Despite a flight time of under three hours, I received the full KLM World Business class experience on my Fifth Freedom flight from Bali to Singapore. After booking a cheap economy class ticket for $154, I approached the ticket...
KLM Replaces Brussels Flight With Full-Service High-Speed Train
KLM will trial a high-speed train service between Amsterdam and Brussels next March in place of one of its flights. But the Dutch carrier promises more than just a seat. KLM currently flies five times per day between Brussels...
Air France-KLM CEO Contradicts KLM Climate Campaign
KLM made waves last month by encouraging passengers to fly less. But as it turns out, the carrier actually wants you to fly more…just be conscious about it. In a video message, KLM asked: Do you always have to...
A 99EUR Lie-Flat Business Class Upgrade On KLM
I had many choices to fly from Bali to Singapore, but could not turn down the chance to sample KLM’s 777-300ER on an exotic Fifth Freedom route. It turned out to be a tremendous deal as well. I may...
KLM Offers Advice On Choosing The Best Seat To Survive A Crash
We can all be tone deaf…I certainly fall prey to that from time to time. But someone at KLM really needs a lesson in common sense. KLM maintains regional Twitter accounts, including one in India under @KLMIndia. Yesterday morning,...
KLM Shames Itself To Celebrate 100th Anniversary
As it celebrates its 100th birthday, KLM is feeling penitent. And it thinks you should too. British Airways is not the only airline celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. KLM is too and the Dutch carrier is celebrating in...
My First Three Flights In 2019: All KLM
2019 has begun in an odd way for me…three consecutive flights on KLM. No, I’m not making the switch to SkyTeam. I’m a big KLM fan, though these trips have been work necessities rather than leisure trips or for...
KLM’s Las Vegas Gamble
KLM is betting on Las Vegas as its latest North American destination. The Dutch airline announced new service starting next June aboard its latest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner KL0635 will depart from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at 12:30 hours and arrive...
Review: KLM ERJ-190 Business Class Frankfurt To Amsterdam
KLM offers a competitive product in shorthaul business class. Ordinarily I would not upgrade an intra-Europe flight (unless flying into London or as part of a longhaul premium cabin journey). The value proposition often is not there since I...
How New Air France-KLM CEO Hopes To Avoid Future Strikes
In a video to staff marking his first day on the job, CEO Ben Smith promised to seek harmony with unions and re-invest half his salary into Air France-KLM. Smith can earn up to 4.25MN EUR in his first...
My 59€ Upgrade on KLM
If you know me, you know that I don’t stray much from Star Alliance unless it is a “review” trip for the blog. Yesterday, however, I found myself on KLM and encountered an unexpected upgrade surprise. My business partner...
KLM Delays Retirement Of 747-400 Fleet
KLM is giving the Queen of the Skies a reprieve. KLM flies a fleet of 12 Boeing 747-400 Combis. The plan was to fully retire this aircraft type by end of 2020, replacing it with Airbus A350-900s. But KLM is deferring...
Air France Unions May Give New CEO A Chance Before Striking (But Not KLM)
We are still a long way from kumbaya around the campfire, but labor unions at Air France have dialed down the the harsh rhetoric and threats to strike against the new leader. Last week I wrote about the ice cold...
New Air France-KLM CEO Already Has A Target On His Head
Poor Ben Smith has his work cut out for him. The Air Canada President and Chief Operating Officer was named CEO of Air France-KLM today. Already, unions representing Air France are up in arms, threatening strikes and condemning Smith’s...
Air France Profits On The Back Of KLM
The numbers are looking mighty fine for Air France-KLM. The carrier just reported a healthy second quarter profit. But dig deeper and you’ll find a disparity…and a ticking time bomb. With a net profit of 345MN Euros (405MN USD),...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: May 20, 2018
Good evening from LA. For the first time in weeks, it appears I will not set foot on a plane this week. I’m looking forward to it. Honestly. Last week, the Gulf Carriers “kissed and made up” with their...
KLM Increasingly Frustrated With Air France Marriage
While Air France continues to strike and lose money, KLM is growing angrier by the day. Is the marriage in jeopardy? An unnamed source told Bloomberg that KLM is exasperated and is now looking at retooling management structure to...
Smart or Stupid? KLM 747 Lands in Hong Kong in Midst of Typhoon
Early yesterday morning a KLM 747-400 touched down at Hong Kong International Airport in the midst of a fierce typhoon. It would turn out to be the only plane that landed during the storm. Typhoon Hato tore through Hong Kong...
Virgin Atlantic to Join Air France-KLM + Delta Joint Venture
Delta currently has a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic and a separate joint venture with Air France-KLM (and Alitalia). Today, the carriers announced the two JVs would merge into one. China Eastern and Delta also get a seat at...
The King of Holland is a KLM Pilot
As I mentioned in my KLM 787-9 World Business Class trip report from San Francisco to Amsterdam, KLM struck me as a very egalitarian airline. Now I know it is true. The King of Holland is also a KLM...