Major global airlines are increasingly realizing the value that a premium economy cabin brings to their business. Many carriers are allocating budgets to add these cabins to their airplanes, even if it means taking the planes out of service for a few days to reap the long-term rewards. KLM, too, has added a similar product to some of its widebody planes for passengers who want more space, luxury, and privacy than economy class.
KLM’s Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft now have Premium Comfort Class
In the last two years, KLM has been steadily adding premium economy seats to many of its widebody planes. The airline recently announced that all of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 777 aircraft are now equipped with what it calls the Premium Comfort Class.
Photo: KLM
The maintenance division of KLM completed the conversion of its Boeing 787 fleet about a year and a half ago, and now, all of its Boeing 777 aircraft have also been fitted with the new class. This means that passengers flying on any of these 54 aircraft have the option of choosing premium economy seats for their journey. In an official statement, KLM’s Chief Experience Officer, Barry ter Voert, commented,
“Over the past two years, colleagues have worked very hard to make the addition of this new class possible. Passengers now have an extra option when booking a ticket, in addition to World Business Class and Economy Class. The first feedback from our passengers has been very positive. Passengers specifically mention having more comfort and tastier meals. That exactly matches our intentions.”
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
That’s not all! While KLM took the time to add the premium economy sections to its 777s, it also replaced the seats in their World Business Class product and added a sliding door for more comfort and privacy. It also noted that “all passengers in World Business Class have direct aisle access.”
Features of KLM’s Premium Comfort Class
The Premium Comfort Class product offers up to seven more inches of legroom when compared to the economy. For passengers flying long-haul, that would be quite significant.
Depending upon the type of aircraft one flies, KLM
passengers can expect 21 to 28 seats in the Premium Comfort section. For example, the carrier’s Boeing 787-9 planes have 21 seats, while its 777-200ERs and 777-300ERs offer 24 seats in this cabin. KLM’s Boeing 787-10 offers the maximum number of Premium Comfort Class seats – 28. This cabin is not available on KLM’s narrowbody fleet or the Airbus A330s.
Other conveniences of this cabin include in-seat power outlets to charge digital devices and a dedicated 13.3-inch entertainment system. Depending upon the fare type, passengers can carry two 50-lb checked bags for standard Premium Comfort tickets and one 50-lb checked bag for Premium Comfort Lite tickets. Simple Flying has analyzed this in detail in the article below.
Related
KLM’s ‘Premium Comfort’ Cabin: 5 Things You Should Know
The Dutch carrier only introduced Premium Comfort in 2022.
Other KLM news
KLM has also been busy building its international network by adding more routes and finalizing codeshare agreements. Last month, it announced
three new cities that will be connected with nonstop and direct flights
from its hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) in 2025.
The first of these services will be to San Diego, California, US, starting from May 8. This will become the carrier’s 22nd route in North America. On June 4, the carrier will start a new service to Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in Georgetown, Guyana, and on September 2, it will commence nonstop flights to Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) in South India.
Photo: StephanKogelman | Shutterstock
It was also announced in November that Winair, the flag carrier of Sint Maarten, will once again be codesharing with KLM on routes across the region. This will allow customers traveling from Amsterdam and KLM’s further intercontinental destinations to seamlessly connect through Winair’s hub at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM). Those interested in finding out more about this codeshare deal can check out Simple Flying’s detailed report below.
Related
Winair Reintroduces Code-Share Agreement With KLM For Seamless Travel To Caribbean Destinations
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is partnering with the flag carrier of Sint Maarten to provide seamless connections across the region.
