KLM review- by N Francis

2 September 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

NCL-AMS-TLS return, economy. Flight to Amsterdam was ok, except the seat numbers above the seats had gone askew, meaning most people were in the wrong seats. FA was rather officious, but in the end I just sat in an empty seat on the aisle. Man next to me had his elbow in my ribs the entire way, using his laptop. Offered doritos (at 9 in morning?) and coffee. It still infuriates me that they don't provide milk, only creamer. Flight to Toulouse was much better, using Cityhopper. British crew; very friendly. Got a really good substantial and tasty sandwich both ways, but still no milk! All in all, the KLM flights operated by Cityhopper had much better food options, but apart from that it was a good experience and I'd use them again.

KLM review - by Jonathan Cohen

30 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-MNL via AMS in World Business Class on a very good C class fare booked online. The flight to Amsterdam on a 737-800 and fine. KLM have comfortable seats on these short haul aircraft. The flight to Manila was on a 777-200ER which had KLM's angled flat seat in the business class cabin. The flight had one of the best crews I have flown with. The food was very good and on demand entertainment system had an excellent selection of movies. The only thing that spoilt it was the fact the seats were not properly flat which made sleeping quite difficult. Why when an airline spends millions upgrading its business class cabin does it not spend the extra needed for flat bed seats. With flat beds it could have been a five star trip.

KLM review - by Niels Andersen

28 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Dont buy tickets from KLM via Kuala Lumpur to Australia. Lots of passengers are denied boarding in Kuala Lumpur on the connecting aircraft to Australia. We were 8 (two British, two Swedes and four Danes) stuck in Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where they told us " it happens all the time". No guarantee for connecting plane next day (which we got finally, however, on seats spread all over the plane, which is not nice travelling with younger children). No help from KLM in Kuala Lumpur at all, we had to walk around the airport all day with luggage etc. So forget KLM when going to Australia.

KLM review - by Dirk Visser

28 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

AMS-LIS in economy. Checked in online, which works well. Also nice to use the business class desks for the baggage drop-off; one of the perks of FB Gold. Royal Crown Lounge was a nice haven from the busy terminal - a shame there is not much of a choice food-wise. Boarding is typical KLM: a chaos. Gate agents show up late and cabin crew, too, whereby boarding is late and completely chaotic. Once on board it was a world of difference. I was greeted by name by the crew (and I wasn't even flying in Europe Select/business). I had three seats to myself, which was welcome on this late evening flight. Catering has improved with KLM and crew was more than happy to serve that evening. Later into the flight the crew came by with a tray full of drinks (water, orange juice & Coke) together with a tray with all sorts of sweets. Service requests answered quickly. Only downside to the KLM experience is the baggage handling. KLM seem to place more emphasis on getting crew baggage out first; and those from frequent flyer and Europe Select/business tend to be one of the last off. And that despite the huge Priority labels on suitcases. This is a flaw that KLM needs to improve. Other airlines offer this service, so hopefully KLM will catch on some day. This fact, together with the poor boarding procedures, lowers my ranking for this flight from a potential 5 to a 3.

KLM review - by J van Rijn

28 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

YYZ-AMS in C-class onboard restyled B747-400. Toronto Crown lounge has been renewed since a year which is a big plus. Nowadays the lounge gets easily overcrowded by all other Sky-team elite members (and their kids). No business-like haven to relax or work. World Business Class experience as usual on KLM flights - acceptable seating (not lie-flat seats) - predictable service although the meal could not get worse. Absolute stunning is KLM IFE. A 3 star airline experience.

