement body for this direction is Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) (Netherlands). No aviation ADR scheme for standalone flights (the Geschillencommissie Luchtvaart no longer exists; Reizen excludes standalone flights). After the airline: the ILT complaint form (flights under one year old) and the kantonrechter.
Court claims in the Netherlands are subject to a limitation period of 2 years (Artikel 8:1835 Burgerlijk Wetboek (two years for claims arising from air carriage)).
A court claim goes to the Kantonrechter. Claims up to €25,000 without a lawyer.
About this route
Amsterdam–New York is a joint KLM/Delta operation with several daily flights, and tickets are routinely sold under one partner’s number and flown by the other. The operating carrier decides the return: a Delta-operated flight from New York is not covered even when sold under a KLM number, while a KLM-operated flight is. Schiphol capacity restrictions imposed by the airport are the main extraordinary-circumstances defence on the outbound.
Frequently asked questions
Is a delayed or cancelled flight from Amsterdam to New York covered by EU Regulation 261/2004?
Yes, on any airline: the flight departs from the Netherlands, so EU Regulation 261/2004 applies whatever the carrier's nationality. Whether compensation is due then depends on the disruption — an arrival delay of three hours or more, a cancellation announced less than 14 days ahead, or denied boarding — and on the cause.
How much compensation for a delayed or cancelled Amsterdam to New York flight?
€600 per passenger for a 5,848 km flight, if the disruption qualifies and no extraordinary circumstance is proven. On an arrival delay between three and four hours the amount is halved to €300. It is the same for every fare and does not depend on the ticket price; a re-routing that gets you there within the Article 7(2) time limits can halve it.
What if the airline rejects my claim for a Amsterdam to New York flight?
Reply once in writing asking for the facts behind the refusal, then escalate outside the airline. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Delta Air Lines: no ADR scheme on file for this country — complain to the enforcement body instead. The enforcement body is Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). Court claims must be brought within the limitation period of the Netherlands: 2 years.
Do the same rules apply on the way back, from New York to Amsterdam?
Not entirely. On the return flight the regime is the same, and only airlines licensed in the arrival country are covered. Each direction is judged on its own departure.
Sources
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-559/16 Bossen v Brussels Airlines — the distance is the great-circle distance between the first departure and the final destination
- Court of Justice of the European UnionJoined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor and Böck v Air France — passengers of flights delayed by three hours or more may claim compensation
- European CommissionInterpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
Last legally reviewed: 14 September 2026 · Content updated: 14 September 2026
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