Flight delayed or cancelled — do I get compensation?
EU Regulation 261/2004 protects air passengers in Europe: (1) Right to compensation on delay >3 hours, cancellation <14 days before departure, or overbooking. Amounts: €250 <1500km, €400 1500-3500km, €600 >3500km. (2) Applies to: flights from/to EU + Norway/Iceland/Switzerland. EU airline everywhere, non-EU airline only on EU departure. (3) Not on force majeure: extreme weather, ATC strike, political violence, bird strike (since 2022). DO qualify: technical fault, staff shortage, planning errors. (4) Claim directly with airline: free, via airline website. KLM: My Trip > complaint. Transavia: transavia.com. Reply 6-8 weeks. (5) Not paid: ANVR Disputes Committee or Inspection Living Environment (ILT). Or: AirHelp/FlightRights/Vlucht-vertraagd.nl (no cure no pay, 25-50% commission) — only if self-claim fails. (6) Limitation: 2 years under NL law.
Step by step
- 1Save evidenceBoarding pass, ticket, bag label, confirmation emails. Photos of delay display + times. Booking reference.
- 2Check if EU261 appliesDelay >3h? Cancellation <14 days? EU departure/arrival? EU airline or EU departure? No force majeure (check ATC/weather data online too)?
- 3Claim directly with airlineKLM/Transavia/easyJet: via customer service form. Free. Describe situation briefly + ask for specific EU261 amount. Save send proof.
- 4No response within 8 weeksSend follow-up demand. Then: ANVR Disputes Committee or ILT. Both free. High success rate on valid claim.
- 5Or: AirHelp/no-cure-no-pay routeNo time: services take 25-50% commission. No upfront. For <€250 claim: DIY faster + more left.
All contacts
Frequently asked questions
How much for 4-hour Amsterdam-NY delay?
NY = >3500km. Delay >3h (no force majeure) = €600. KLM must reply within 8 weeks. On refusal: ANVR Disputes Committee.
Does bad weather count as force majeure?
Extreme weather (heavy snow, code red storm): yes. Normal rain or fog airline could handle: no. Request specific weather data (Schiphol METAR). Airline must prove.
Does my claim expire?
Under NL law: 2 years from scheduled arrival. Send claim within 1 year to be safe. Some airlines try claiming 6 months — incorrect, 2 years applies.
Sources
- EU Regulation 261/2004 (air passenger rights)eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261
- EU Your Europe — air passenger rightseuropa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm
- Inspection Living Environment (ILT) — aviationilent.nl
- Geschillencommissie ANVR — travel disputesdegeschillencommissie.nl
🔎 Common search queries
Recognise your own search? Our answer above covers all of these variants.
- “EU261 flight delay compensation”
- “cancelled flight refund EU rules”
- “600 euro flight delay claim”
- “KLM delay claim form”
- “airline compensation 3 hours delay”