KLM Business class?

S

Staples

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Does anyone have any experience of KLM's transatlantic Business Class service. It seems to be considerably cheaper than Virgin, Air France and BA but I'd be intersted to know whether it's because it's not as good.

Thanks in advance.
 
What's wrong with economy class? I have flown economy with KLM and it was just like any other airline really.
 
Flew economy to China with KLM on a jumbo. Had a look upstairs and it looked excellent - luxurious seating, very airy, lots of space around individual seating, individual tv etc etc. If you can afford it, treat yourself.

KLM pride themselves on the quality of their food and my experience was that it was the best food I have ever been served in economy.
 
Transatlatic KLM is with Northwest Airlines (90% of the time). There are very few routes (think Atlanta, Houston) that is flown on KLM metal.
Business class does not have the true lie flat beds like BA, they are nearly flat (170 degrees). I have found them comfortable and was able to sleep though have heard comments that not as good as BA (have not flown on the fully flat, myself). Food on NWA is good enough but KLM's is better. Very good range of movies and inflight entertainment. One major advantage is connection via AMS rather than Heathrow. Check out www.airlinequality.com and www.seatguru.com for more info.
Make sure that the flight is on either an Airbus 330 (NWA) or else Boeing 777 (KLM) as there are also a couple of older planes in service that still have the older recline seats like Aer Lingus use.
 
Agree with soy - they're "sloped flat" seats - so they recline to a flat surface but it's a ~10 degree incline to the floor ... I find these type of seats (which are probably the most common type of business class seats on long haul flights these days) to be generally pretty comfortable ... but certainly they are not the best out there ( I think it's hard to beat the BA Club world seats )

I think KLM also run Airbus A330 aircraft as well which would have new seats ... it's probably the older 747s and MD-11 aircraft that may not have been upgraded
 
Thanks for the reply EvilDoctorK

I'm looking at KLM because they were significantly cheaper for business class than any of the rest. Yet, when I go into the detail of the flights (on KLM's website), I found that the flights are often on other airlines - including NWA as Soy mentioned but also Air France via Paris. I find the whole thing a bit odd to be honest.

I'm plannning a trip to LA and, given its duration, feel a business class trip would be more necessary and justified for this journey than, say, New York.

Grateful for any opinions.
 
KLM and Air France are two brands of the same company. NWA code-shares with KLM-Air France.
 
KLM and Air France merged (KL was essentially taken over by AF) a few years ago .. so most fares from Ireland to anywhere on KLM or Air France are valid on either airline .. you could fly out on one or back on the other for example.

Air France has similar "sloped flat" seats on all it's modern aircraft (only exception I think for them is leisure focused routes to Carribbean / Indian Ocean Islands)

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If you're flying back from LA try to get a late flight departing LAX ... some flights back to Europe leave very early (as early as lunchtime) and it's hard to sleep on the way back then - though it's a ~10hr flight .. if you get on at lunch time then 10hrs only takes you up to 11pm or so LA time but at that time then you're arriving in Europe and it's actually early morning and you've had little or no sleep, flat bed or no flat bed on board. Far better to get a 6pm or later departure from LA if you can.

I've never flown NWA internationally, but given the choice I would choose KL/AF over them ... US carriers in any class tend in my experience to have worse service, seats and food than their European equivalents (Also NWA flights are more likely to be indirect via Detroit or somewhere, which you should try to avoid)
 
I would agree that you want to avoid transiting in a US airport. International flight on NWA/KLM is fine but the once you touch down your next leg will be on US domestic first class which is a different beast entirely (more like 'premium economy' as provided by BA)
KLM fly direct from AMS with one flight per day - return leaves at 17.35. They use a 747 which are currently being upgraded with new seats, but do not know if this has happened yet (the old seats on this aircraft were pretty good anyway).
AF fly direct from CDG and Heathrow with several flights per day.
 
BA have a flight that leaves LAX at 2100 hrs local which arrives back in the UK at 1600 approx the next day. Far better than most US flights.
 
Check out the reviews on www.airlinequality.com KLM Business Class consistently rates below Air France's product. North West isn't nicknamed North Worst for nothing either!

Personally I would fly Delta via Atlanta as first choice on the LA route, Atlanta is designed for transit and works really well. Next choice would be AF via Paris.
 
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