KLM completes premium economy upgrades on Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft

Two and a half years after first announcing plans to add premium economy, KLM has completed the installation of new cabins on the majority of its long-haul fleet, the Dutch carrier said this week.

Specifically, KLM has completed the retrofit of all of its Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliners, the airline said on Thursday. The milestone marks the end of what is considered the airline’s biggest product change in years.

Has been a popular choice for visitors

If you’ve flown on one of KLM’s big blue wide-body planes in the past year or two, chances are you’ve flown in the Premium Comfort cabin.

Read more: Is KLM’s premium economy worth it on the 787 Dreamliner?

That is return in May 2022 that the carrier has announced plans to add intermediary service between its Economy and World Business Class cabins for the first time, following the lead of many other major global airlines.

KLM began upgrading its younger Dreamliner fleet to premium economy and equipping each of them with new cabins a year and a half ago.

Then the airline switched to using the Boeing 777 fleet, installing Premium Comfort seats and upgrade its World Business team with privacy sliding panels and universal direct access — the company’s attempt to bring its top-end cabins more on par with other global competitors has added the “suite” concept.

Overall, KLM’s maintenance team has completed the retrofit of 54 wide-body aircraft, ensuring passengers will have the new midsize cabin as an option on all 777 and 787 long-haul flights to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS).

“Over the past two years, colleagues have worked very hard to make this new class possible. Passengers now have more options when booking, in addition to World Business Class and Economy Class,” Director KLM experience, Barry ter Voert said in a statement this week.

The A330 still does not have premium economy class

We should point out that KLM did not retrofit it whole long distance fleet. The airline’s Airbus A330s still feature two-cabin configurations (business and economy), including the older 2x2x2 layout that does not include direct aisle access for window seats. That old wide-body plane still flies to many destinations around the world, including several cities in North America.

Here’s where the A330 will fly this month, as shown on the map below from Cirium:

Is Premium Economy Worth It?

In general, premium economy cabins on major global airlines tend to offer an experience quite similar to domestic first class, with spacious recliners that are much more comfortable than those in economy class. — and an improved “soft product” over first class, which often includes amenity kits and meals.

However, the service and seating cannot match the full-scale international business class experience, which often includes a sleeper bed.

As you might expect, cash and award prices also tend to fall somewhere in between – higher than coach class but lower than business class.

Matt Moffitt of TPG Just flew KLM’s Premium Comfort cabin between Amsterdam and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in South Africa on a 777-300ER.

He says the seats are “very comfortable”, with 60% more recline than economy class, comfortable seat cushions and larger seatback screens – not to mention an impressive salmon poke bowl for meals dark.

A great gift exchange option

KLM is an important airline to keep in mind when you’re considering changing your ticket for your next flight. Its Flying Blue loyalty program — a program in partnership with KLM’s sister airline, Air France — is a popular option for redeeming points.

Most major credit card rewards programs in the US offer 1:1 transfers to Flying Blue, including:

Additionally, with some programs, you can sometimes score bonus points when switching to Flying Blue, allowing you to increase your total miles.

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