KLM Review: Seats, Amenities, Customer Service, Baggage Fees, and More

Key Takeaways

• KLM serves more than 160 destinations, including short-haul European service and long-haul flights across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
• KLM’s loyalty program is Flying Blue, shared with Air France. It offers flexible redemptions with SkyTeam partners.
• KLM is rated a 4-star airline (out of 5) by Skytrax.

KLM is the flag carrier of the Netherlands and the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name. It’s based at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS).

As a SkyTeam member, KLM partners with major global carriers, and its loyalty program, Flying Blue, is shared with Air France. Rewards are versatile, offering monthly Promo Rewards, numerous transfer partners, and redemption options across SkyTeam partners.

KLM’s cabins and fares range from no-frills European economy to premium comfort on international routes, and business class features lie-flat seats and upgraded dining, accompanied by a souvenir Delft Blue miniature house.

This guide explains KLM’s Flying Blue loyalty program, fares, fees, lounges, inflight amenities, and customer satisfaction to help you decide if KLM is a good fit for your travels.

Airline: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Alliance: SkyTeam
Category: International airline
Frequent flyer program: Flying Blue
Tagline: “Travel Well”
Number of passengers annually: 32 million
Fleet: 120
Main hub: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
Destinations: More than 160 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas

Frequent Flyer Program

KLM’s frequent flyer program is Flying Blue, which it shares with Air France. Flying Blue members can earn and redeem miles with both airlines and with SkyTeam partners, including Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, Aeromexico, and Korean Air. KLM also has nonalliance partners.

Flying Blue members can earn miles redeemable for flights and other rewards when flying with KLM, Air France, or partner airlines, or when making a purchase with Flying Blue’s hotel, rental car, or retail partners.

The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard^® earns Flying Blue miles. You can earn 3 miles per $1 spent with Air France, KLM, and SkyTeam member airlines and 1.5 miles per $1 on all other purchases. The card earns 5,000 miles each account anniversary year as long as you spend $50 or more within the year.

Flying Blue redemption options include flights with KLM, Air France, SkyTeam, and other partners, upgrades, extra baggage, preferred seats, and nonflight rewards such as hotels, car rentals, and experiences.

There is no Flying Blue award chart, and miles vary depending on the flight. Use the Miles Price Estimator to determine how much you can expect to spend in miles for a particular route. Flying Blue offers Promo Rewards each month, which feature discounts of up to 50% on award tickets.

Miles expire after 2 years with no qualifying activity, but you can extend them by taking a flight with KLM or its partners, using the Air France KLM World Elite card, or by maintaining Elite or Elite Plus membership.

Flying Blue has 3 elite status tiers: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Depending on your status level, benefits include bonus miles for spending with Flying Blue, access to priority lines at check-in, baggage drop-off, and boarding, a discount when purchasing seats, an additional baggage allowance on SkyTeam flights, lounge access, and a preferred seat choice.

Flying Blue XP (experience points) determines your elite status tier, and you earn XP based on your cabin and route when you fly with Air France, KLM, and SkyTeam partners. Air France KLM World Elite cardholders earn 20 XP every account anniversary year and an additional 40 XP after spending $15,000 or more within the year.

Hot Tip:

You can use Flying Blue miles for award flights with KLM, Air France, and SkyTeam partners. See the best ways to redeem Flying Blue miles and the best ways to search for SkyTeam award availability.

Ticketing

KLM has varying fare classes across Europe, intercontinental routes, premium comfort, and business class. The fare type determines your baggage allowance, seat selection, flexibility, and more.

Economy Fares Within Europe

Basic, Light, Standard, and Flex are economy fare types within Europe:

• Basic fares include 1 small bag to carry on, but do not include a carry-on bag or checked baggage. You can’t change your flight, and tickets are nonrefundable. Free drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Light fares have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag and 1 carry-on bag of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds). You can’t change your flight, and tickets are nonrefundable. Free drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Standard fares have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag and 1 carry-on bag of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds) and 1 checked bag up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds). Flights can be changed for €70 or $75, but tickets are nonrefundable. Free drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Flex tickets offer a baggage allowance of 1 small bag, 1 carry-on bag of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds), and 1 checked bag up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds). You can choose a standard seat before check-in opens and can change your flight without paying a fee (though a fare difference may apply). You can take an earlier or later flight without paying a change fee (if there’s availability), and you can cancel your flight and get a fee-free refund. Sky Priority and drinks, snacks, and meals are included.

Economy Fares on Intercontinental Flights

Light, Standard, and Flex are economy fare types on intercontinental flights.

