Economy Class Klm

[mark100]

Personally if l had a 12 year old travelling with me i would go from Heathrow and choose one of the airlines that has tv's in the back of the seats and interactive film choice you can start and finish at your convience. !!

Do KLM have only a screen in economy class AMS_BKK & not individual TVs in the back of the seats ?

Wiley Coyote

It was over a year ago when i last did this route but back then there were no individual tv's in economy only buisness, but if im not mistaken im sure i read somewhere they were updating the planes on this route so it might be worth checking with the airline direct. Mark

[mark100]

I'm surprised that KLM are getting decent reviews. I flew with them a couple of times, then stopped as I found them bad in every way - maybe I was unlucky...

Their business class is very average too.

To Bangkok from a smaller UK airport I would prefer Austrian or Lufthansa, of the lower cost airlines. Austrian are usually quite cheap too, although connections via Vienna will be more difficult than Amsterdam or Frankfurt.

Turkish are sometimes cheap and are surprisingly good.

Going via London on Thai, Quantas or Eva (much cheaper than the other direct airlines) might be a better option. Heathrow is crap and expensive, but that will get them ready for the Bangkok hub of hubs...

Austrian are good on this route but they have smaller seats with less leg room, on the plus side cabin are very friendly and have individual tv's in seats. Flown Quantas a few times would rather walk than fly with them again, cabin crew are plain rude !!

Lufthansa are normally good on price but have old planes.

[duratanium]

The last 6 times now I have used Etihad from Manchester / Abu Dahbi / BKK

2 hour stop in Abu Dahbi - enough to stretch you legs before flying onto BKK

Often they are half full and you get to stretch out and get some Zzzz's. The food is not too bad and I have found them reliable.

In economy you get screens on the backs of the seats for movies/ music etc.

A friend in BKK is paying £420 return from Man / BKK in October

They also fly from London.

I know Emirates have recently started from Newcastle to BKK but do not know fares or routes

[scotsman]

My wife & I used klm on may-june this year bangkok / Amsterdam the outward journey was not very good there was no choice of meal and we just got what they gave us. The return trip was a lot better and the food was ok. There was no TV on the back of your seat just small Tv that hang up in the isle. I much prefer China Airlines but the times for my onward flight out of Amsterdam is a bit long with them.

[mikethevigoman]

Friends have just announced they are about to book Newcastle-Amsterdam-Bangkok in economy class.

What is good about KLM (thru-luggage + ?)

What are your thoughts ,family composition 2 parents middle aged and child although airline charges adult for the 12 year old.

They are not experienced flyers,ie don't want to stop in Middle East & limited budget.

If the worse comes to the worst,any recommendations for sleeping tablets ?

Wiley Coyote

Idont know what dates you are talking but i have just had an email from westeast travel in hammersmith ,325 quid direct with eva, tax extra,

[londonthai]

it's not a published fare - some specialised travel agents are used by the ailines to feel up all those empty seets, but it's a limited offer, lasting for a few days/weeks and than back to normal £500.

when you buy from the travel agent and it's a specia fare it's very difficult to change dates

[jasreeve17]

I'm surprised that KLM are getting decent reviews. I flew with them a couple of times, then stopped as I found them bad in every way - maybe I was unlucky...

Their business class is very average too.

To Bangkok from a smaller UK airport I would prefer Austrian or Lufthansa, of the lower cost airlines. Austrian are usually quite cheap too, although connections via Vienna will be more difficult than Amsterdam or Frankfurt.

Turkish are sometimes cheap and are surprisingly good.

Going via London on Thai, Quantas or Eva (much cheaper than the other direct airlines) might be a better option. Heathrow is crap and expensive, but that will get them ready for the Bangkok hub of hubs...

Austrian are good on this route but they have smaller seats with less leg room, on the plus side cabin are very friendly and have individual tv's in seats. Flown Quantas a few times would rather walk than fly with them again, cabin crew are plain rude !!

Lufthansa are normally good on price but have old planes.

It's interesting how different people have different experiences...

Everyone seems to accept KLM as ok, whereas I have had awful experiences with them.

Some like BA, I won't fly with them after numerous awful experiences (customer services rather than inflight).

