Customer commitment
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 on the status of known delays, cancellations, and diversions, within 30 minutes after KLM becomes aware of such a in the status of its scheduled flights by:
Providing real time flight status information via a toll-free telephone number (1-800-618-0104), and on klm.com via Flight Status . - Providing, through our gate agents and flight crews, consistent timely updates on the status and causes of delayed, cancelled, or diverted flights.
Contacting you about cancellations when the event is known if you provide us with contact information in your reservation or through KLM connect .
Delivering baggage on time
If we cannot locate your bag within 21 days it will be considered lost, and we will reimburse you for any fee charged to transport your bag.
Special case: 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 prompt ticket refunds
We will issue refunds for eligible international tickets within seven 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 if you were unable to use the services due to an oversale situation or flight cancellation. For refund assistance:
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. 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 the check 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
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 by wheelchair.
- 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 approved Portable Oxygen Concentrator by contacting the KLM Customer Contact Centre . Additional information may be found at www.klm.us under “Assistance and health”.
To ensure the high quality of these services and 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
Handling involuntarily denied boarding passenger with fairness and consistency in the case of oversales
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 date of issuance.
If there are not enough volunteers, KLM may deny boarding involuntarily to passengers holding a confirmed reservation 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 an 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:
- 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
- you are denied boarding because the flight is canceled; or
- you are denied boarding because a smaller capacity aircraft was substituted for safety or operational reasons; or
- 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
- 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
- the airline is able to place you on another flight or flights that are planned to reach your next stopover or final destination within one hour of the planned arrival time of your original flight.
Amount of Denied Boarding Compensation
International Transportation: Passengers traveling 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:
- No compensation if the carrier offers alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the passenger´s destination or first stopover not later than one hour after the planned arrival time of the passenger´s original flight;
- 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 one hour but less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger´s original flight; and
- 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 four 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 $675). Over 4 hours arrival delay - 400% of one-way fare (but no more than $1,350).
“Alternate Transportation” is air transportation with a confirmed reservation 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 travel itinerary and other policies that affect your travel
We will provide you with your travel itinerary and timely and complete information about policies and procedures that affect your travel, including:
- Providing frequent flyer details.
We will make all important rules, restrictions, and redemption information available on www.klm.us, in our " Membership Guide & Program 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 clicking on "Prepare for travel", then on "On board", then on "Seating plans" and through our reservation and airport agents.
Providing information concerning the important terms and conditions applicable to your travel. Our entire Contract of Carriage is 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 information about cancellation policies.
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 "Customer Support".
Identifying the services KLM provides to mitigate passenger inconveniences resulting from cancellations and misconnects
In order to mitigate inconveniences to you resulting from cancellations and misconnects, we will:
- Attempt to contact you, via contact information provided in your reservation or stored in the "KLM connect service" under "Prepare for travel", "up-to-date", 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