KLM review - by P Weil

23 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

ORD-AMS-FLR. Big mistake to do a connection in AMS. Our flight from ORD was four hours late. KLM reps at ORD refused to rebook our connecting flight, even though they had already rebooked other passengers. We tried calling NWA to do it ourselves, but could not get through. Of course we missed our connecting flight in AMS. We were directed to go to the transfer des', which of course turn out to be splattered all over the huge Schipol Airport, and we had no idea which one to go to. It took us an hour (and a trip through passport control/customs) to finally find Transfer Desk 2, which was overflowing with passengers. We took a number and waited. After an hour, we saw that people were just going up to the desk without taking numbers, and it became clear that the number computer had broke down. KLM agents just hadn't told anyone, and were helping whoever came up to the desk. This was followed by a huge surge of irate passengers, screaming at the agents. Agents would disappear form their stations for 20-30 minutes at a time. Finally, after more than two hours, and lots of pushing and yelling, we finally got rebooked for a flight six hours later. We arrived in Florence at almost midnight, where we were supposed to pick up a car rental. We missed our entire first day in Italy due to KLM refusal to rebook us promptly - when it was clear that we would miss our connection, and then made us battle at the Transfer Desk for over 2 hours, and then sit in Schipol for another 6 hours. On the return flight, Meridiana, the partner airline, would not issue us boarding passes in Florence for our connecting flight from AMS-ORD. Of course we arrived late. A KLM agent told us to 'try our luck' at Transfer Desk 2 - if it was crowded, go to Desk 6. Another walk to the other side of the airport, through passport control/customs, another huge line, this time at Desk 6 another 90-minute wait. People are screaming about missing flights. We would have missed our flight to ORD had it not been delayed 90-minutes. Then when we were finally issued boarding passes, my wife and I were separated by some 30 rows. It wasn't until we got on the plane that a polite and helpful flight attendant assisted us in moving so we could sit together. Why couldn't we receive our boarding passes for our connecting flight when we checked in that morning in Florence?! Why do we have to walk all over Schipol and then wait online forever at those stupid Transfer Desks just to get boarding passes?! One couldn't think of a more stupid system. KLM has been crossed off our list forever.

KLM review - by Thorsten Koenig

21 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

ORD-AMS C class on an old 747. FA friendly and told me that these seats were already the new ones, which surprised me because it was not the standard I expected from new C class seats - simply too short. IFE on-demand, food reasonable, but nothing surprising. Facing the high prices KLM charges I would have expected more.

KLM review - by Harvey Brant

16 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

I'd heard of bad things about KLM, but they got me, my wife, and our luggage from Bristol to Athens (via Amsterdam) and back in cattle class without any problems . The only criticisms I could level relate to the mediocre food, lack of inflight entertainment, and that check-ins both at Bristol and at Athens were rather late in opening. In neither case did the latter delay the flight, but it's frustrating when you try to do your bit to speed things along in this heightened security climate by arriving early, only to be kept waiting for the check-in staff to arrive. As for the food, it was so poor that I find it hard to see why they even bother providing it. Why don't they just adopt the no- frills model on short-haul sectors and offer lower fares instead if they're not going to provide anything decent? Having said that, the special offer fare of £200 return including taxes for a flight from my local airport (sparing us the hell of Heathrow, Gatwick, or worse) at the very height of the August holiday season was a very good deal indeed for the time of year. Unusually for a conventional airline, they sometimes offer some excellent deals through their website that even the internet booking agents can't match. Occasionally there's something really unmissable, so for that reason I will probably use them again.

KLM review - by Robert Sollie

15 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Atlanta-Amsterdam-Oslo return. Check-in in ATL fast and efficient, boarding quick with a full flight. The new A330 was clean and fairly comfortable. The legroom in economy is slightly cramped with the video equipment under the seat. Sleeping difficult and uncomfortable. The cabin crew was excellent and onboard service much better than most US carriers. The inflight entertainment was good with a large selection of movies, games, music and TV. AMS-OSL was KLM cityhopper. Fokker 100 was comfortable with more legroom than the A330. Cabin crew again nice and efficient. OSL-AMS 737 very comfortable and excellent crew. AMS-ATL transit in Amsterdam was a nightmare. Between customs and security the lines were terrible and the gate area after security was way too small for such a large group of people. Boarding chaotic as everyone rushed the boarding door, no announcements made as to row numbers. The flight was full and there seemed to be quite a few seat duplications. As this was a day time flight the A330 seemed more comfortable.

KLM review - by S Duncan

13 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

ABZ-AMZ-TLS return in Economy. Trip started OK with check-in etc. going well. The first leg was OK but I am a bit fed-up with only getting some biscuits for lunch with a full service airline, even though the flight only was 1.5 hours from ABZ to AMS. The sandwich on the afternoon flight from AMS to TLS was nice. TLS to AMS was good apart from the fact that as a Gold Card member, we were upgraded. Normally very nice, but the upgrade was only for my wife and I, with our 4 year old at the back of the plane. We explained the situation to the cabin staff and I let my wife and 4 year old sit up front. The cabin staff made sure however that we all got seats together in economy, which was no problem. However the general seat allocation on that flight was completely mixed up with many people being shifted from the back to the front to the back again. One poor woman travelling with 2 toddlers didn't even get 3 seats all together! In AMS I tried to get into the lounge, but as a Gold Card Member, I am only allowed 1 guest and our 4 year old counted as an adult, so we didn't get in. I realise that rules re rules, but a 4 year old isn't going to eat or drink them out of house and home. I travel with KLM every 3 weeks on business and have to say that while the cabin staff are always friendly, the on board service and Flying Blue members service provided in AMS has become very inconsistent - ranging from very poor to very good. KLM standards have slipped quite a bit and the benefits and service I have experience as Flying Blue member have taken a severe dive recently.

