I probably care more about this than the average person, given that this is my home airport, but I still think this is an interesting topic to discuss…
Continue reading: KLM’s Amsterdam To Miami Flights Go Year-Round, Finally!
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Well, as you said, AF and KL are one company. Network decisions are made with the entire network in mind. It's not a matter of AF prioritising one route, and KL not caring. It's a matter of AFKL deciding what is the best way to serve a particular destination.
Unless there's a strong demand to AMS specifically, both AF and KL can do the same job regarding other destinations. There aren't that many people who are keen to fly on KLM 😉 Most people either don't care, or prefer AF.
I know we research airlines and planes (inflight experience, direct aisle access etc.) before booking a flight, but how many people are doing this actually? I know my relatives just go to travel agencies and book whatever without any idea what to expect.
While I was forced to wait for my Paris to Berlin flight I was so happy to find out that I can get 600 euros for having a 6 hour delay with air France
that amount is only if youre connecting from a longer flight, not just for flying Paris-Berlin. In the past year I've gotten 600 euros twice from AF/KLM and agree it's a great perk for flying with them versus a US carrier.
The Dutch are much more pragmatic people than those from Miami. No one is going to fly to Amsterdam for shopping. I also imagine that Miami is too expensive for a lot Dutch who could, but wouldn't pay those Miami hotel prices. So I imagine the appeal is less on both sides.
And I thought it was only Lufthansa flying around with yesteryear's business class in 2-2-2 seating.
Confused why you find the A330 usage surprising. MIA is not a conventionally high-yielding, premium market. Europeans going to Miami in the winter are going there, exactly for the reason you described, the good weather. Therefore, it's a much more leisure oriented market for KLM.
If anything, I would say it's actually the opposite case where I'm surprised that MIA even has AF LP on this route. For example, BOS doesn't even have it, and is wealthier overall and per capita.
But I don't imagine there are many ultra rich Europeans going on a holiday to Boston, so that would make LP much more challenging to sell.
That is absolutely incorrect. Miami is conventially high yielding. It is expensive and it attracts very high income tourism from Europe. That's why most airlines use their heavy premium configuration planes to Miami, and all the European airlines that offer First Class service - Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa and Swiss - offer it on all their Miami flights.
It is also why Miami has non-stops to so many European airports - people pay a premium to fly non-stop from Helsinki or Warsaw or Stockholm.
That may be true, Simon, but KLM seems to be putting their least competitive premium cabins on the MIA runs. A six abreast business config is what I'd expect on a leisure carrier like Discover.
No one will fly to Amsterdam for cuisine let alone shopping. Premium customers will travel on Air France which also offers La Premiere.
Most passengers on that flight will be connecting via AMS, I don't think they're able to command huge yields to MIA, particularly given that the Dutch have a preference for S. Africa and AUA/CUR/SXM as winter sun destinations for obvious reasons that don't apply to those living in Sweden or Poland.
KLM flew 747-400s AMS-MCO in the late 1990s and changed to -400 Combi on early 2000s which continued to MEX. That was year round but not daily. Definitely a leisure market with warm wx year round.
@JJ if I'm not mistaken the EU261 rule applies EU carriers and also to any carrier (including US ones) that fly to or from an EU destination.
@Mike C - EU261 applies to all airlines based in the EU, along with all airlines flying from the EU (but not to the EU). So, an an American flight on CDG-MIA qualifies, while MIA-CDG does not, while flights in both directions qualify for Air France. Also, @JJ was referring to how the amount varies based on the length of the delay and the length of the flight. The 600 EUR compensation amount is for delays involving long-haul flights, not exclusively short-haul flights.