When it comes to airline collectibles, there’s no airline quite as cool as KLM. The Dutch carrier offers its long haul business class passengers miniature collectible houses, which are adorable enough to turn anyone into a collector. This might just be even cooler than Lufthansa’s collectible first class ducks.
So, let’s talk about KLM’s miniature houses — what’s their history, what makes them interesting, and how do you get them?
In this post:
What’s the history of KLM’s Delft Blue houses?
The history of KLM’s houses is probably the single thing that makes them the most intriguing. Prior to the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, the United States’ Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) regulated most aviation policies, including fares, routes, and schedules.
This was intended to create a level playing field between airlines, and one of the regulations prohibited airlines from providing passengers with tangible incentives for booking them over a competitor.
Well, in 1952, KLM found a loophole. As a gift for people choosing to fly with KLM, the airline started passing out little blue-and-white ceramic houses filled with Bols Genever gin. But wait, isn’t that a tangible incentive?
KLM argued that it wasn’t a gift, but rather the airline was just serving to-go drinks. At the time, KLM replied to the critics with “is there a law that tells us drinks have to be served in a glass?”
That’s how the KLM miniature house mania started, and the rest is history…
How many KLM Delft Blue houses are there?
KLM currently has 103 different Delft Blue houses, one for each year that the airline has been in business. That’s another thing that makes this so cool, as the airline releases a new one each year, specifically on October 7, which is KLM’s birthday. So in 2022 we saw the 103rd house introduced, and in 2023 we can expect the 104th house to be introduced.
Now, since KLM didn’t offer these houses when it first launched, it had to do some “catching up.” So a couple of times we’ve seen the airline release more than one in a year. For example, in 1994, on KLM’s 75th anniversary, the airline released 15 houses. However, on an ongoing basis we now see one new house each year.
A few other interesting facts about these KLM houses:
- They measure at most 10 cm x 5.5 cm
- They each depict a real Dutch house, with some being generic, and others being rare or special, such as the Rembrandt house and Anne Frank house
- All houses are in greater Holland, but only a little over 50 are in Amsterdam; also, house #85 is located in Willemstad, Curaçao
- The “houses” aren’t actually all houses, with some being of buildings of historical or architectural interest, like the Heineken brewery, the former KLM headquarters, and more
- KLM produces around 850,000 of these per year, though roughly 150,000 of them don’t have gin, as they’re used for destinations to and from the Middle East, where alcohol may be prohibited
How can you get KLM Delft Blue houses?
The primary way to get a KLM Delft Blue house is to fly an intercontinental flight in KLM business class. Toward the end of the flight, the crew will come around with a tray displaying these Delft Blue houses, and you can pick one. This is available on all intercontinental flights, and you’re limited to one per person.
The airline generally stocks a few different houses on each flight, though only a handful are in circulation at any given point in time.
Each house contains a number on it, corresponding to the number that it is in the collection. For those who are serious about collecting these houses, KLM has apps for Apple and Android, so you can keep track of your collection, and also learn the backstory of each house.
Note that while you can only get these houses directly from KLM onboard, there is quite a secondhand market for these, and you’ll find a lot of people selling KLM houses online.
Bottom line
KLM’s Delft Blue houses are not only cool for avgeeks and collectors, but they also have quite an interesting history. They were introduced many years ago as a workaround to incentivize passengers to book KLM, and the airline has been releasing a new one every year since.
I think the history is half of the fun of these, so if you’re flying KLM but weren’t familiar with the backstory, now you know…
What do you make of KLM’s miniature houses?
> one of the regulations prohibited airlines from providing passengers with tangible incentives for booking them over a competitor.
...sigh.. I was not around at that time - but can someone clarify if at that time a free carryon or free seat selection or a bag of "gourmet pretzels" would have been considered a " angible incentive" ?
:-)
One thing that is nice about this blog is that it is often personalized with the author's experience (primarily Ben, but other writers such as Tiffany are very much appreciated too!). I think that this post was lacking that personalized touch that was in the similar post about the Lufthansa ducks. If you collect these, it'd be great if you could say what you thought of your collection. Even if you don't collect these, it'd be more personal if you said why.
At this moment I have 87 houses, and it's getting more difficult to pick a house I don't yet own. Fortunately you can exchange your house(s) at KLM's Lounge 52 at Schiphol Airport.
