In short: The route is 448 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £220 per passenger from Southampton (UK261) and €250 from Amsterdam (EU261). In 2025, 0.25% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 2.59% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 1,616
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 72.4%
- 3 hours or more late
- 0.25%
- Cancelled
- 2.59%
- Average delay
- 14.0 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 400 flights · better than the UK average
43 flights · worse than the UK average
UK average 15.1 min
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data
Of the airlines with at least 200 flights on the route, KLM had the lowest share of 3-hour-plus delays (0.14%) and easyJet the highest (0.99%). A single bad day can move these figures, so read them as a guide, not a forecast.
Airlines on this route
| Airline | Flights | On time | 3 h+ late | Cancelled | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLM | 1,382 | 72.2% | 0.14% | 2.47% | 14 min |
| easyJet | 202 | 78.3% | 0.99% | 3.81% | 13 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton → Amsterdam | UK261 – departure from a UK airport, any airline | £220 |
| Amsterdam → Southampton | EU261 – departure from an EU airport, any airline | €250 |
Compensation is fixed by distance, not by the ticket price, and is paid per passenger, children included. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay you are entitled to care (meals, drinks, a hotel if needed) and, after a cancellation, to a refund or re-routing.
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More routes
- Southampton → Edinburgh2,304 flights
- Southampton → Guernsey1,987 flights
- Southampton → Jersey1,955 flights
- Southampton → Dublin1,668 flights
- Southampton → Belfast1,666 flights
- Southampton → Alderney1,336 flights
- Southampton → Newcastle1,292 flights
- London Heathrow → Amsterdam11,219 flights
- London City → Amsterdam7,597 flights
- Manchester → Amsterdam7,552 flights
- Edinburgh → Amsterdam4,803 flights
- Birmingham → Amsterdam4,612 flights
- Bristol → Amsterdam4,464 flights
- Newcastle → Amsterdam3,855 flights
- London Gatwick → Amsterdam3,632 flights
Airport guides: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Southampton to Amsterdam flight?
The great-circle distance is 448 km (279 miles). On the flight from Southampton UK261 applies: £220 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more. On the return flight from Amsterdam EU261 applies: €250.
How often are flights between Southampton and Amsterdam delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 1,616 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Southampton). 72.4% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 0.25% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 400), and 2.59% were cancelled. The average delay was 14.0 minutes.
Does the airline have to pay if the delay was caused by weather or a strike?
Not if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances – for example severe weather or an air traffic control strike – and that it took all reasonable measures. Technical faults and strikes by the airline’s own staff do not normally count. What counts as extraordinary.
Sources
- UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 – legislation.gov.uk
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.