KLM review - by H Wallgren

13 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

KUL-AMS-ARN return. A 12 hour flight to Amsterdam, leg room appalling, could hardly move. Even less leg room than what you get on domestic flights. Interior old fashioned and scruffy. On this 12 hour flight there were only a few malfunctioning central TVs in the cabin, most of the time only displaying the map and the route. Compared to other airlines KLM is years behind. Only good thing was the food which was fresh and nice.

KLM review - by G Snyder

13 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-AMS-JNB return in World Business. Though not at the standards of other international carriers in their business class product, they do a good if not consistent job of getting you from place to place. All flights were on time. Boarding is chaos and could be improved by moving people from the secondary security screening to the plane versus another waiting area. Food was adequate - not the box and between the pre course, salad, entree, deserts, in between snack and landing breakfast or lunch as well as sparse food in the pantry. Wine was fine and the attitude of a couple of their flight attendants was actually pleasant. Seats on the 777 were better than the 747 but both a few years behind the business/first class standard but got the job done. Blankets and amenity kit below average range. Inflight entertainment and lack of power jacks on 747 a flashback to the 80's. The showers at AMS were available on the 3rd leg, the 1st leg the wait was over 2 hours. I hope they upgrade their product and planes and move to flatbed seats.

KLM review - by Marybeth Richards

13 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

I chose KLM to fly LHR-AMS-RIX and back rather than go to LGW for a flight with Air Baltic. Overall, not a bad experience - the crew on the short LHR-AMS flight managed effortlessly to get two rounds of drinks and snacks in on the short trip - great efficiency. RIX-AMS was delayed, and there was only one staff member at the gate, trying to deal with pax who had connections - I had a tight connection to make for a UK domestic from LHR and couldn't afford to lose much time. Managed to get on the scheduled flight from AMS-LHR with many assurances that my checked bag would go with me, but of course it did not. It was on the next flight, which was just an hour later than the one I'd taken (wish I'd stayed at Schiphol to do a bit of shopping!). Baggage handlers at LHR top notch, one fellow even went to the belt to get my bag when it arrived. KL offered good value, clean aeroplanes, professional crew and overall a reasonable level of service for the flights I took.

KLM - by R Kuhn

10 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Missed my flight from VIE to AMS with SkyEurope, so had to settle for KLM which was cheapest. Don't really see the point of paying extra for a full service carrier for a 2 hour flight when the price difference was pretty significant, and the only thing you get on KLM was a drink and an OK sandwich (which I wasn't expecting to get at all).

KLM - by John Payne

10 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

The reason I fly KLM is that I am a Platinum member. Living in South Africa and travelling to the UK and USA each 6 weeks or so, I frequently make stopovers in Amsterdam to see friends, hence my choice of airlines. In Economy Class the food is terrible, and out of Johannesburg they use really old 747 Combis with terrible overhead TV monitors. I have frequently upgraded to WBC, and find the food equally bad, especially out of Johannesburg. Their recent 'China' promotion seemed to be an excuse to serve cheap noodles to everyone, including in WBC. I've upgraded with their partner airline, NWA, on the DTW-AMS route, superior to KLM, and also on Kenya Airways from Nairobi to Johannesburg. KLM Economy seats are appaling, along with the food, WBC seats really aren't fantastic either. The only bonus with KLM, their Flying Blue Frequent Flyer Program.

KLM - by Torsten Kaminski

10 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

Completely agree to M Albarda comments on keeping window shades closed. Same happened to me on a Lufthansa flight from MUC to Hong Kong. Left late night from Europe and arrived early evening to Hong Kong. Had a good nap, but also wanted to stay awake and exposed to daylight in order to being able to sleep at night upon arrival. FA,s insisted that blades remained closed for IFE even though I explained that I tried to adjust to the local time. Felt totally dominated by somebody esles (stupid) decision as an economy passenger, plus I am generally not interested in staring 11 hours onto the screen in front of me!