• Light fares have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag and 1 carry-on bag of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds). You can change your flight for a €200 or $220 fee, but unless you’re departing from the United Kingdom, you can’t change your flight if you’re traveling from Europe to the U.S., Canada, Mexico, or Papeete, French Polynesia. Tickets are nonrefundable. Free drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Standard fares have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag and 1 carry-on bag of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds), and 1 checked bag up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds). Standard seat selection is available before check-in opens when traveling from the U.S. Canada, Mexico, or Papeete to the Netherlands or France. You can change your flight for a €200 or $220 fee. Tickets are nonrefundable. Free drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Flex tickets offer a baggage allowance of 1 small bag, 1 carry-on bag of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds), and 1 checked bag up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds). You can choose a standard seat before check-in opens and can change your flight without paying a fee (though a fare difference may apply), and you can cancel your flight and get a fee-free refund. Drinks, snacks, and meals are included.

Hot Tip:

Read our guide to direct routes from the U.S. on KLM.

Premium Comfort Class on Intercontinental Flights

Light, Standard, and Flex are premium comfort fare types on intercontinental flights.

• Light fares have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag and 1 carry-on bag of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds). You can change your flight for a €250 or $275 fee. Tickets are nonrefundable. Free drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Standard fares have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag, 1 carry-on bag of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds), and 2 checked bags up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds) each. Standard seat selection is available before check-in opens when traveling from France or the Netherlands to the U.S., Canada, or Mexico, when traveling from the U.S., Canada, or Mexico to Europe, or from France to overseas territories of France or vice versa. You can change your flight without a fee (though a fare difference may apply). Tickets are nonrefundable. Free drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Flex tickets offer a baggage allowance of 1 small bag and 2 carry-on bags of up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds) each, and 1 checked bag up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds). You can choose a standard seat before check-in opens and can change your flight without paying a fee (though a fare difference may apply), and you can cancel your flight and get a fee-free refund. Drinks, snacks, and meals are included.

See why we think KLM’s premium economy class is worth it.

Business Class

KLM offers basic business class fares. Within business class, KLM has Light, Standard, and Flex fares.

• Light fares have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag, 2 carry-on bags of up to 18 kilograms (40 pounds) each, and 1 checked bag of up to 32 kilograms (70 pounds). You can change your flight for a €300 or $330 fee. Tickets are refundable depending on ticket conditions. Sky Priority, drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Standard fares have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag, 2 carry-on bags of up to 18 kilograms (40 pounds) each, and 2 checked bags of up to 32 kilograms (70 pounds) each. You can change your flight for a €70 or $75 fee. Tickets are refundable depending on ticket conditions. Sky Priority, drinks, snacks, and meals are included.
• Flex tickets have a baggage allowance of 1 small bag, 2 carry-on bags of up to 18 kilograms (40 pounds) each, and 2 checked bags of up to 32 kilograms (70 pounds) each. You can change your flight without paying a fee (though a fare difference may apply). Tickets are refundable depending on ticket conditions. SkyPriority, drinks, snacks, and meals are included.

Hot Tip:

Read our review of KLM’s long-haul business class from Bogota (BOG) to Amsterdam (AMS) and see the best ways to book KLM business class with points.

Baggage Fees

All fares have a carry-on or checked baggage allowance, but you can add extra pieces for an additional fee. The prices are €85 or $100 for the first, €100 or $110 for the second, and €200 or $220 for the third, although pricing may be lower or higher for flights originating from North America.

Fees for heavy or oversized baggage are typically €240 or $285, though exceptions may apply. Special baggage fees for bicycles, surfboards, scuba tanks, and other nontraditional items are typically €125 or $150, although variations may apply depending on your origin and destination.

Golf bags can be checked as a regular piece of checked baggage within your baggage allowance, and Flying Blue Gold members can check in a golf bag for free with a voucher.

Hot Tip:

Get the details on KLM baggage fees in our guide.

Other Fees and Add-Ons

• Change and cancellation fees: Change fees range from €70 to €300 or $75 to $330, depending on the class and fare type.
• Seat fees: Advanced standard seat selection is available in some fare types. Seat pricing depends on the flight, so KLM recommends using your booking details to determine exact pricing.
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is free on all European flights for Flying Blue members. On intercontinental flights, free messaging is available to Flying Blue members, but Wi-Fi requires a fee. You can get a 1-hour, full-flight, or high-speed streaming pass, with prices typically between €9 to €30 or $9.99 to $35.
• Onboard food and drinks: KLM includes complimentary drinks, snacks, and meals for all fares.
• Pet transportation: Pets can fly in the cabin or in the hold. Pets (and kennels) of up to 8 kilograms (18 pounds) can fly in the cabin, but pets (and their kennels) of up to 75 kilograms (165 pounds) can fly in the hold. The pet-in-cabin fee ranges from €200 to €250 or $220 to $275, depending on the route, and pets in the hold range from €400 to €500, depending on the route.
• Unaccompanied minor: Unaccompanied minor fees range from €100 to €300 or $110 to $330 one-way.

