Intra Europe air travel is a very interesting concept. Flight times can range from 30 minutes to several hours. During our trip to Europe, Jen and I took 4 intra Europe flights in Air KLM’s business class. Here’s the full recap and review!
Table of Contents
What is Air KLM?
KLM is a Dutch carrier and is based in Amsterdam operating a variety flights. The airline’s main hub is Amsterdam Schiphol Airport(AMS) and operates a variety of wide body and narrow body planes. The airline was acquired in 2004 by Air France and operates under the Air France KLM umbrella.
Booking
Since Jen and I were planning to travel throughout Europe, we originally decided to travel by train. After some trip planning, we realized that trains would take a minimum of double or triple the time due to the Alps and other geographical barriers. Luckily, upon some digging, I was able to find award flights in KLM’s business class for only 8,000 Virgin Atlantic points and $20 in fees per flight. Virgin is a partner of Air France KLM and Delta, but is not part of Sky Team. This was a spectacular deal when you throw in the fact that we both had one check in sized bag.
We flew the following routes on the KLM’s Boeing 737-800:
VCE-AMS(Venice to Amsterdam), AMS-ZRH(Amsterdam to Zurich), AMS-LHR(Amsterdam to London)
We Also flew on KLM’s city hopper plane from ZRH to AMS via the Embraer E-175 which offers a 2-2 configuration for the whole plane.
Cabin
On the Boeing 737-800, the cabin has all economy seats, with 20 “business class”, 6 economy comfort, and 106 standard economy seats. Business Class and Economy Comfort seats have 33 inches of leg room, while business also has the middle seat blocked off. This is standard onboard most intra Europe flights and a far cry from domestic flights in the United States. Rather than offer a better or improved seat, the airline offers a premium soft product such as meals, drinks, and better service.
On a smaller plane such as the Embraer E-175, the 2-2 configurations means the only added benefit of business class is the improved service and food.
Food
One these short flights, KLM doesn’t offer hot meals. Instead, you’re serve a cute lunch box with several items along with a drink, an optional bottle smoothie that gave me Ikea vibes, and bread. The food and soft product makes up a huge portion of the value from the flight as intra-Europe planes are all fitted with an economy only configuration.
My Thoughts
Service was excellent on every KLM flight. The crew was friendly and at times chatty, giving me tips and advice on how to explore Amsterdam. Unlike some airlines where service feels overbearing or forced, KLM staff made it felt genuine. I had a really great time and for 8,000 Virgin Atlantic points per flight, this is a great way to travel throughout Europe in business. The total taxes and fees per flight also came in at under $20. Factor in a transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic and you can snag an intra-Europe business class flight for under 6,000 points.
