Complaints against KLM pour in as passengers find customer service lacking

Dutch airline KLM has been flooded with online complaints recently about poor customer service. Customers wait at length for claims to be processed and struggle to get quick answers about issues they face. 

KLM passengers complain of poor customer service

KLM’s customer care isn’t shown in a good light when looking at reviews on the internet. From complaints on review site Trustpilot, where passengers lament over long hold times during calls or a policy that seems to be “not to answer complaints”, to social media platforms where customers share that they have been trying to reach customer service for several days.

Indeed, one case shared on Facebook shows a customer waiting since October last year for a claim to be processed. Customers also find issue with the WhatsApp chat function where it is nigh impossible to get past the chatbot to speak to a real person. 

"Nine days later and you still haven't been able to find my luggage. No call, no message, no compensation despite repeated requests," one customer wrote on Facebook. "This level of communication and service is unacceptable."

Recent difficulties caused spike in claims

KLM has attributed the poor customer service to recent difficulties, like the heavy snowfall in January and a malfunction with the baggage handling system at Schiphol Airport in December. According to the airline, these events led to an increased number of claims and customer service requests. 

It is noteworthy, though, that KLM’s customer service probably wasn’t the best even before the “exceptional circumstances”. In 2025, KLM was ranked the fifth-worst airline in Europe and customer satisfaction was one of the lower points. 

The airline has said that it will temporarily deploy additional workers to help customers with the current influx of queries, RTL Z reports. EUclaim, which allows passengers to file claims against airlines, received four times as many claims about KLM in the first 26 days of 2026 compared to the same period last year. 

Airlines must respond to complaints within 2 months

The Inspectorate for the Environment and Transport (ILT) states that airlines are obliged to respond to a complaint or claim within two months. "If someone can't reach an agreement with KLM or hasn't received a response to their complaint or claim after two months, they can report this to the ILT Aviation Authority," the ILT told RTL Z.

Of the total 1.479 complaints the aviation authority received about passenger rights in 2025, 550 concerned KLM. The large number of passengers that travel through KLM, around half of passengers to and from Schiphol, means that the level of complaints is not actually worrisome. "KLM actually appears to be performing “well”. Compared to other airlines, KLM also doesn't stand out negatively," the ILT stated. 

Aviation economist Eric Pels understands why customers appear more upset about a letdown from KLM than more affordable airlines like Ryanair. "[KLM] sell quality, and you expect good customer service," he explains.

However, after-sales services are not a high priority for airlines. "You book a service well in advance, and then the money is in. That's a completely different incentive than other companies that only receive money once a service or product has been delivered," said Paul Vaneker from EUclaim.

While announcing a ban on charging for extra hand luggage last year, the EU Transport and Tourism Committee revealed plans to introduce a bloc-wide travel compensation form that would require airlines to complete the reimbursement process within 14 days.