KLM - by Stuart Boate

10 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Birmingham - Amsterdam - Almaty. First leg in the F70, in flight service was quick and efficient with drink and deli sandwiches which were better than Lufthansa's. Schipol I found easier and better than Frankfurt. AMS - ALA flight on a new Airbus with excellent IFE with VOD. Meal and service both great and chance for a short sleep before arriving early in the morning in Almaty. I am looking forward to the return which leaves at 07.10 rather than the 3.30am Lufthansa.

KLM - by M Albarda

9 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

WBC Leeds-Amsterdam-Atlanta. Leeds to Amsterdam is a short hop, and the F70 was fine for such a short flight. On flights under 1 hour KLM could probably do away with Europe Select all together as there simply is no time to create anything special for customers in 50 minutes. I am lactose intolerant as well as alergic to shell fish. KLM and some other airlines do not cater to special meal requests on European flights anymore, and I have also noticed that on long-haul they have created the ultimate, will-pass-any-limitation meal that caters to all imaginable allergies, beliefs and religions. In other words, you end up mostly with a plate of iedible vegetable stuff. I no longer order special meals and have found that by combining dishes (sometimes even from economy!) you can have a tasty meal without ordering special meals. For instance, AMS to ATL I have had the (Knorr) soup from economy as my second meal, because the WBC meal was either pizza or prawns. The soup is not as good as the soup from Delta, but tasty none the less. The other thing on day flights across the Atlantic, or any other day time flight that annoys me, is the closing of window blinds. On a day flight, my main objective is to stay awake. I typically work a good 4-5 hours, and use the IFES during meals or down-time. I do not, repeat, do NOT want to sleep as it will wreck havoc on jet-lag. All I have read about jet lag is to switch to the time zone you are traveling to the minute you board the plane. The other well documented jet lag antidote is day- light, so I do not appreciate the looks and comments from other people wanting me to close the blind. I know that the closing of the blinds is also being used as an excuse to allow people to use their IFE. But with the new systems in place, the screen quality is now so good, you really don't need darkness to be able to see. The real reason is of course that sleeping passengers do not have any demands, or ask questions of staff. In summary, my flight was uneventlful apart from the delay which did not affect me. Thoughts anyone on the other points raised?

KLM - by Ian Aitchison

7 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Norwich-Amsterdam- Milan. Economy. The city hopper from NWI use F70 or 100 which is fine for the short 40 min flight, decent seat pitch and just enough time for a juice and a biscuit. AMS-MXP leg was with 737 400 series. FA's pleasant and helpful. Seat pitch good and you get a couple of small deli rolls along with a glass of wine which fine for me as I no longer expect a hot meal on shorter european flights. Arrived slightly ahead of schedule. Then it went pear shaped. Bags had not arrived from AMS. Not a surprise really considering the short connection but you live in hope. Took ages to get the paperwork sorted as I was not the only person without their luggage. Considering the price the service bhen on the aircraft is well worth it. KLM seem to be improving their game from a couple of years back. Its probably the best since the AF merger. Its just those connections at AMS, either too short (less than 50 mins which is the absolute minimum time required or too (long 3+ hours). I know its not easy to find a perfect solution to fit all. The "in the air " operation is getting better. The "ground" part needs to keep up with the improvements.

KLM - by Andrew Estefan

2 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

AMS to DXB. Flight overbooked, so my travelling partner and I were allocated seats in rows 25 and 47. We asked to be moved and staff were helpful. Onboard service was pleasant, although a little inefficient. Good standard of food. Landed on time where I discovered my baggage had not arrived with me. Very poor communication from KLM about this, but bag eventually arrived around 48hrs later.

KLM - by Roger Litton

2 August 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

AMS–Lima business class. New plane. AVOD was lovely. Staff very attentive and pleasant. However, how can KLM justify a three-seat configuration in business? Why don’t they go for fully flat seats (like BA); these 170 degree seats seem designed to be uncomfortable and difficult to sleep in. Business lounges at AMS are OK but not all have showers – and, for those that do, you have to queue. No flight calls. Quito–AMS Business class). An older Macdonald Douglas with a crap entertainment system (I didn’t get to watch one film). Staff attentive and pleasant. Still have three seats and seats are not good for sleeping. In the Business lounge in Quito, the staff come and get you when they’re ready for you to board (we were jokingly told off by one of the staff for going down to the gate before we were called “go back & sit in comfort – we’ll come & get you!").

