UK Reservations 0871 231 0000 (24hours)
USA Reservations 1-800-618-0104
Head office 31 (0) 20 474 7747
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is one of Europe's oldest and most respected airlines, it can trace it's history all the way back to 1919. Year after year it's provided a good service, good on time record and stress free travel.
Our rating 4 stars.
Typical Dutch hospitality onboard on the flights, detailed below, make KLM a popular choice for many, plus the on time record is way above the European average. KLM was one of the few airlines that operate the Boeing 747 - 400 combi, which houses both passengers and cargo on the same deck. Full details of their fleet can be found at the bottom of this page. Every year, KLM transports more than twenty million passengers. About three quarters of these people make use of Schiphol Airport, KLM's home base, as a transfer point. Transfer passengers, who are growing in number, use Schiphol to leave one plane and board another to fly on to their final destination.
AIR FRANCE KLM Air France and KLM carry more than 71 million passengers per year. They operate more than 594 aircraft enabling them to fly 2,500 daily flights to 236 destinations worldwide. Members of the joint AIR FRANCE KLM frequent flyer programme Flying Blue earn Miles and claim rewards on both airlines’ routes.
Income
AIR FRANCE KLM’s turnover in the 2009-2010 financial year was 20.9 billion euros. KLM and Air France together employ more than 108,000 people. For more information about AIRFRANCE KLM Finance, please go to www.airfranceklm-finance.com.
Shares
AIR FRANCE KLM shares are listed on the Amsterdam, Paris and New York exchanges.
KLM
KLM was set up on 7 October, 1919, and is the oldest airline still operating under its original name. Important milestones in its recent history have been the creation of a joint venture with Northwest Airlines (NWA) in 1989 and its acquisition of a holding in Kenya Airways in 1996. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is KLM’s homebase.
Air France
Air France was founded on 7 October, 1933. Its history has been marked by several major milestones, including the holding acquired in UTA in January 1990 and the merger with Air Inter in 1997. In June 2000, Air France and Delta Air Lines joined forces with Aeroméxico and Korean Air to launch the SkyTeam alliance. Air France’s main hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle is Europe’s number one in terms of connection opportunities.
Alitalia
In January 2009, AIR FRANCE KLM and Alitalia reached an agreement to strengthen their partnership. This was cemented by AIR FRANCE KLM taking a minority stake (25%) in Alitalia. This agreement places AIR FRANCE KLM in a unique position in the Italian market, the fourth largest market in Europe.
SkyTeam Alliance
Air France and KLM are members of the SkyTeam alliance. SkyTeam is a global airline alliance. Its member airlines are: Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, AirEuropa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern Airlines, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Tarom and Vietnam Airlines. Through one of the world’s most extensive hub networks, SkyTeam offers its 384 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 13,000 daily flights to 898 destinations in 169 countries. all major destinations.
World Business Class
Before departure
A business class ticket allows you to easily tailor your flight to your travel plans. But there‘s more:
- Extra baggage allowance
- Your baggage will be handled with priority
- Check in at our dedicated check-in desk
- Pass through customs and security checks using the priority lanes, where available
- Visit the KLM Crown Lounges and those of our partners
- Earn 250% Flying Blue Miles
On board
Let your worries float away as you sink into your World Business Class seat. Whether you want to grab some sleep or catch up on work, you will arrive at your destination relaxed and feeling fit as a fiddle:
- Sleeper Seat: 190 cm long, 175 degrees reclinable and equipped with a massage unit
- Privacy canopy
- Personal entertainment system
- In-seat power
- Complimentary World Business Class comfort kit
- International newspapers and magazines
Savour a delicious 3-course menu prepared specially by top chefs. All meals are served on quality crockery and accompanied with a glass of fine wine or other beverage of your choice.
Our cabin attendants are happy to help you with any request. Naturally, you can also take home one of our famous Delft Blue miniature houses filled with genuine Dutch gin!