We use our KLM houses with an N-gauge train set at Christmas. We were able to buy a couple of delft figures around the same scale to place among the homes. It was fun to get the 100th Anniversary house. Lately business class flights have been so outrageous that instead of business, we've flown premium economy; alas with no houses distributed.
I flew KLM recently from Mexico city to Amsterdam, and spent all flight looking forward to the houses- but it never came up. It might be that you actively have to request them? Maybe I was just unlucky. Either way, a waste of money and excitement
Were you in business class?
I have never been able to figure out how to get to the gin. How does the seal at the chimney come off without damaging the house?
You use a corkscrew to drill thru the wax seal.
Opening it up to get the gin out will probably reduce the value of the house in the secondary market, just like taking an action figure out of the original packaging.
Recently flew KLM business for the first time. I hadn't known of the existence of these houses and am grateful that even though I was sleeping when they came around they left one for me. On the return flight I asked them to wake me when they brought them around so I could pick. Such a nice surprise on the flight and glad to now know the history of them.
Great display of them at Kramer Kunst & Antiek, Prinsengracht 807, Amsterdam, - a short walk from the Andaz. I believe you can buy some of them there or via their online shop. Of course, more fun to get one flying.
I just love them.
Have about 25.
Barbara.
I have only 12 , at an average of 4 per year it will take me 30 + years to have them all.
Can you bring these houses in your carry-on through security?
I frequently travel with KLM and have about 50 of these homes, I have never been stopped on connecting flights at security, or even on return legs that depart outside of AMS carrying these homes. In some cases, I've had 3 of these homes w/the liquid inside in my carry-on in one trip and haven't had any issues getting through security as a carry-on. Then in AMS they know that KLM offers these delft homes so there definitely won't be a problem there.
Thanks! Good to know! I got one in a location that I need to bring home but never check a beg to/from there. So will try to bring it in my carry-on next time. Appreciate your feedback!
IATA (not CAB) regulated what passengers could eat in Economy when low fares were introduced by PanAm during the late fifties consistent with the introduction of jets. This started the famous "Great Sandwich War" between American and European carriers. IATA repeatedly stepped in to force some European carriers (SAS) to reduce the amount of meats allowed on sandwiches. This dispute may or may not tie to KLM's houses, but the regulatory international body was IATA...
IATA (not CAB) regulated what passengers could eat in Economy when low fares were introduced by PanAm during the late fifties consistent with the introduction of jets. This started the famous "Great Sandwich War" between American and European carriers. IATA repeatedly stepped in to force some European carriers (SAS) to reduce the amount of meats allowed on sandwiches. This dispute may or may not tie to KLM's houses, but the regulatory international body was IATA not CAB.
How did the CAB, a U.S. -based regulatory agency that regulated domestic services within the U.S., have any jurisdiction over what KLM served passengers on intercontinental flights leaving Amsterdam, most of which, at the time, did not fly to the US? Can you please cite a source for this? I dont think that part of the history is accurate.
On 21 May 1946, KLM was the first continental European airline to start scheduled transatlantic flights between Amsterdam and New York City using Douglas DC-4 aircraft.
Right.. but that doesnt mean that the CAB could dictate to KLM what they could serve onboard.... the CAB had jurisdiction over domestic (internal) U.S. routings and fares, not international. I think something is off.
You are trying to split hairs. Yes, it may be an international flight, but the very second the person touches US soil, then I would think CAB has jurisdiction, now wouldn't you? IMO once you get into US controlled airspace, then CAB jurisdiction begins if not before.
I am not splitting hairs. I work for the successor to the CAB and know plenty of people / have many colleagues who worked for the CAB who verified that CAB would have never been able to tell an airline what to serve on board their flights. It was not within their jurisdiction.
CAB didnt have jurisdiction over the service standards for an airline based in the Netherlands for that carrier's worldwide route network, most...
I am not splitting hairs. I work for the successor to the CAB and know plenty of people / have many colleagues who worked for the CAB who verified that CAB would have never been able to tell an airline what to serve on board their flights. It was not within their jurisdiction.
CAB didnt have jurisdiction over the service standards for an airline based in the Netherlands for that carrier's worldwide route network, most of which didnt even touch the U.S.
As another poster pointed out, if anybody had jurisdiction, it was IATA, which use to have a much larger role in regulating international aviation standards.