KLM - by P Gatineau

31 July 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Stuttgart to Stockholm over Amsterdam. Economy. F100 and B737 equipement. Good value for money. Flights almost on time, good seat pitch and nice F/A. Service quality on KLM mainline is definitly better than with Cityhopper. The new snack concept (sandwichs only at meal time) is a real pitty. In that case fly low cost!

KLM - by Rajesh Hamirwasia

31 July 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

WBC AMS-YYZ. Flight got delayed by 20+ Hours at AMS due to a mechanical problem with the plane. Communication about the delay was handled extremely poorly with no special considerations for WBC passengers. Service was decent once onboard. Ground staff customer service at arrivals counter needs a lot to be desired. Level of food has gone down at the business class lounges.

KLM - by Michael Owen

25 July 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

AMS-DXB Economy Class. Boarding on-time and organised. Staff onboard cheerful and did a good job - a change from the moody cabin crew which KLM have become known for. IFE onboard new 777's is amazing, with a wide range of television, movies, games and music. My one problem - I sat on the left hand of the aisle and had the small IFE box which took away some of my legroom.

KLM - by C Saunders-Tack

23 July 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

AMS to KUL Economy travelling with 18 month old child. I have travelled widely with KLM in the last few years (business and economy) and usually found staff unfriendly and cold. KLM is my company's approved airline for this sector, so I don't have much choice as to who I fly with. Travelling alone with a child (who had her own paid for seat) was extremely stressful. Before boarding I told the staff at the gate I would need help with my daughters car seat (FAA approved), I was ignored, I then asked 4 other staff as I made my way to the seat for help and was again not offered help. Finally I had to dump my hand luggage in the gangway whist I loaded my daughter, thus blocking the way of a member of the maintenance staff, who eventually helped me. When I asked for some milk and food for my daughter during the flight (nothing had been offered) I was told I should have been more organised and brought my own food for her, despite my having paid for a seat for her and checking that she had a meal booked. I recently made a similar trip with Singapore Airline and the experience couldn't have been more different.

KLM - by Geoffrey Wyndham-Jones

11 July 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

KWI-AMS-LCY return Y class. Original flight was cancelled just as all passengers had boarded, due to "food poisoning" with some of the crew (later amended to "viral infection"). However, KLM arranged alternative flights where they could, and accommodated all remaining passengers on the flight the following day. However, although the information regarding alternative flights was on the KLM website, I was unable to access it, and KLM did not send any notification of the changes by any other method, leaving me to guess what was happening. Once on board, however, KWI - AMS was operated by a new A330, with the latest AVOD entertainment system, which I found easy to use, although with somewhat limited choices. The seat pitch feels a little tight on this aircraft, with the seats themselves being on the firm side. However, the flight deck crew kept us informed of progress and delays, and the flight attendants were pleasant, smiled, and generally kept the passengers happy. Food was imaginative and well presented. AMS - LCY was on a Fokker 50, and with 2 + 2 seating with a more generous seat pitch than the A330, was actually more comfortable to fly, although take-offs and landings in windy or cloudy conditions are interesting, to say the least. Again, KLM seems to work to high standards, even with these "Cityhopper" aircraft, and the presentation and taste of the rolls and coffee offered was to a higher standard than that of BA. KLM seem to be improving their product, and with Amsterdam as a hub, for me, offer a better product than BA and Heathrow.

KLM - by Eric Bateman

30 June 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Edi-Ams-Stockholm economy class return. All flights on time apart from one being 30 mins late (bad weather at Amsterdam). KLM seem to have raised their game in recent months. The aircraft seem a little bit newer, the people seem to smile a little bit more, food and drink seems a little bit better. All slight improvements but collectively made the trip a much better experience than others I have had recently.

KLM - by P McCracken

27 June 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Was re-routed on KLM due to missing flight on Gulf Air from BKK to DUB via AMS. Very old and shabby B747-400 Combi. Dinner was worst I ever had. Completely inedible and served in a cardboard box with no choice. Cabin crew cold and indifferent, hardly a smile. Crew all older so you would have expected a bit of professionalism. Only saving grace was that legroom was not bad so could stretch out a bit and the breakfast was excellent. Very inconsistent flight. Would not want to fly KLM again if possible.

KLM - by T Renehan

27 June 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Singapore to Amsterdam in economy. Flew on B747 Combi, very cramped, aircraft and crew seem worn out. Return trip was a chance for redemption but was equally unpleasant.