Europe Business Class
Before departure A truly smooth ride starts well before take-off:
- Extra baggage allowance
- Your baggage will be handled with priority
- Check in at our dedicated check-in desk
- Pass through customs and security checks using the priority lanes, where available
- Visit the KLM Crown Lounges or those of our partners
- Earn 250% Flying Blue Miles
On board Be one of the first to board the aircraft and enjoy lots of personal space! We block all middle seats, so they remain unoccupied. This way, you always have a window or aisle seat!
- Seat with extra legroom and more recline
- In-seat power on our Boeing 737-700, -800 and -900 aircraft
- Enjoy a free newspaper and your copy of the Holland Herald, our in-flight magazine.
From a luxurious breakfast to a delicious 3-course meal: depending on the time of day and duration of your flight, we serve a hot meal, sandwich, salad or tapas plate, and various snacks.
Naturally, our cabin crew will attend to your every need. Our Europe Business Class is located at the front of the cabin, so you are one of the first to be on your way again on arrival.
On flights between Amsterdam and Paris, Europe Business Class is divided in 2 zones. All middle seats are blocked in the front part of the cabin, whereas these seats may be occupied in the other zone. Both zones offer Europe Business Class services.
Economy Class - Intercontinental
Before departure
- Check in whenever and however suits you best: online, with your mobile phone, at a self-service machine or at the desk.
- Drop off your baggage at a self-service or regular drop-off point, and off you go!
- Do your onboard shopping before you fly. Simply place your order online and receive your purchases on board! Read more about Shop@KLM
On board
- Sit back and relax in an ergonomically designed seat or treat yourself to an extra comfortable seat!
- Pick up an international newspaper and your copy of the Holland Herald, our in-flight magazine
- Enjoy a good meal, refreshments, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. To meet your special dietary, religious or medical requirements, you can order a special meal. And on some flights, you can order an à la carte menu before departure!
- Have fun and relax with your personal entertainment system
- Find great deals in our onboard shopping selection
Economy Class - Within Europe
Travel comfortably, even on short flights!Before departure
- Check in whenever and however suits you best: online, with your mobile phone, at a self-service machine or at the desk
- Drop off your baggage at a self-service or regular drop-off point, and off you go.
On board
- Enjoy an ergonomically designed seat or treat yourself to a seat with extra legroom!
- We serve a snack or freshly made sandwich, depending on the time and duration of your flight
- Choose from hot and cold beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
- Enjoy a copy of the Holland Herald
- Enjoy on-board shopping on flights longer than 60 minutes
History
Milestones in KLM's History
Sep 12, 1919 | Queen Wilhelmina awarded KLM - yet to be founded - its "Royal" designation. |
| Oct 7, 1919 | Dutch Royal Airlines for the Netherlands and its Colonies (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij voor Nederland en Koloniën - KLM) was founded. |
| Oct 21, 1919 | The first KLM office opened on Heerengracht in The Hague. |
| May 17, 1920 | KLM's first pilot, Jerry Shaw, flew from London to Schiphol in a leased De Havilland DH-16. |
| Apr 4, 1921 | Following a winter hiatus, KLM resumed service with its own pilots and aircraft: the Fokker F-II and F-III. |
| May 9, 1921 | KLM opened its first passenger office on Leidseplein in Amsterdam. |
| Oct 1, 1924 | KLM initiated its first intercontinental flight, from Amsterdam to Batavia (Colonial Jakarta) in a Fokker F-VII. |
| Sep, 1929 | KLM started regular, scheduled service between Amsterdam to Batavia. Until the outbreak of the Second World War, this was the world's longest-distance scheduled service. |
