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Two of Europe’s Biggest Airlines Announce New Cancellations

Munich International Airport as Europe's Travel Rebound Disrupted

T wo of Europe’s biggest airlines announced another round of cancellations, adding to the disruption turning the travel sector’s pandemic recovery summer into a nightmare.

The Dutch arm of Air France-KLM plans to cancel as many as 20 round-trip flights to European destinations every day through the end of August. Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it will cancel 770 flights in the coming week.

The European aviation industry has suffered unprecedented bottlenecks and long check-in lines at airports from London Heathrow to Brussels to Dusseldorf, Germany. The disruptions have been brought on by labor disputes, staffing shortages and cost cuts during the pandemic that are now coming back to haunt airlines, just as travel roars back for the busy summer period.

With flights grounded, baggage is piling up at some airports.

Three days of strikes last week at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport left tens of thousands of bags stranded at France’s biggest international hub. While handlers are sifting through the backlog, French Transport Minister Clement Beaune said Friday that thousands of remaining suitcases could take as long as a week to clear.

Evening Flights

KLM’s measures are designed to “calm” operational stress on staff at the airport and within the airline, the carrier said in a statement Friday.

The Lufthansa cuts bring the total number of flights scrapped this summer to about 3,900, including previously announced reductions. A spokeswoman for the carrier said the new cancellations, largely affecting evening flights, was aimed at preventing disruption of other connections.

Both carriers are trying to ease red-hot demand for tickets in order to alleviate pressure on operations. KLM will “strongly restrict” remaining ticket sales on its Cityhopper and European routes to allow customers whose flights were canceled to rebook, the carrier said. Lufthansa is selling its remaining tickets for July for a minimum of 500 euros ($506.50) per leg, meaning even an economy-class round-trip from Frankfurt to Berlin is priced at 1,000 euros.

KLM’s move comes on top of an already significant cap in ticket sales by the airline, after the Schiphol hub took drastic measures to limit capacity this summer due to a shortage of security staff.

A shortage of baggage handlers has left thousands of suitcases stranded at the Dutch airport, a spokesperson said.

—With assistance from Cagan Koc.

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COVID-19: Update flight changes due to travel restrictions

Worldwide, many countries are restricting travel on passenger flights. These restrictions are sometimes introduced at very short notice. For the coming days KLM will operate as much as possible according to schedule to allow passengers to return to their homes.

If a country bans passengers from entry, but flights are allowed, KLM will operate as much as possible to allow passengers who are in that country to return home.

Passengers are strongly advised to inform themselves about the restrictions applicable to their journey. On the KLM flight update page and in the IATA Travel Centre more information is available.

Due to the sheer volume of rebookings KLM staff is extremely busy. Therefore it can take some time before KLM will be able to reach out to customers to find a solution for their situation. If your flight is not scheduled in the coming days, please return to our site at a later time.

Answers to frequently asked questions by passengers about coronavirus, rebooking, et cetera please can be found at updates.klm.com

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Flight updates

We’ll keep you informed about relevant flight updates throughout your trip. We’ll also contact you if there is a change to your flight schedule.

Updates we’ll send you include:

E-mail informing you that you can check in online for your flight.
Text message, or e-mail informing you that your flight is delayed for more than 30 minutes, or multiple delays that add up to more than 30 minutes. If it’s an intercontinental flight, we might also give you a phone call.
Phone call, text message, or e-mail informing you that your flight is cancelled and we’re rebooking you onto another flight, or how to request a refund.
Text message or e-mail informing you that your baggage is delayed and what you can do to retrieve it.

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Travel alerts and disruptions

Stay updated on travel alerts and disruptions during your journey. Want to change or cancel your flight, request a refund, or report delayed baggage? Check out our self-service options.

Latest alerts and rebooking policies

Last updated on Monday 16 September 2024, 7:30 (Amsterdam time).

Typhoon Bebinca - China

Due to the current track of Typhoon Bebinca for China on Sunday 15 September 2024 up to and including Monday 16 September 2024, some of our flights to, from or via Shanghai (PVG) may be disrupted. We are doing our very best to help you on your way again.

Rebooking and requesting a refund

If you have booked a flight to, from or via Shanghai (PVG) on Sunday 15 September 2024 up to and including Monday 16 September 2024, you can see below what rebook and refund options we can offer you. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before Saturday 14 September 2024.

Does your original flight depart on Sunday 15 September 2024 up to and including Monday 16 September 2024 to, from or via Shanghai (PVG). Then your new departure date should be before or on Thursday 19 September 2024. You can rebook your flight at the latest on Thursday 19 September 2024. Please see below options and rules:

1. Rebook to a different travel date

If your flight was cancelled by us or if you cancelled the flight yourself, you can rebook to a different travel date. Please note that:

You can only change your travel dates for free if the same travel class is available as mentioned on your original ticket.
Your new departure date should be before or on Thursday 19 September 2024.

2. Request a travel voucher

If you want to cancel your flight and request a travel voucher, please note that:

You can request a travel voucher that will be valid for one year from the date of issue.
You can use this voucher for all KLM, Air France, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic flights that are offered on the Air France KLM website.
You can also use the travel voucher to buy extra options like upgrades, specific seats and baggage on KLM and Air France flights.
Request a travel voucher

3. Request a refund

If any of your flights were cancelled or if your flight was delayed for at least 3 hours for flights in Europe or at least 5 hours for intercontinental flights, you can request a full refund of the ticket and extra options.

Request a refund

Southeast usa - tropical storm francine.

