Picking seat with KLM

[tatman]

Hi i have flown with KLM once befor, they charge for picking seats in economy. Im sure on last trip with them they drop the charges i week out, anybody know if this is still  happening.

 

                               thanks tatman

[par47]

I fly KLM on 28 Aug. At moment they are still asking ridiculous money to pick as seat....

 

Exit row seat.... £70, Standard economy £17.30, "Preferred" seat (just a standard seat nearer the front!), £23.40, Comfort seat with 4 inches extra legroom £109.

 

One way!!!!

 

 

Waiting to see if the prices change (I doubt it). I think the standard seats will become free when online check-in opens 24hours before departure. Will keep you posted.

[THAJEC]

Yes, I agree it is stupid pricing policy of the airline. I think that Austrian Airlines has also introduced this nonsense. KLM me this step failed.

[tatman]

Im flying on wednesday ,going to leave it until tuesday night to pick seat.

[jpp]

You get to pick you seat for free when you do it at check in I think now. I fly in 9 days so will just pick my seat when I check in. Hoping I can still get an aisle seat near the front.

[gustafo15]

What are KLM like to fly with in economy ? Leg room? flight entertainment? are they stingy with drinks ?  i booked a flight for september but have never flown with this airline before, i suppose i should of checked before i booked but the price was to good to refuse!

[par47]

What are KLM like to fly with in economy ? Leg room? flight entertainment? are they stingy with drinks ?  i booked a flight for september but have never flown with this airline before, i suppose i should of checked before i booked but the price was to good to refuse!

To be honest, KLM economy is pretty poor. Very little leg room, uncomfortable seats with minimal recline, tiny IFE screens, bad food, expensive at peak times (but some good off-peak deals can be found).

 

But they do have two benefits that out-weigh all the negatives for me....

 

1. They link to my local airport (and many local airports around UK) thus eliminating the need to travel to Heathrow or othe major airport. I like this because the trip home from LHR expecially is so miserable!

 

2. I've used KLM to BKK twice and they were bang on punctual both times. I hate delays, used EVA last trip -  2 hour delays both ways :(

[jpp]

Last year I flew on one of their newer planes from Amsterdam to Bangkok and the screens were better than other flights I've taken with them, the selection of movies is definetly better and you can normally see what they are showing in you look on the KLM website. Never had a problem with drinks flowing if you want them. Food is usual sub-par airline food, sometimes I skip the breakfast as you come into land, would rather wait a few more hours and get some Thai food once I land.

 

I like KLM, the flight times are better for me flying from the UK both ways, Schipol airport is really good, lots of places for food and drink and not stupidly expensive for a drink unlike Dubai, also all in one terminal, not having to change terminals like other airports. Not had any delays from them either in years of flying with them and 2 trips a year, staff have normally been great as well, not the best looking bunch but that's not a problem.

 

For leg room, I'm a short arse so that doesn't really matter as much for me, only paid £400 for a flight from Newcastle to Bangkok in 8 days, cheapest I've ever got with any airline for the same flight. I would rather pay extra to fly with KLM than do the same route with Emirates even though the planes are better. Flight times are better with KLM and Dubai airport is just a big shopping mall really which has no interest for me.

[Farmer1]

Check in online 48hrs before and you get to pick a seat for free......lucky if you get a widow seat.

[par47]

Check in online 48hrs before and you get to pick a seat for free......lucky if you get a widow seat.

No problem, I prefer an aisle seat.... gives you a bit of empty space on one side and means you don't have to climb over two strangers every time you want to get up.

[Vic54]

As a Dutchmam I like KLM.

 

From Amsterdam to Bangkok, non-stop around 10.30-11 hours meaning no long waiting in Islamic countries sometimes for really hours.

 

The seating is comparable with other airlines, see www.seatguru.com.

 

I have flown more than 20 times to Bangkok, so far without any delay.

 

Paying extra for good seats, I like that because I like the seats with extra legspace. Before they asked extra money the seats were not available, always people before me had those seats. Now no problem for me.

 

If you want the lowest price most of the times you have to change plains and cost you 20 hrs from Amsterdam.

[Harvey707]

KLM is the one airline they I said never again along with Gulf Air (just booked !!) who I said never again because of small seats. I hope other Middle East carriers dont start this charging bollacks

[Harvey707]

Check in online 48hrs before and you get to pick a seat for free......lucky if you get a widow seat.