| Dec 1933 | KLM flew Christmas and New Year's cards from Amsterdam to Batavia in a record time of just over four days in a Fokker F-XVIII Pelikaan. The mail arrived in time for Christmas. |
| Oct 1934 | The Douglas DC-2 Uiver won a "handicap" race - a flight with passengers and cargo - from London to Melbourne. |
| Dec 1934 | KLM made its first transatlantic flight, from Amsterdam to Curacao in a Fokker F-XVIII Snip. |
| Sep 1945 | KLM resumed service following the Second World War, starting with domestic flights. |
| May 21, 1946 | KLM initiated scheduled service between Amsterdam and New York using the Douglas DC-4 Rotterdam. |
| Nov 1, 1958 | KLM opened its Amsterdam-Tokyo service, flying over the North Pole using the Douglas DC-7 Caraïbische Zee. |
| Mar 1960 | The Jet Age began with the introduction of the Douglas DC-8. |
| Sep 12, 1966 | NLM ("Netherlands Airlines") was founded. This was later renamed NLM Cityhopper. |
| Apr 1967 | Schiphol Center went into service. |
| Feb 1971 | The Wide-body Age began with the advent of the Boeing 747-206B. |
| Mar 1, 1971 | KLM opened its headquarters in Amstelveen, south of Amsterdam. |
| Nov 1975 | KLM added the Boeing 747-306B Combi to its fleet, an important milestone for KLM cargo transport. |
| Mar 1988 | KLM took over NetherLines European Commuter service. |
| Jun 1989 | KLM introduced the Boeing 747-400, the most advanced 747 of its time. |
| Jul 1989 | KLM acquired a 20% interest in the US carrier Northwest Airlines, an important step toward the creation of a worldwide network. |
| Apr 1, 1991 | KLM merged NLM Cityhopper and NetherLines to create KLM cityhopper. |
| Oct 1991 | KLM increased its interest in charter carrier Transavia from 40% to 80%. |
| Dec 1991 | KLM introduced Flying Dutchman, making it the first airline on the European continent to create a frequent flyer loyalty program. |
| Jan 1993 | The US Department of Transportation granted KLM and Northwest Airlines antitrust immunity, allowing the two airlines to intensify their partnership. |
| Sep 1993 | KLM and Northwest Airlines started operating all their flights between the US and Europe as part of a joint venture. |
| Nov 1993 | For the first time in its history, KLM transported more than ten million passengers in a single year. |
| Mar 1994 | KLM and Northwest Airlines introduce World Business Class, a new product on intercontinental flights. |
| Jul 1995 | KLM introduced Boeing 767-300ER to service. |
| Jan 1996 | KLM acquires 26% share in Kenya Airways. |
| Jan 1998 | KLM and Malaysian Airlines System announce investigation into commercial cooperation. |
| Feb 1998 | KLM-Northwest Airlines alliance honored with ‘Airline of the Year Award’ by influential US trade magazine Air Transport World. |
| Aug 1998 | KLM repurchases all regular shares from the Dutch state. The state retains cumulative preference shares A and priority shares with a franchise in excess of 14%. |
| Nov 1, 1999 | KLM founded AirCares, a communication and fundraising platform supporting worthy causes and focusing on underprivileged children around the world. |
| Dec 1999 | KLM was the world's first airline to attain ISO 14001 certification for its Environmental Management System. |
| Spring 2002 | KLM announced the first phase of a fleet renewal program for its intercontinental aircraft - three Boeing 747-400ER freighters and eight Boeing 777-200ERs to replace the Boeing 747-300s; two more Boeing 777-200ERs to replace two MD-11s. KLM placed an order with Airbus for six A330-200s. Upon completion of the program, KLM's fleet consisted solely of Boeing 747-400s, Boeing 777-200ERs, and Airbus A330-200s. |
| Oct 25, 2003 | KLM's first Boeing 777-200R landed at Schiphol. The aircraft provides service to Cape Town, Nairobi, and New York. |
