KLM Finishes Rolling Out Its New Premium Economy

Updated: December 19, 2024, 5:12pm CST

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Welcome, Consistency
Where You Can Fly KLM’s Premium Economy in the U.S.
Final Thoughts

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KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has completed the installation of its new premium economy class on its entire fleet of Boeing 777 and 787 long-haul planes.

This is relevant news for U.S. flyers because KLM serves North America with those airplanes, and the airline now offers a consistent onboard product across its entire fleet.

Let’s see what changes for the Dutch airline.

Welcome, Consistency

KLM said in a statement the installation of premium economy on its 54 Boeing 777s and 787s is the airline’s biggest product change in years.

KLM’s premium economy product is called Premium Comfort, and it offers service and a seat between economy and lie-flat business class. Like competing premium economy classes, it’s an entirely separate cabin with its own seat type, offering similar legroom to domestic first class on U.S. carriers.

Premium Comfort is not the same as KLM Economy Comfort. Economy Comfort refers to the seats with a few extra inches of legroom at the front of the economy cabin, much like American Airlines Main Cabin Extra or Delta Comfort+.

True premium economy seats are wider than economy, with almost 7 inches more legroom than standard coach seats. Each seat also has a foot or leg rest and reclines more than a coach seat. Service includes an amenity kit and a menu.

It’s important to note that during the conversion of the Boeing 777s, KLM also replaced the seats in World Business Class. Now all 777s have a modern business class arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, much better than the 2-2-2 it replaces.

This means that all 777s and 787s on KLM now have the same onboard product, with a business class up to the latest standards and a premium economy cabin that’s better than it was before. All passengers in World Business Class have direct aisle access, unlike with the previous layout.

Premium economy is arranged in a 2-4-2 seat pattern on the 777s and 2-3-2 on 787s.

KLM Boeing 777 Premium Economy Seat Map — Preium Economy in blue on a KLM Boeing 777 seat map. Economy Comfort is behind it, in orange. Image Credit: KLM

Premium economy will not be installed on Airbus A330s, which can occasionally be found on some North American routes from Amsterdam (AMS). Those older long-haul Airbus jets will be replaced soon by state-of-the-art Airbus A350s.

KLM Premium Economy Meal — KLM Premium Economy meals look better than coach-class trays. Image Credit: KLM

Where You Can Fly KLM’s Premium Economy in the U.S.

KLM is one of the largest European airlines in the transatlantic market. Without counting its corporate sibling Air France, KLM serves 15 destinations in the U.S. from Amsterdam:

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Final Thoughts

Dutch airline KLM has finished installing a premium economy cabin on all its Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft. At the same time, it also finished swapping its old business class on the 777s for a modern 1-2-1 layout.

This is good news for KLM passengers to and from the U.S., as it ensures consistency aboard KLM’s large long-haul fleet.