Amsterdam is a popular tourist city found in the Netherlands. It’s known for its canals, tulips, and the “Red Light District”. American’s flock on flights every year to tour this beautiful city.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offers flights between the United States and Amsterdam.
This article will provide insight into KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
We will explore the different U.S cities that KLM offers nonstop flights to Amsterdam.
We will finish up providing you with some background into some of the planes KLM flies on these routes.
Who is KLM Royal Dutch Airlines?
KLM is the national flag air carrier for the Netherlands. That means that the airline is the preferred international airline for the nation. It is a worldwide airline, offering flights to 164 destinations.
The airline has a long history. It was first founded in 1919. That means the airline has been in operation for over 100 years.
KLM has its headquarters in Amstelveen. It uses Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as its hub for flight operations.
KLM also owns other subsidiaries, KLM Cityhopper, KLM Asia, Martinair, Transavia, and Cygnific. None of these sub brands offer flights to the United States. Only the main KLM brand does.
Where Does KLM Take You in Amsterdam?
American travelers traveling to Amsterdam on KLM will arrive at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is 5 miles to the Southwest of the city of Amsterdam. It is one of the largest and most trafficked airports in the world. In 2023, 61 million passengers used the airport.
Where in the U.S Does Royal Dutch Airlines offer flights to Amsterdam?
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the flag carrier airline for the Netherlands. The bulk of the country’s flow of international flight traffic is through KLM.
Currently, KLM flies into 14 American cities with nonstop flights to Amsterdam. Some of these routes are flown all year round while some only on a seasonal basis.
Let’s dive deeper into the KLM routes between the United States and Amsterdam.
Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia is home to a KLM nonstop flight to Amsterdam from the United States. KLM uses Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. There are one to two flights per day that leave for Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. KLM flies their Boeing 777 or Boeing 787 on flights out of Atlanta.
Atlanta is a large market for travel to any international destination. Hartsfield-Jackson International is one of the busiest airports in the country.
Atlanta functions as KLM’s main gateway for the Southeast states as the route to Amsterdam. Miami is the only other city that offers nonstop flights to the Netherlands, but only on a seasonal basis.
KLM only competes with Delta Air Lines for the route to Amsterdam from Atlanta. Delta Air Lines uses Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as its hub.
Austin
Austin, Texas is one of two cities in Texas that have KLM flights to Amsterdam. KLM flies from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The route flew upwards of three times per week once per day. It is flown by KLM’s Boeing 777 fleet.
Compared to Houston, Austin is definitely the smaller market for this flight. KLM devotes only 3 flights to Amsterdam per week for that reason.
Because KLM has no competition from Austin to Amsterdam, they can offer fewer flights. That is their best way of increasing revenue per seat on this route.
Boston
Boston is a major city for most European airlines. It is the first major city they encounter when flying across the pond.
Boston-Logan International Airport absorbs New England region’s demand for travel to Amsterdam.
KLM offers flights 3 times per week to maximize revenue per flight. The airline uses their Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 on flights between Boston and Amsterdam.
There is some competition for the route market share from Logan International Airport. Delta Air Lines along with JetBlue Airways, both offer flights to Amsterdam. JetBlue began flying to Europe from Boston only a few years ago.
With that said, Delta and KLM are likely the more popular options to Amsterdam from Boston.
Chicago
Chicago-O’Hare is home to a once daily flight to Amsterdam via KLM. The airline rotates their Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 on this route.
Chicago is one of two airports that KLM serves for people living near the Great Lake region of the country. KLM doesn’t fly to any major airports in the Midwest states found in the heart of the country. That means Chicago or Minnesota serve as the departure city for those trying to get to Amsterdam.
United Airlines is the only competitor on the route to Amsterdam from Chicago. KLM does see the value in offering a daily flight to Amsterdam because Chicago is a large market.
Houston-IAH
KLM offers daily service to Houston George Bush International Airport in Texas. Houston is the larger of the two Texas cities that KLM flies to.
This route is flown with KLM’s Airbus A330. KLM uses their A330 to keep up with worldwide demand and the Airbus A330 draws the ticket for the Houston route.
The only competition that KLM has on the Houston and Amsterdam route is from United Airlines.
Las Vegas
KLM has flights to Amsterdam four times weekly from Harry Reid International Airport. Las Vegas is very close to other airports KLM serves in the region. KLM also flies from Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. There may be a little bit of an over saturation of the market in this particular area.
Both Amsterdam and Las Vegas can be called leisure cities. The bulk of travelers from Las Vegas may be people coming from Amsterdam. They may come to Las Vegas to enjoy a week in the “Sin City” and catch the return flight to Amsterdam.
KLM is the sole provider of flights between Las Vegas and Amsterdam.
KLM uses their Boeing 787 for flights from Las Vegas to Amsterdam.
Los Angeles
The Southern California market for flights to Amsterdam is served by KLM’s twice a day. Los Angeles and cities like Long Beach and San Diego make up a huge part of the demand for flights to Amsterdam. Los Angeles serves as the departure city for flyers from Arizona or New Mexico as well.
Despite the large demand, KLM is the only carrier with a direct flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam.
KLM flies the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 on this route. The flight between Los Angeles and Amsterdam is over 10 hours long. The 787 has the endurance as well as the comfort for passengers.
Miami
Miami, Florida is home to KLM’s second flight offering to the Southeast region of the United States. KLM provides service to Amsterdam three times per week using their Airbus A330. They fly from Miami International Airport.
This route is only offered between October and March.