KLM - by Paul Steele

25 June 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

BUD-AMS-KUL-MEL, AKL-KUL-AMS-BUD. Decided to use KLM on a recent trip to Oz and NZ to be able to collect Flying Blue Miles. I chose most of the flights to be Malaysian Airlines, as I know they are superior to KLM. By ticketing cleverly you get cheap prices and a better product. AMS-KUL was with KLM in an old 747-400. It's a pretty dire experience. I had flown three months earlier on a difference route with KLM and the meals were exactly the same, as was one of the mains creen films! I thought airlines rotated monthly, but obviously not. Costcutting is evident and a real shame as KLM used to have a great product. The other flights were with Malaysia Airlines, and on the whole pretty good, although again the product has deteriorated over the last few years with the meals (in particular on flights leaving KUL) of an extremely poor quality. On arrival in AMS (from KUL) transferring to Budapest I had a four hour wait, which I spent in the Crown Lounge. My flight continued not to be displayed as boarding, so I stayed in the lounge. About ten minutes before schedule departure I inquired at the front desk and was told the flight had closed and departed. I asked immediately to see a manager and asked the lounge staff to witness the information screens being incorrect. I was told this was entirely my fault and regardless of what the screens say, you should ignore them and always go to gate (yes - even if you have a 24 hour delay). After complaining to the manager and asking to see an Airport rep (as KLM blamed the airport, who blamed Malev - the codeshare operator) I finally got moved to the next flight without the 200EUR fine originally imposed. Upon boarding the Malev rep again pulled me out of line and told me how 'lucky' I was to be on this flight for free and that the events were my fault despite a computer malfunction. I was pretty disgusted with the service, especially being a Platinum member, and I sincerely regret not building up my miles with a different alliance. Finally, I received none of the mileage automatically, as Malaysia Airlines system is not compatible. If you make this trip you have to claim retrospectively, which is easier said than done.

KLM - by Olivier Ragu

25 June 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

NRT-AMS-CDG with KLM (Air France AMS-CDG). Fast check in procedure at NRT (through the web, but you have to go to the check in counter to get your boarding passes) with a nervous person. No line for security and immigration, organized boarding. Nice entertainment (AVOD) and nice crew on this 777-200ER. Round of drink (+ Bar service in the back of the aircraft) every hour at least. Transfer at AMS without any problem. Security check a bit lengthy but cordial staff. However different story for the AMS-CDG leg. Flight 1 hour delayed due to "technical" problems at CDG. Almost no service on this flight operated by AF, but still OK as crew was friendy. All in all a nice experience flying KLM. Expected a worse experience.

KLM - by Paul Jacobsen

5 June 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

ARN-HAJ in economy class. The problem with KLM is that you never know how the service on your flight will be. It can range from excellent to unacceptable. This time I got lucky and had a good service on-board, with a friendly and smiling cabin crew. Similarly, catering seems to change on each flight. The tasty and large sandwich I used to have has now been transformed into two small sandwiches. The beverage trolley offered apple and tomato juice, but no orange juice! ARN-AMS was operated in a comfortable B737-300 with new seats. However I had to endure the AMS-HAJ leg in a fully booked Fokker 50: noisy, too warm, cramped seats.

KLM - by Karen Smith

5 June 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

What a strange new service concept from KLM within Europe. In Economy a meal (Sandwich) is only served at "mealtimes" - KLM are unable to tell me what defines a "meal time" - on my flights last week from Munich to Leeds (over Amsterdam) the 17:40 flight was not defined as a meal time - a biscuit was served, The 21:00 flight to Leeds was also not deemed a meal time - a pack of crisps was offered this time. A little more transparency in service would be nice - surely sandwiches are not super expensive and are the minimum offer a "service" airline should provide its passengers. In all other respects KLM are great - friendly service, nice aircraft and punctual service.

KLM - by John Frewen-Lord

31 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

HUY (Humberside) to YYZ (Toronto) and return via AMS. Outgoing flight from HUY on F70, very pleasant and on time. Onwards from AMS on aging 747, no seatback entertainment, and overhead screens too small and impossible to see from most seats. Food good, cabin crew very friendly and worked tirelessly. Return marred by 2 hour delay due to late arrival of inbound plane at YYZ. On checking in, after queuing up for 15 minutes, I was told I would miss my connection in AMS, and told to go to the ticketing counter to be reticketed. Why can't KLM do that at the check-in counter? On rechecking in, I was told it was mandatory to obtain my boarding passes from the self-serve machines, which meant the check-in counters become little more than baggage drop-off and documents check. Return flight same as outgoing - old 747, IFE impossible to see, very good cabin crew, and food good (albeit almost identical to outgoing flight). The new food packaging I found to be an improvement over anything else I've encountered bar full business class meals. Flight from AMS to HUY on F50 - lots of room on these small planes. Overall a good expereince, and would fly KLM again, especially as it means I can avoid the trek to a UK major airport.