Quantas have always been excellent for me.

I like Austrian too, but I've heard many complaints.

Thai have always been good to me, but my Thai friends say they are really rude and won't fly with them. My missus had a bad experience with Thai the only time she flew, and that was business class. She lost some items (mobile phone / bag) inflight on her seat, told the staff before landing, but her stuff was never returned and they were plain rude...

Maybe it's just luck of the draw with many airlines, hence why Cathy Pacific and Singapore can charge more, as they are almost always very good.

Lufthansa are almost always good too, and often cheap.

[sohn]

KLM are ok, but the in-flight entertainment is rubbish.

Old style monitors hanging from the aisles, with blurred screens.

But that’s just on the AMS-BKK run, other roots are ok.

Leg room is ok.

Edited August 13, 2007 by sohn

[mrbojangles]

The last 6 times now I have used Etihad from Manchester / Abu Dahbi / BKK

2 hour stop in Abu Dahbi - enough to stretch you legs before flying onto BKK

Often they are half full and you get to stretch out and get some Zzzz's. The food is not too bad and I have found them reliable.

In economy you get screens on the backs of the seats for movies/ music etc.

A friend in BKK is paying £420 return from Man / BKK in October

They also fly from London.

I know Emirates have recently started from Newcastle to BKK but do not know fares or routes

I have just booked Ethiad this weekend, to fly a week on friday Manchester / BKK return. Not tried them before but they where the cheapest at the time, £925 for the 2 of us including all taxes etc. Emirates weren't too much more expensive but didn't have availability on the fast connection and i didn't want to wait about 12 hours.

I was going to ask on here about them but if youv'e flown with them 6 times, that's good enough recommendation for me.

[lowland]

KLM are offering some demon discounts on flights for Asia-Europe-Asia this summer - don't know if they are available flying the other way.

If price and connection times are equal, I'd suggest Swiss or Lufthansa (the latter via Munich, not Frankfurt) rather than KLM as they both fly new Airbus 340's on the route to BKK. KLM's fleet is a little older in my observation.

Zurich, Munich and Amsterdam are all reasonably modern airports, not too big, and easy to navigate - recommend avoiding LHR, Frankfurt or Paris CDG as very large and very busy.

Confession: I have a Star Alliance Gold Card so that tends to sway my view in favour of their carriers!

Cheers,

CC

Zurich an Munich are not to big airports But Schiphol Amsterdam is one of the biggest in the world

Even mor big than LHR and CDG .

[tw25rw]

Zurich an Munich are not to big airports But Schiphol Amsterdam is one of the biggest in the world

Even mor big than LHR and CDG .

Sorry, but there's no way Schiphol is bigger than Heathrow except possibly in land size.. LHR handles more than 20m passengers a year more than AMS.

Edited August 18, 2007 by tw25rw

[wileycoyote]

Even mor big than LHR and CDG .

Sorry, but there's no way Schiphol is bigger than Heathrow except possibly in land size.. LHR handles more than 20m passengers a year more than AMS.

However,it did a get better review and higher position as one of the best airports in the world .

Wiley Coyote

[tw25rw]

However,it did a get better review and higher position as one of the best airports in the world .

Wiley Coyote

It's generally nicer than LHR, granted.. I have had some bad experiences at immigration though. 2 (often lethargic) immigration officials are not enough, especially when a big jet from North America arrives at the same time as my flight from London. An hour long wait just to have my passport looked at at 11pm isn't a good start to the weekend.

[londonthai]

in ams they always check passports just by the gate on departure and arrival from outside the EU.

once on departure I had some problems, because they did not believe I have changed so much from the picture. On arrivals they tend to check asian passports and ask a few questions

[LaoPo]

Unless you're waiting in Business/First Class lounges, ALL airports are bad.

They're just there to go from point A>>>>>>>>>>>>to>>>>>>>>>>>>>B

LaoPo

[torrenova]

China Airlines fly from Amsterdam. Biz cheap too.

[tw25rw]

China Airlines fly from Amsterdam. Biz cheap too.

Their business class seems to be the old fashioned variety.. Not sure it's worth the additional cost compared to Eva premium economy.