With Atlanta nearby, Miami also receives a lesser demand from out the gate. Atlanta is served every day weekly all year round. Miami likely makes the most revenue per seat only offering a flight a few times per week during peak season.
No other passenger airline offers any competition on KLM’s route from Miami to Amsterdam.
Minneapolis-St. Paul
KLM offers a seasonal route between Minneapolis and Amsterdam. From Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport, KLM flies three weekly trips to Amsterdam. The Minneapolis and Amsterdam route is the airport’s most popular international flight.
The airline flies their Boeing 777 on this route.
Minneapolis serves as a reliever airport for the Great Lakes and the Midwest demand.
KLM isn’t the only airline jockeying for market share on this route. Delta Air Lines also has flights to Amsterdam.
New York – JFK
New York City’s sheer size alone can be very enticing for KLM to offer nonstop flights to Amsterdam from. The New York – Amsterdam route was the second most popular international route at the airport in 2023. It flew over 860,000 passengers which was a 17% increase from 2022.
New York City has the most flights offered per day at three, being flown every day of the week all year long. KLM flies from John F Kennedy International Airport found in Queens, New York.
KLM uses all three of their long range planes for this route, Boeing 777, Boeing 787, and Airbus A330.
New York City is a very popular city for European Airlines as it’s close to Europe. Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are competitors for KLM for this route from New York.
Portland – OR
KLM serves the Pacific Northwest with flights to Amsterdam from Portland, Oregon. Portland International Airport has seasonal flights three times per week to Amsterdam.
KLM uses their Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the flights.
The Portland and Amsterdam route is the airport’s most popular international route. Delta Air Lines is KLM’s only competitor on this route.
It is interesting that KLM decided to use Portland instead of Seattle, Washington. There is market saturation near Seattle as KLM flies into Vancouver, Canada. Portland provides travelers in the neighboring states a nonstop option to Amsterdam without having to first fly to Canada.
San Francisco
KLM targets Northern California’s demand for flights to Amsterdam by offering a daily flight from San Francisco International Airport. The route is served by their Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
With flights offered from San Francisco, California customers now have two options to fly to the Netherlands using KLM. The other option being Los Angeles International Airport.
KLM experiences limited competition to Amsterdam from San Francisco. Only United Airlines offers a seasonal nonstop flight to Amsterdam along with KLM.
Los Angeles likely remains as KLM’s focus airport for flights to Amsterdam. Los Angeles has more daily flights than San Francisco.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City gets seasonal nonstop service to Amsterdam from Salt Lake City International Airport. Utah is surrounded by states like Colorado, Idaho, or Wyoming who don’t have KLM service to Amsterdam .
KLM shares the market with Delta Air Lines. Delta provides year round service to Amsterdam from Salt Lake City.
Due to Salt Lake City’s winter sport scene, much of the demand stems from return traffic to Amsterdam. Visitors from the Netherlands are likely visiting Utah on holiday.
Flights to Amsterdam are flown up to three times per week on KLM’s Boeing 777.
Washington D.C – Dulles
Washington D.C has a once daily, year round flight to Amsterdam by KLM. KLM uses Washington-Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia. The route is flown by their Boeing 787 Dreamliner and their Airbus A330.
Washington-Dulles serves the majority of the demand from the Middle Atlantic states. The only other competitor on the route to the Netherlands is from United Airlines. United uses Washington-Dulles as their hub airport.
KLM Aircraft Fleet That Flies Between the U.S and Amsterdam?
KLM uses their long haul fleet on flights between the United States and Amsterdam. KLM planes observed flying to the Netherlands from the U.S include the Airbus A330, Boeing 777, and the Boeing 787.
Airbus A330
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines owns 9 Airbus A330 airframes as of September 2024. The Airbus A330 can seat 292 passengers across three passenger classes.
KLM configures its A330’s in standard economy, economy comfort, and a business class cabin configuration.
The aircraft is equipped with WIFI and power outlets.
KLM is planning on replacing their Airbus A330 fleet with the Airbus A350 in the future.
Boeing 777
For flights between the United States and Amsterdam, you’ll be likely flying on the airline’s Boeing 777. The airline has 29 Triple 7’s at their disposal to operate long range flights all around the world.
KLM Boeing 777 comes in two different configurations. One has a premium comfort class and the other without. If the aircraft has a premium comfort class, it carries well over 400 passengers. Without the premium comfort class, the passenger count is 381.
Beside premium comfort, there are three other classes of KLM Boeing 777 aircraft. There is standard economy, economy comfort, and KLM’s world business class.
WIFI is partially available on the aircraft and power is available as well.
Just like the Airbus A330, KLM is shifting towards replacing the Boeing 777 with the Airbus A350 soon.
Boeing 787
KLM uses their Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet for several U.S – Amsterdam routes.
The airline sets up their Dreamliners with 4 passenger classes. It has standard economy, economy comfort, premium comfort and World Business Class. A fully packed Dreamliner for KLM can accommodate 381 passengers.
The 787 is a newer aircraft and competitor to the Airbus A350. It is quite interesting to see that KLM will manage a long haul fleet with both of these newer aircraft types.
Sources
https://www.flightconnections.com/route-map-klm-kl
https://www.schipholannualtrafficreview.nl/2023/passengers#figures-by-airport
https://www.planespotters.net/airline/KLM-Royal-Dutch-Airlines
https://www.statista.com/statistics/652766/number-of-passengers-utilizing-amsterdam-airport-schiphol