KLM - by S Malvern

28 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

I regularly fly AMS-GRU in economy, and KLM uses a Boeing 777 for this route. And with the inflight entertainment system (one screen in every seat with a choice of movies, games etc), it makes for a more comfortable flight in spite of the low level of food, drinks, seats and service that is associated with KLM. But on the flights to and from HKG, KLM uses old 747s. And it makes the journey overall quite miserable. I dont know how much longer passengers will accept the communal screening system for entertainment. But I know that I will prefer airlines with an entertainment system on my next HKG flights. And there are quite a few to choose from. The seats are horrible, service polite but virtually non-existant, but what really annoyed me on my recent HKG-AMS flight was the lack of between meal snacks. I find it appalling that KLM does not offer any snacks on a 12 hour flight. Not least because their portions on their standard meals are so small. On other airlines, and other KLM flights, there are a small selection of snacks to choose from - chocolates etc. KLM chooses not to offer anything to their passangers on this flight - and I find it very stingy. I think that KLM will miss a lot of future customers like me, small business owners who fly 100.000 miles a year and pay themselves for tickets. The reason: I dont want to spend 4-5 more to fly business class, but wouldnt mind paying 30-40% more for a premium economy seat and service. KLM does not offer this. And with the lousy level of their economy class, at least on these 747s, I will avoid them in the future.

KLM - by Jay Sitlani

28 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

AMS to IAD in Economy. Seats are very cramped and the pitch is knee crushing (aisle seats near the window are better because they lack the horrible IFE boxes below the seats), but the service on KLM is friendly and generous. IFE is excellent with many choices. The meal service is quite good for Economy. It comes in this rather interesting green plastic contraption in a cardboard box, and when you open the box there is a Sudoku puzzle on the inside. The hot meal was acceptable and alcoholic beverages plentiful and free. On my next flight, however, I shall ask for the Indian vegetarian meal that a woman seated across the aisle had ordered. It smelled delicious and seemed to come with a variety of Indian breads and other titbits. In general, I find the transatlantic service on KLM in Economy class to be the best among all the other US and European alternatives.

KLM - by Jake Lawrence

24 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

LCY-AMS-LCY on a Fokker 50 every couple of weeks. These planes look and feel old, but since they only carry up to about 50 persons they are nice and convenient. Cabin crew often seem to have a trainee among them, as I have heard all sorts of uncertain safety instructions. Seat pitch seems a bit better than on modern planes to LHR and everybody seems a bit more relaxed. Since there is no real price difference, I would advise anyone flying between London and Amsterdam to use this service. Would it make a difference that these flights are operated by KLM Cityhopper rather than KLM Royal Dutch Airlines?

KLM - by David Wright

24 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Business class CDG-AMS, AMS-FGO, FGO-AMS,AMS-CPT, CPT-AMS, AMS-ICN in mid April as part of an around the world trip. In-Europe flights on 737 with 3-3 seating just like coach but middle seats were empty. Something to eat on all segments, fine but not great. AMS-Capetown (round trip) on 777 with 2-3-2 seating and lie flat seats. Service and meals friendly and filling. AMS-Seoul on 747 with seat in upper deck arranged 2-2 with lie flat seats. Once again service and meals friendly and filling. Ceramic Amsterdam house filled with Netherland gin given on all long haul flights. All six flights occurred within a two week period and all were good.

KLM - by C Denning

24 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

LCY-AMS-MNL Return in economy. FA's efficient without being cloyingly attentive. IFE sufficient to keep my two children occupied for the bulk of the 13hr leg from AMS to MNL. The food is very much of the "snack" variety but is ample. The main thing I look for in an airline is punctuality and the three times I have flown this route, they've never let me down. They also arrive in Manila in the morning (much, much safer than the Emirates flight which, although comfortable, arrives in Manila late at night). As someone who lives in Central London, the LCY departure option is the clincher.

KLM - by Norman Sutherland

20 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

BKK-AMS-BKK in Business Class. Bang on time both ways. New seats on AMS- BKK leg (but not on the other) are excellent and a long overdue improvement. Food is much improved on long-haul this year compared to last, though not on the short hops. IFE is still lagging behind the competition. Overall an improvement compared to recent poor experiences with KLM.

