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KLM Starting San Diego Route in May 2025

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Victoria M. Walker
Edited by: Juan Ruiz
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Netherlands-based KLM is expanding its service on the West Coast, with flights to San Diego (SAN) launching next year.

Here’s what to know about the new route!

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3 New KLM Routes From Amsterdam

KLM has announced 3x weekly flights between Amsterdam (AMS) and San Diego (SAN), starting May 8, 2025.

KLM will fly its Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which features 30 business class seats, 21 premium economy seats, and 224 economy seats. This is KLM’s third California route, after Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). KLM will become the 19th airline at San Diego International Airport.

KLM 787 Business Class forward view
KLM 787 Business Class. Image Credit: KLM

Additionally, KLM is launching flights from Amsterdam to Georgetown, Guyana (GEO) and Hyderabad, India (HYD). The one-stop flight to Georgetown will include a stopover in St. Martin (SXM) starting June 4, 2025. The flight will operate 2x weekly.

Nonstop service to Hyderabad will start in September 2025, with 3x weekly flights. This will become the fourth direct flight between Amsterdam and India.

“The launch of KLM’s direct service between Amsterdam and San Diego marks an exciting milestone in our North American expansion,” said  Boaz Hulsman, vice president of commercial, North America, at Air France-KLM. “This new route opens a gateway to Southern California’s dynamic economy while connecting the San Diego community to Amsterdam and beyond.”

How To Book KLM Flights With Points and Miles

Flights for the new SAN route are already available online. Unfortunately, they aren’t cheap. We’re seeing round-trip flights between SAN and AMS starting at a whopping $1,500 for economy tickets next May. And if you want a business class seat, it’ll cost you nearly $6,000 round-trip.

With such expensive cash prices, we recommend booking using points and miles. Luckily, you have many options when booking KLM (or Air France) flights, including booking through Air France and KLM’s joint loyalty program, Flying Blue. That’s because the program has a handful of transfer partners: Amex Membership RewardsBilt RewardsCapital OneChase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi Thank You.

You’ll find one-way tickets from 36,500 miles between SAN and AMS next year. However, premium economy and business class tickets are exponentially higher.

KLM SAN AMS
KLM economy awards for the new San Diego route start at 36.5k miles one-way. Image Credit: KLM
Hot Tip:

Take a look at our guide to the best ways to earn lots of Flying Blue miles!

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Final Thoughts

KLM is expanding its route map with an exciting new flight to San Diego. As the second-largest city in California by population, this route will surely be an excellent addition for West Coast residents looking to connect to Amsterdam and beyond. If you’re interested in booking a flight, make sure to book with Flying Blue miles instead of cash!

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About Victoria M. Walker

Victoria holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the Howard University School of Communications and is an award-winning journalist, travel reporter, and the founder of the “Carrying On with Victoria M. Walker” newsletter.

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