Customer commitment

We aim to offer you the best customer service possible. We outline our responsibilities and how we fulfil them. These customer commitments apply to all our scheduled flights operating to, from, or within the United States.

Offering the lowest fare available

We will offer our lowest fares on www.klm.us. Our telephone reservation system, and airport ticket counters in the US will offer the lowest published fare for which you are eligible, and upon request, will identify money-saving alternative itineraries if your travel schedule is flexible.

Notifying consumers of known delays, cancellations, and diversions

We will provide full and timely information within 30 minutes on the status of known delays, cancellations, and diversions by:

  • Providing real time flight status information via a toll-free telephone number (1-800-618-0104), and on klm.com viaFlight Status.
  • Providing consistent and timely updates on the status and known causes of delayed, cancelled, or diverted flights through our gate agents and flight crews.
  • Contacting you about cancellations when the event is known if you provide us with contact information in your reservation or throughKLM connect.

Delivering baggage on time

It is our intention to deliver your baggage on time. However, in the event that this does not occur, we will make every reasonable effort to return misplaced baggage within 12 hours of arrival for domestic itineraries (wholly within the United States) and within 15 or 30 hours of arrival for international itineraries consistent with the requirement of 14 CFR 260.5 (in each instance, except in the circumstances identified in 14 CFR 260.5(f) and (g)).

We will compensate you for reasonable expenses that result due to a delay in delivery for domestic itineraries, and as required by applicable international agreements for international itineraries. If we cannot locate your bag within the timeframes set forth above, we (or the merchant of record, if not KLM) will issue a refund for any fee charged to transport your significantly delayed or lost checked bag.

Notify a KLM employee at the airport if you cannot locate your baggage. To check on the progress of your bag search, you cantrace your baggage onlineor contact us at 877-477-5134.

We will attempt to contact owners of unclaimed baggage when a name and address or telephone number is available. We use scanning technology to identify the location of all unclaimed baggage, which helps us quickly reunite you with your property. Bags unclaimed after five days are sent to our Central Baggage Tracing office in Amsterdam, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, where continued efforts are made to locate bag owners. Unless otherwise stated, for travel governed by the Montreal Convention, liability for damages for delayed, lost or damaged baggage is limited to a maximum of 1288 Special Drawing Rights per person.

Customer First Programme: Ticket refund within 24 hours of purchase

For the USA only: if you booked a flight on klm.us, you can apply for a refund within 24 hours after booking (together with any paid option purchased at that time).

Providing ticket and ancillary service fee refunds within 7 business days for credit card purchases, and refunds within 20 days for purchases made with cash, check, or other forms of payment

We will issue refunds for eligible international tickets within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 business days for purchases made by cash or check, following receipt of a complete refund file, including any fees for optional services, including checked baggage pursuant to 14 CFR 260. If you are eligible for a refund, KLM will disclose your refund eligibility when you are offered any alternative transportation, travel credit, voucher, or other compensation in lieu of a refund. We will not retain a processing fee for issuing refunds that are due.

To request a refund on eligible tickets online, visit the "My Trip" section at www.klm.us. Requests for refunds of tickets purchased from a travel agent should be referred back to the agency for processing if the travel agent is the merchant of record. Refunds for electronic tickets purchased from KLM may be requested by calling Reservations Sales at 800-618-0104. For questions on how to apply for a refund or to check the status of an existing refund request, call 800-618-0104, M-F, 9:00am-5:00pm ET.

Properly accommodating passengers with disabilities and other special needs, including during tarmac delays

Passengers with disabilities and other special needs

Accommodating the special needs of passengers with disabilities is a top priority for KLM. We offer a variety of special services to such passengers, including:

  • Transportation to, from, and between gates, either by wheelchair or, in several locations, by electric cart.
  • Boarding assistance.
  • Assistance with visual, auditory, cognitive, or mobility impairments while in the airport and on the plane.
  • Consideration of your needs during extended tarmac delays.
  • Accommodation for certain medical requirements, such as use of an approvedPortable Oxygen Concentrator by contactingtheKLM Customer Contact Centre. Additional information may be found at www.klm.us under “Assistance and health”.

Upon notification to KLM by the passenger, and as otherwise described in the previous paragraph, offering a refund to passengers with disabilities and individuals in the same reservation as the individual with a disability who do not want to continue travel without the individual with a disability, where you are:

(1) an individual with a disability who is downgraded to a lower class of service that results in one or more accessibility features needed by you becoming unavailable;

(2) an individual with a disability who is scheduled to travel through one or more connecting airports different from the original itinerary; or

(3) an individual with a disability who is scheduled to travel on substitute aircraft on which one or more accessibility features needed by you are unavailable.

To ensure the high quality of these services and the protection of customer rights, we designate Complaint Resolution Officials (CROs) in all covered airports who are responsible for ensuring services are properly implemented for our customers with disabilities.

Unaccompanied children

We provide detailed information to parents with children ages 5 through 14 who will be traveling alone at www.klm.us under “Assistance and health”. Or by calling 800-618-0101.

Our policies ensure the safety and well-being of children traveling alone including:

  • Taking care of your child during his or her flight and not releasing a minor traveling alone to anyone other than the person you have designated.
  • Providing unaccompanied passenger service for children ages 5 through 14. We also offer a service, for a fee, to children ages 15 through 17 traveling alone.