KLM - by A de Souza

20 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

AMS-São Paulo (GRU) - NS was working on the rails, Left home (Tilburg) 12.30am arrived at Schiphol 3.50pm. Result: lost my flight, but the ground service was really nice, they booked me on a Flight to Paris and from there I took a TAM flight! very nice! never though they could do so (in Brazil the airlines would say "get out of here").

KLM - by B Parsons

17 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

My wife and son went LCY-AMS-LIM (Peru). London City airport had problems with radar equipment, was a horrible day weatherwise and planes had to land and take off by sight. Took off 55 mins late, for 80 mins connection time at Schipol. Staff at AMS seemed to know of situation, as wife and son rushed to departure gate for Lima leg. They made it!!! On arrival at Lima, realised that baggage did not make the connection! Went to KLM service desk at Lima. Nothing that could really be done. Given $400 as compensation (and to buy clothes, etc) and asked to leave address in Peru where they were staying. (a city north of Lima, 1 hours flying time, 8 hours by road). Asked to expect a call from KLM to let them know when to pick up their baggage from the local airport. Instead baggage was delivered to door by courier. In circumstances beyond their control, KLM took all the inconvenience and full responsibility of the situation.

KLM - by J Rees

17 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

PRG-AMS-KUL-PEN Return in Economy. All the short flights ok and on time. AMS-KUL on aging 747. Outbound, middle seat was free in 3-4-3 configuration, plenty of space. IFE very poor, reruns of Mr Bean and two and a half men. Food good for Economy class, regular drinks service and attentive cabin staff. Return was far worse, plane full, poor effort from the cabin crew. Only 2 drinks served, no water brought round during the night (like the outbound), very cramped with a full plane and no free middle seat. Same poor IFE. Overall, adequate for the price, if LHR wasn't such an absolute nightmare to transfer through I'd have gone BA instead, but when the plane is full and the pressure is on KLM staff and product really fail to deliver. Take your own entertainment and a drink. And for some crazy reason they turn all the lights on 3 hours before landing on an overnight flight? Seems to me so they can show you a video featuring the joys of windmill museums in the Netherlands, and the surly cabin crew have time to get the breakfast out (badly understaffed). A 1990's outfit operating a 1990's aircraft with 1990's staff (showing 1980's comedy).

KLM - by H Ferguson

9 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

AMS-EWR Business class. MD-11, Terrible seats, mine wouldn't recline properly. Good choice of films although the audio didn't work as well. Chinese menu, nice but not to the standard of a business class meal. Small portions, typical with KLM. The trays with the food looked awful, the paint all scratched. I pity the crew, they were helpful and felt a bit embarrassed with the equipment. KLM should at least have the same level as Air France.

KLM - by Angela Jennings

9 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

Birmingham to Quito via Amsterdam return economy. Overall poor performance. Leg room very tight. Staff civil but lacked enthusiasm or sociability. Film screens overhead and very few - not viewable if alongside passenger. Food abysmal. No proper meals - only repetitive snacks; bread awful, only powdered milk, disgusting Kelloggs bars, spread unpleasant, cheese paste in foil tube, fruit salad 'stewed', much of it inedible. Disembarked hungry and miserable.

KLM - by David Allan

8 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

CGK-KUL-CGK : I fly this route every month and have been doing so for over two years. I tend to fly KLM more often than not, although probably not for much longer. This time around CGK-KUL was delayed two hours, then return sector delayed 1.5 hours. No reasons or apologies offered. Aircraft are 747-400 "combis" (where the rear half of the 'plane is filled with cargo) which have seen better days. IFE consists of a few tiny ceiling-mounted TVs which show the likes of Mr Bean re- runs without audio. Food is generally disgusting/inedible and there's no choice - take it or leave it - and when you see the same slop served every time you fly, it gets tired. Coffee is rarely offered and usually with a grudge, just before landing and long after meal is finished. I pity those who continue on all the way to AMS on these 'planes. Compared to the likes of Singapore, Qatar and Etihad, KLM is miles behind.

KLM - by Andy Johnson

8 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating :

BHX to AMS in economy, to connect onto a China Airlines flight. Slightly worried at BHX as previous Air France flight had been cancelled and passengers seemed to put onto our flight to transfer in Amsterdam. Flight was full but left on time. Staff very attentiver. Even though 50 mins flying time still time for them to serve a snack and a drink. A nice touch for such a small hop.