Flight delay and cancellation rights in the Netherlands

Has your flight been delayed? If you arrive at your final destination with a delay of three hours or more, you may be entitled to compensation.

When am I entitled to a refund?

If the delay is more than five hours, you can decide not to travel (further) and you are then entitled to a refund of your ticket and a return flight to your original departure point.

On top of this, you can hold the airline responsible for the damage that your delay has caused, by claiming compensation. You can claim a refund plus compensation if:

• You arrive at your final destination with three or more hours of delay.
• You depart from the EU, or fly to the EU with an airline that is based in the EU.
• You have a transfer from the EU to a destination outside of the EU and you are delayed.

However, in the case of force majeure, these rights lapse.

What is force majeure?

Force majeure is a common clause in contracts that frees parties from liability or obligation when there are unforeseeable circumstances at play. 

Some examples of force majeure include:

• Strikes by third parties, such as air traffic control or airport personnel
• Bad weather
• Terrorism
• Landings involving a medical emergency 
• Natural disasters

How much compensation are you entitled to if your flight has been delayed?

The amount of compensation lies between 125 and 600 euros per passenger, depending on the length of the flight and the delay.

Length of flight	Delay at arrival	Compensation per passenger
1.500km or less	More than three hours	€250
More than 1.500km (within EU) or between 1.500km and 3.500km (other flights)	More than three hours	€400
More than 3.500km	Between three and four hours	€300
More than 3.500km	More than four hours	€600