| May 5, 2004 | The AIR FRANCE KLM Group was born. On this day Air France redeemed the conditions of its share bid, allowing for the merger between Air France and KLM. Seven months earlier, in September 2003, the airlines had decided to join forces. |
| Sep 2004 | KLM, Northwest, and Continental join SkyTeam, an international alliance of airlines, of which Air France, Delta Air Lines, Alitalia, Korean Air, ĿSA Czech Airlines, and Aeromexico were already members. |
| Jun 2005 | AIR FRANCE KLM introduced its new, combined, frequent flyer program, "Flying Blue." It was the first time in history that two European airlines had joined their loyalty programs - exclusive service packages targeting loyal customers. |
| Aug 25, 2005 | Aircraft manufacturer Airbus delivered the first of KLM's A330s. |
| Dec 2006 | KLM was the world's first airline to introduce self-service transfer kiosks at which transfer passengers at Schiphol can print out their own boarding passes, quickly and easily. |
| Jun 2007 | KLM introduced a unique partnership with the Worldwide Fund for Nature. The agreement includes hard and fast limitations to CO2 emissions and the corporate expression that, even in the airline industry, there are different and better ways of doing business. KLM views this cooperative effort as a crowning achievement to the steps it had already taken in corporate sustainability - efforts that have earned it the title of "best in class" in terms of energy efficient flight among all the major international airlines. |
| Mar 30, 2008 | The Open Skies treaty went into effect, allowing airlines to fly freely - for the first time - between Europe and the US. KLM had long been a proponent of this treaty. |
| May 23, 2008 | The US Department of Transportation granted antitrust immunity to KLM, Air France, Delta Air Lines, and Northwest Airlines. This will allow these airlines to make better use of the Open Skies treaty, streamlining their activities and better attuning them to customer demand. |
| Dec 31, 2008 | KLM becomes 100% owner of Martinair. |
| Jan 12, 2009 | Air France-KLM takes 25% minority stake in Alitalia. Revenue and income In financial 2009-2010 the KLM Group carried 20.7 million passengers and 473,000 tonnes of freight. Income in this year was 7.4 billion euros. KLM Group incurred a loss of 383 million euros. Employees On 31 March 2010, KLM had 31,787 employees. Technical maintenance KLM Engineering & Maintenance is largest aircraft manufacturer in the Netherlands, employing around 5,000 technical staff. KLM E&M and Air France Industries (AFI) jointly carry out maintenance, repairs and modifications on aircraft, engines, and components for the AIR FRANCE KLM fleet and various other airlines worldwide. Fleet composition The KLM Group fleet comprises 205 aircraft with an average age of 11 years. Destinations KLM expanded its network from Schiphol in 2009-2010 by reopening two routes – Aruba and Denpasar (Bali) – and adding a new destination: Calgary. With this expansion and certain adjustments, the number of direct routes offered by KLM (and its partners) from Amsterdam was 72 intercontinental destinations and 79 European destinations. At the beginning of financial 2010-2011 the new destination Hangzhou, China, was added to the network. Homebase and global hub Amsterdam Airport Schiphol |
Average age number of aircraft
Boeing 747-400 PAX wide body 20.0 6
Boeing 747-400 Combi wide body 15.9 16
Boeing 747-400 ER Freighter wide body 6.7 4
Boeing 747-400 BC Freighter wide body - 1
Boeing 777-300 ER wide body 1.5 4
Boeing 777-200 ER wide body 5.5 15
MD-11 wide body 15.1 10
MD-11 Freighter wide body 14. 17
Boeing 767-300 ER wide body - 4
Airbus A330-200 wide body 4.1 10
Boeing 737-900 narrow body 7.2 5
Boeing 737-800 narrow body 9.8 40
Boeing 737-700 narrow body 3.6 16
Boeing 737-400 narrow body 18.4 9
Boeing 737-300 narrow body 17.6 7
Embraer 190 regional 0.6 13
Fokker 100 regional 15.9 5
Fokker 70 regional 14.3 26
Training aircraft 7
Total consolidated fleet 11.0 205
