KLM now also has a Premium Economy Class and calls it Premium Comfort. The name should be program. Does it keep what is promised? We tested it.
In 1991, Eva Air became the first airline in the world to introduce a premium economy. Since then, the travel class between economy and business has established itself on long-haul routes. Airlines offer them to serve a segment of customers who find business class fares too high but are still willing to pay for more comfort.
Along with Emirates and Swiss, KLM is one of the laggards when it comes to premium economy. Only since last week has the Dutch national airline offered the intermediate class. She calls them Premium Comfort. And that should also be the claim. KLM wants to offer more than the competition.
All Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 from KLM get the new class. You will mainly be traveling on routes to North America. Tickets usually cost around double the economy fare. But what do you get as a passenger? We tested KLM’s Premium Comfort on a late August flight from Amsterdam to New York.
The first KLM aircraft with Premium Economy: The Boeing 787-10 with the registration PH-BKA. Image: aeroTELEGRAPH
Booking/Reservation: ★★★★☆. The airline’s website is very clean. All important points for travelers can be found at a glance. The response time is also tolerable. What we particularly like is that, unlike some of our competitors, the connection with our partner Air France is live and close. Bookings can be viewed and adjusted with both. The only thing that bothers us is the somewhat outdated design.
Check in/boarding: ★★★★★. The Premium Economy passenger can check in at the Sky Priority counter, so he does not have to wait long in the queue, and he can also get through the security check faster with this offer in Amsterdam and at airports. In addition, he can not only take more luggage with him, but also board earlier – following the business guests.
Crew: ★★★★★. Dutch coolness paired with attentiveness and professionalism, that was very well received by us. Wishes remained unfulfilled. Full points.
Cabin equipment: ★★★★☆. For the conversion, KLM is removing seats in the wood class. At KLM, Premium Economy begins following Business Class and before Economy Class. It is separated by a galley to the front and a partition to the rear. This ensures privacy and a pleasant feeling of space. The seats are installed in a 2-3-2 configuration. The only downside is that Premium Comfort guests use the Economy Class toilet and therefore have to walk quite a way to the back.
At the rear, the Premium Economy cab is closed off with a partition. During take-off and landing, a hatch remains open for safety. Image: aeroTELEGRAPH
Seat: ★★★★★. This is where KLM really scores. At 38 inches or 97 centimeters, the massive seat in the Premium Comfort not only offers a large distance to the front seat, but is also significantly wider than in the Economy. It’s still comfortable following six hours. It folds back 8 inches or 20 centimeters and has a tilting headrest so your head doesn’t fall too far to one side while you sleep. In addition, it also offers a footrest and a practical reading lamp. In addition to the seat pocket, there is a second small storage compartment in the front seat and a larger one in the back of the chair. Overall, there is plenty of storage space. The fold-out table is large enough for food and drinks. It’s a bit annoying that if you don’t unfold it properly without noticing it, it can sag. But it offers a useful extra. If you open it only halfway, it offers a holder on which a tablet can be placed. This becomes really useful in times of streaming or the tendency of many travelers to take their own selection of films with them.
Cleanliness: ★★★★★. Everything was thoroughly cleaned in our Boeing 787-10; the cleanliness is absolutely nothing to complain regarding.
Meals: ★★★★☆. First, an aperitif is served. We decide on a cava. You get nuts with it. While KLM usually pays great attention to design, they are served in a cheap-looking plastic bag. The starter is a salad with nuts and spiced grilled chicken. That tastes great. Three types of cheese are also served. For the main course we decide on a Chicken Thom Kha Gai with jasmine rice, green beans and fried mushrooms. We’re a bit disappointed with that. What is served is quite a long way from the Thai original. It lacks flavor and consistency. Alternatively, we might have chosen a cold dish (farmer and potato salad with marinated vegetables) or a vegetarian menu (beluga lentils with peppers, onions, zucchini and spinach). For dessert, delicious waffle ice cream was offered with tea or coffee. We mightn’t resist.
The salad with smoked almonds, beetroot and pickled tomatoes that was served before landing was a hit. The meals are served in very stylish, dark plastic containers. The cutlery is made of steel and the glasses are made of glass. A wide selection of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages is available to premium economy travelers. For the main course we choose a French Merlot (La Baume St. Paul). We didn’t try the espresso martini, which the crew particularly recommended.
For dessert there was waffle ice cream. Image: aeroTELEGRAPH
entertainment system: ★★★★☆. The range of films and series is plentiful. Around 250 cinema strips are available, for example, including the current hits Top Gun – Maverick or Uncharted. What we’re missing are classics or international studio films that you might discover on a long flight. The program is consumed on a 13.3-inch touch-sensitive screen, which is around three inches larger than in Economy Class. In the Premium Comfort, the passenger also gets good quality headphones with noise cancellation.
Wifi/Strom: ★★★★★. There is a USB-A and a USB-C port on the seat, as well as a classic power socket. So really enough options to charge multiple devices. There is also wifi on board. You get one hour for free. The free package is enough to send text messages or chat with a messenger. If you want to surf the Internet or send pictures, you have to buy a package. For the whole flight it costs 18 euros. Connecting is very easy. The connection on our test flight was good, but broke once more and once more over the North Atlantic. This happens with all airlines.
In addition to USB, there are also classic sockets on the front seat. Image: aeroTELEGRAPH
Extras: ★★★★☆. At KLM, premium eco travelers receive an amenity kit made entirely of recycled materials. What we particularly like: The packaging is a bag made from recycled plastic bottles. You can use this as a small laundry bag following your trip, for example. Includes a bamboo toothbrush, candy toothpaste, earplugs, sleep mask and a mini ballpoint pen. This is the minimum standard.
Overall rating: 4.5 – Very good
(Scale: Very good = above 4.5, Good = 3.7 to 4.4, Fair = 2.7 to 3.6, Poor = 2.0 to 2.6, Very poor = below 2.0)
Conclusion: With KLM, passengers in the new Premium Comfort get much more on offer than in Economy Class. The equipment is of high quality, the offer is of good quality and the additional services are generous. Anyone who has to travel a long distance and is willing to pay more for their ticket will certainly make a good choice with KLM.
The test flight caused 509 kilograms of CO2. As with all business trips, aeroTELEGRAPH compensated for these emissions by supporting reforestation projects and buying biokerosene through the compensation provider Compensaid.
In the picture gallery above you can see more pictures from the Premium Comfort from KLM. Click on the first image for large images.
The flight ticket for this test was provided by KLM. The aeroTELEGRAPH testers still had a free hand in their judgment. The airline did not influence the content of the article, nor did it impose any conditions. That would contradict aeroTELEGRAPH’s code of conduct.