Due to the forecasted path of tropical storm Francine in the Southeast of the United States on Tuesday 10 September up to and including Friday 13 September 2024, some of our flights to, from or via Alexandria (AEX), Baton Rouge (BTR), Gulfport (GPT), Jackson (JAN), Lafayette (LFT), Little Rock (LIT), Mobile (MOB) and New Orleans (MSY) may be disrupted. We are doing our very best to help you on your way again.

If you have booked a flight to, from or via below-listed destinations on Tuesday 10 September up to and including Friday 13 September 2024, you can see below what rebook and refund options we can offer you. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before Wednesday 11 September 2024.

Alexandria (AEX)
Baton Rouge (BTR)
Gulfport (GPT)
Jackson (JAN)
Lafayette (LFT)
Little Rock (LIT)
Mobile (MOB)
New Orleans (MSY)

Does your original flight depart on Tuesday 10 September up to and including Friday 13 September 2024 to, from or via any of the above-listed destinations. Then your new departure date should be before or on Monday 16 September 2024. You can rebook your flight at the latest on Monday 16 September 2024. Please see below options and rules:

Your new departure date should be before or on Monday 16 September.

Beirut - Security situation

Because of the security situation in Beirut, we are issuing voluntary rebook policy to our passengers flying to, from or via Beirut (BEY) from Wednesday 31 July up to and including Sunday 1 September 2024. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before Sunday 25 August 2024.

If you have booked a flight to, from or via Beirut (BEY) from Wednesday 31 July up to and including Sunday 1 September 2024, you can see below what rebook and refund options we can offer you. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before Sunday 25 August 2024.

Does your original flight depart from Wednesday 31 July up to and including Sunday 1 September 2024 to, from or via Beirut (BEY), then your new departure date should be before or on Sunday 29 September 2024. You can rebook your flight at the latest on Sunday 29 September 2024. Please see below options and rules:

Your new departure date should be before or on Sunday 29 September 2024.

Nouméa - Security situation

Because of the security situation in Nouméa, New Caledonia, we are offering below rebook and refund options to our passengers flying to, from or via Nouméa (NOU) on Monday 01 July up to and including Tuesday 01 October 2024. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before Friday 07 June 2024.

If you have booked a flight to, from or via Nouméa (NOU) on Monday 01 July 2024 up to and including Tuesday 01 October 2024, you can see below what rebook and refund options we can offer you. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before Friday 7 June 2024.

Does your original flight depart on Monday 01 July 2024 up to and including Tuesday 01 October 2024 to, from or via Nouméa (NOU), then your new departure date should be before or on Tuesday 15 October 2024. You can rebook your flight at the latest on Tuesday 15 October 2024. Please see below options and rules:

Your new departure date should be before or on Tuesday 15 October 2024.

Tel Aviv - Security situation

We regret to inform you that all KLM flights to Tel Aviv are cancelled until 26 October 2024.

We will rebook you on Air France flights or partner airlines when possible. You will receive a notification of your new flight details. If rebooking with Air France is not possible or you are not satisfied with the rebooking option, you are entitled to a full refund or can contact your travel agency or My Trip for other options.

Crisis in Ukraine

Because of the current crisis in Ukraine, we have adjusted our flight routes and schedules. We continue to monitor the situation and will inform you here once there’s an update.

Read more about the current situation in Ukraine on the website of the Dutch government

Impacted routes

On 12 February 2022, we decided to suspend our flights to Kyiv. This suspension was extended until further notice on 24 February 2022, following the closure of Ukrainian airspace.

In light of the current situation in the region, we’ve decided to suspend our flights to and from Russia and our flights through Russian airspace until further notice as of 26 February 2022. As a result, we have suspended our flights to and from Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Does the flight suspension impact your travel plans? Check your ticket conditions to learn more about your options to rebook or request a refund.

Safety and security of our flights, customers, and crews is an absolute necessity. We always put the safety of passengers and employees first. Choosing safe and optimal routes is a standard part of our daily practice. We’re constantly monitoring the geopolitical situation in all areas we serve, to ensure the highest level of flight safety.

To determine safe flight routes, we use a security management system to analyse risks. For this, we also use information that is shared within the Dutch expert group, including all Dutch airlines, the intelligence services, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NCTV, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Our decision not to fly over or to a specific country is based on the most current analysis at that time.

Air France and KLM have temporarily suspended cooperation with Aeroflot, including the suspension of codeshare agreements and frequent flyer partnership.

Self-service options

If your flight is affected by a disruption, we will inform you via e-mail or text message and rebook you automatically if required. Want to change your travel details or request a refund? Check out our self-service options.

Change your flight

Easily adjust your travel date, departure times or destination in case of a disruption.

Cancel your flight

Want to cancel your trip due to unexpected changes? Read more about your options.

Check your travel details

Quickly view or adjust your latest travel information by logging in to My Trip.

Request compensation

Experiencing cancellations, delays, or rebookings? You might be entitled to compensation.

Don’t want to take your flight anymore? Check if you get a refund for your unused trip.

Report delayed baggage

Can’t find your bag after arriving? Always report this online within 48 hours after your arrival.

Support and rights

Disruptions at schiphol.

Experiencing disruptions while travelling via Schiphol? Here’s what to expect and what you can do.

Disruptions at other airports

Experiencing disruptions while travelling via another airport than Schiphol? Here’s what you can do.

Read your rights

In case of cancellations, delays, downgrading and denied boarding, these are your rights.

Need our help?

If you’re encountering problems with our self-service tools, feel free to contact us.