 

Who wants a window seat !!   Last place I'd want to be crawling out over others when you want a pee or get your bag from overhead

[blue1878]

Ive only ever flown with KLM once and that was in 2005 and if I remember correctly back then I was able to book aisle seats in advance without paying extra.  Also if I remember correctly I liked the seating but having said that I am not very tall so I dont have a problem with leg room

[semi-retired member]

Yes, I agree it is stupid pricing policy of the airline. I think that Austrian Airlines has also introduced this nonsense. KLM me this step failed.

 

British Airways also do this, in May I had to do online check-in 23.5 hours prior to traveling, to pick an aisle-seat as I'd wanted.

 

I can't blame them for trying, but we don't have to fall for it !

[Harvey707]

British Airways also do this, in May I had to do online check-in 23.5 hours prior to traveling, to pick an aisle-seat as I'd wanted.

 

I can't blame them for trying, but we don't have to fall for it !

 

Haven't personally come across in on Scheduled but have run into it on Charter Motors down to Spain Greece etc

[davidge]

Haven't personally come across in on Scheduled but have run into it on Charter Motors down to Spain Greece etc

My sister had to pay to choose seats the last time she flew with BA from Australia.

She also had lots of problems trying to pre-book excess baggage. Website didn't allow it and after over 2 hours in the queue on the phone before someone answered she was told, because one leg was with Qantas, she'd have to do it at check in and pay the higher rate there!

 

She's flown Singapore Air ever since.

[Moza]

I fly to Bkk with klm very frequently, in fact I am again tomorrow. I concur with a lot of the points already made, great timings on flights and very punctual. As someone mentioned sometimes you get the newer plane with touch screen and USB port, most of the time you get the crappy older one though. Plenty of booze I've found, the food is ok, I find the food better than BA or Lufthansa which are the other 2 I often use (and air France but I try to avoid them). Schipol is nice too, many things make them my preferred route.

[par47]

I fly KLM on 28 Aug. At moment they are still asking ridiculous money to pick as seat....

 

Exit row seat.... £70, Standard economy £17.30, "Preferred" seat (just a standard seat nearer the front!), £23.40, Comfort seat with 4 inches extra legroom £109.

 

One way!!!!

 

 

Waiting to see if the prices change (I doubt it). I think the standard seats will become free when online check-in opens 24hours before departure. Will keep you posted.

Update... when check-in opened the standard seats went to free and the Comfort seats that were £109 dropped to £66 and there are still plenty left. Cant remember the other prices but they about halfed and there's plenty of availability so its worth waiting.

[jpmelville]

I have flown them ince HEL-AMS-BKK and back on January 2014. I got the nice price and it was way cheaper than Finnair's direct flight. Seating and IFE not the best I have had. Food was standard and a lot of drinks(at the night time we had to get them from galley). For me it was good value for the money.

[par47]

Back from my trip now.... seems the quality of KLM is a bit random because outbound was a very new plane with better seats and excellent IFE. Return trip was one of the older planes and the seats are worse and the IFE shit. Punctuality and service was good as always.

 

Guess its pot luck.

[Wolf Cat]

Air Asia has been charging customers that want to pick their own seat for years, but if you check-in early and are lucky you can get an open emergency ext seat or bulkhead seat free.

[Wolf Cat]

Who wants a window seat !!   Last place I'd want to be crawling out over others when you want a pee or get your bag from overhead

Yess, cause everyone thinks exactly the same as you.

[Harvey707]

Yess, cause everyone thinks exactly the same as you.

 

lol reread what I said. I dont want to have to inconvenience others by climbing over them or waking them when going for a pee. Pity others dont think like me then next time someone wakes you up who doesn't care about others

[KingMidas]

lol reread what I said. I dont want to have to inconvenience others by climbing over them or waking them when going for a pee. Pity others dont think like me then next time someone wakes you up who doesn't care about others

 

That's why in a widebody aircraft if you are an Aisle person as I am, then it makes a difference to pick the center "3" instead of the wing 3s. In the center you give the poor slob in the middle agony perch an option whether to crawl over you or the next slime and scum traveler. It's exacerbated on the wings as the window S&S class slob has to crawl over you both.

 

Of course the recent trend to stack 10 across in S&S class makes it more challenging.