Meeting customers' essential needs during lengthy tarmac delays

We will provide full and timely information regarding the status of a flight if there is an extreme delay after you have boarded or after the plane has landed, and, if safety and security conditions allow, we will provide for your essential needs such as food, drinking water, operable lavatory facilities, and access to medical treatment. For further information, see KLM’sContingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays.

Handling involuntarily denied boarding passengers with fairness and consistency in the case of oversales

Because passengers with confirmed reservations on a flight frequently fail to show, airlines are permitted by federal regulations to sell more tickets for travel than there are seats on the aircraft to reduce the number of empty seats on our flights. KLM will handle “bumped” passengers with fairness and consistency in the case of oversales. When a flight is expected to be oversold, our airport representatives will seek volunteers who are willing to give up their seats in exchange for either some form of financial compensation or a transportation credit voucher. Vouchers are valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance. If there are not enough volunteers, KLM may deny boarding involuntarily to passengers holding a confirmed booking in accordance with KLM’s established boarding priorities. KLM will rebook a passenger on to the next available KLM or SkyTeam Partner flight, if any, to the ticketed destination if the passenger is involuntarily denied boarding. If a KLM or SkyTeam Partner flight is not available, we will strive to provide comparable accommodations on another airline with which we have a ticketing agreement. Meals, hotel accommodations and other amenities will be offered when appropriate. Information regarding our policies and procedures for handling situations when ticketed customers cannot be accommodated on a flight will be made available at the airport.

Compensation for Involuntary Denied Boarding: If you are denied boarding involuntarily, you are entitled to a payment of ‘‘denied boarding compensation” from the airline unless:

(1) you have not fully complied with the airline’s ticketing, check-in and reconfirmation requirements, or you are not acceptable for transportation under the airline’s usual rules and practices; or

(2) you are denied boarding because the flight is cancelled; or

(3) you are denied boarding because a smaller capacity aircraft was substituted for safety or operational reasons; or

(4) on a flight operated with an aircraft having 60 or fewer seats, you are denied boarding due to safety-related weight/balance restrictions that limit payload; or

(5) you are offered accommodations in a section of the aircraft other than specified in your ticket, at no extra charge (a passenger seated in a section for which a lower fare is charged must be given an appropriate refund); or

(6) the airline is able to place you on another flight or flights that are planned to reach your next stopover or final destination within 1 hour of the planned arrival time of your original flight.

Amount of Denied Boarding Compensation International Transportation: Passengers travelling from the United States to a foreign point who are denied boarding involuntarily from an oversold flight originating at a U.S. airport are entitled to:

(1) No compensation if the carrier offers alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the passenger’s destination or first stopover not later than 1 hour after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight;

(2) 200% of the fare to the passenger’s destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $675, if the carrier offers alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the passenger’s destination or first stopover more than 1 hour but less than 4 hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight; and

(3) 400% of the fare to the passenger’s destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,350, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger’s destination or first stopover less than 4 hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight.

  • 0 to 1 hour arrival delay - No compensation.
  • 1 to 4 hour arrival delay - 200% of one-way fare (but no more than $650).
  • Over 4 hours arrival delay - 400% of one-way fare (but no more than $1,300).“Alternate Transportation” is air transportation with a confirmed booking at no additional charge (by any scheduled airline licensed by DOT), or other transportation accepted and used by the passenger in the case of denied boarding.

Disclosing refund policies as required by 14 CFR part 260, cancellation policies, loyalty programme rules, aircraft configuration, and lavatory availability on klm.com and upon request, by calling Reservation Sales

We will provide you with your travel itinerary and timely and complete information about policies and procedures that affect your travel, including:

  • Providing Refund Policy;
  • Providing Cancellation Policy;
  • Providing loyalty programme details. We will make all important rules, restrictions, and redemption information available on www.klm.us, in our "Membership Guide Programme Rules", and in the information kits provided to new Flying Blue members.
  • Providing aircraft configuration, including seat size and pitch.
  • We will provide aircraft configuration and seat width, and pitch ranges at www.klm.us, then click on " Information", then on "Onboard experience and services”, then on "Aircraft types", and through our reservation and airport agents.
  • Providing information concerning theimportant terms and conditionsapplicable to your travel. Our entireContract of Carriageis available for your review on www.klm.us
  • Providing information concerning changing aircraft on a flight that has a single flight number.
  • We will inform you of this change before you book your reservation on the telephone or online, and in writing with your ticket receipt
  • Advising of the operating carrier for code-share flights.
  • Providing Lavatory Availability.

Ensuring good customer service from code-share partners

We stand behind the services of our codeshare partners and we will strive to ensure that you receive excellent customer service whenever you travel on a KLM ticket, including on flights operated by our code-share partners. We will publish a direct link from www.klm.us to our partner airlines' websites to provide current information on their policies and procedures.

Ensuring responsiveness to customer complaints

We will acknowledge receipt of written customer complaints within 30 days of their receipt and will send a substantive response within 60 days of receiving the complaint. For information about filing a complaint, go to "Contact us".

Identifying the services KLM provides to mitigate passenger inconveniences resulting from cancellations and misconnects

In order to mitigate inconveniences to you resulting from changes in your travel itinerary (cancellations and misconnects), we will:

  • Attempt to contact you, via contact information provided in your reservation or stored in the "KLM connect service" about cancellations when the event is known.
  • Provide meal allowances and hotel accommodations at KLM contracted facilities, based on availability, if you are inconvenienced overnight while away from your home or destination due to a delay, misconnect, or cancellation within KLM's control

Contacting Customer Care

Contact ourKLM Customer Contact Centreonline

Effective October 28, 2024