KLM Lounges

There are 4 KLM Crown Lounges around the world, including 2 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and additional locations in Houston (IAH) and Toronto (YYZ). Passengers traveling in business class or with a Standard or Flex fare can visit KLM lounges. Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers can also visit Crown Lounges and bring a guest free of charge. Flying Blue Ultimate members can visit with up to 8 traveling companions.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

KLM’s flagship lounges are at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol:

Schengen Crown Lounge

Open from 4:45 a.m. to the last departure for passengers flying within Europe, offering a self-service hot and cold buffet, dedicated working areas, showers, and lockers.

Non-Schengen Lounge

The Non-Schengen Lounge is open from 4:45 a.m. to the last departure. It’s more extensive than the Schengen Crown Lounge, featuring live cooking experiences, the Blue fine dining restaurant, sleep cabins, sensory reality cabins, showers, an entertainment zone, and more.

Toronto Airport (YYZ)

KLM Crown Lounge

The Toronto lounge is open from 12 p.m. to midnight in Terminal 3, offering free Wi-Fi, snacks, and drinks.

Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

KLM Crown Lounge

Open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Terminal D, featuring a hot and cold buffet, self-service bar, luggage storage, and seating areas for dining, relaxation, and work.

Hot Tip:

Read our review of the KLM Crown Lounge at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (IAH).

SkyTeam Lounges

More than 750 additional SkyTeam member lounges are available to qualifying KLM passengers. You can visit the SkyTeam lounge finder to see lounges available where you’re traveling.

Inflight Inclusions, Amenities, and Seat Specs

Economy

Amenities include:

• Standard seats with 79 centimeters (31 inches) to 89 centimeters (35 inches) legroom and 12.5 centimeters (5 inches) to 18 centimeters (7 inches) recline
• Complimentary food and drinks, including beer and wine
• 9 to 11-inch inflight entertainment system
• USB-A power
• Free messaging
• Standard headset, pillow, and blanket
• Standard

Premium Comfort

Amenities include:

• Seat with 97 centimeters (38 inches) legroom and 20 centimeters (8 inches) recline
• Upgraded meal and additional choices of wines and liquors
• 13.3-inch inflight entertainment system
• USB-A and 110v AC power outlet
• Free messaging
• Noise cancellation headset
• Business class pillow and blanket
• Amenity kit
• SkyPriority

Transatlantic Business

Amenities include:

• Lie-flat seat, most with direct aisle access
• 3-course dinner and top-shelf liquor and wine
• 16 to 18-inch inflight entertainment system
• USB-A and 110v AC power outlet
• Free Wi-Fi and messaging
• Noise cancellation headset
• Business class pillow and blanket
• Amenity kit
• SkyPriority
• Lounge access for Standard and Flex fares
• Dutch Delft Blue house miniature

KLM Customer Satisfaction

Most Common Complaints

The most common complaints on TrustPilot.com, where KLM has a 1.4-out-of-5 (bad) score from more than 8,000 reviews, include difficulties with the booking process, unhelpful staff, and trouble getting compensation for delayed flights.

Consumer Rankings and Ratings

• Skytrax ranking: 4-star airline (out of 5)
• Tripadvisor airline review rating: 3 out of 5 (average from 14,470 reviews)
• Kayak customer rating: 7.7 out of 10 (good from 1,422 verified reviews)
• AirHelp.com overall rating: 7.39 out of 10 (quality of amenities, on-time arrivals, and how well an airline resolves flight delay compensation claims)

Safety and Performance

With an excellent modern safety record, KLM has had no fatal incidents since 1994. The airline had fatal accidents in 1977, 1981, 1989, and 1994. KLM’s 1977 airport collision with a Pan Am 747 during takeoff at what is now Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport (TFN) is the deadliest accident in aviation history.

KLM has experienced recent minor incidents, including bird strikes, vibrations, electrical failures, engine shutdowns, and a passenger’s overheated power bank.

Recent Awards

KLM is rated the 21st best airline in the world (out of 100) in the Skytrax World Airline Awards.

Final Thoughts

KLM offers a good balance of service, reliability, and a polished long-haul product. It’s dependable for lie-flat business class seats, premium economy, and consistently solid inflight service.

Flying Blue and SkyTeam partners add flexibility, especially if you transfer points from Amex, Bilt, Brex, Capital One, Chase, Marriott, or Wells Fargo. Standout value is available from monthly Promo Rewards, and SkyTeam redemptions are accessible across numerous global airlines.

Customer reviews mention issues with delays, customer support frustrations, and compensation challenges, but KLM earns high marks for safety and onboard experience.

Overall, KLM is a strong and reliable choice for a full-service European airline, offering good long-haul cabins, a versatile loyalty program, and a wide global network.