KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, in cooperation with its joint venture partner Northwest Airlines, today announced that it will begin daily nonstop service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, beginning on March 30, 2008. Is there any chance AA will match the service and add a flight to AMS from DFW?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Amsterdam
- Thread starter FA Mikey
- Start date
The cost of starting a new international station are high. Considering the fact that they would pull out of the route after they drove KLM out, I don't think they will. If AA was already flying to Amsterdam from MIA/ORD/JFK, then I would think a good chance existed. Never say never, though. They could fly DFW-AMS and then, after KLM pulls out, transfer the route to Miami or JFK.
AdAstraPerAspera
Veteran
I'm pretty surprised KLM thinks there's gonna be enough demand for opening a DFW station, considering a severe lack of skyteam service to feed.
Oh, not to mention considering the fact that AMS-IAH already exists?
Dunno... shows what I know. I guess that's why I'm not a flying dutchman.
Oh, not to mention considering the fact that AMS-IAH already exists?
Dunno... shows what I know. I guess that's why I'm not a flying dutchman.
Unless things have changed drastically, KLM is a wonderful airline. When I worked for Texaco in Houston, we flew KLM a lot--not necessarily going to our Amsterdam office though we did that too. We flew KLM because the flights were dependably on-time, the inflight service was excellent, and in AMS you could connect to flights to any of our European operations (or the world for that matter) in less than 3 hours.
I imagine the connections in AMS will be of greater interest to DFW business travelers than just AMS as well.
I imagine the connections in AMS will be of greater interest to DFW business travelers than just AMS as well.
eolesen
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- Jul 23, 2003
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Jim nailed it -- KLM is most likely doing it in response to both AA and BA moving their DFW-London routes from LGW to LHR. AMS is a better connecting point than LHR, as is LGW. So, to the extent that they can entice a few people to book away from connecting at LHR, they've got a chance.
As for AA adding AMS... they might, but they'd wind up diluting the existing LON (and to a lesser degree, FRA) traffic that is connecting to other points within Europe.
As for AA adding AMS... they might, but they'd wind up diluting the existing LON (and to a lesser degree, FRA) traffic that is connecting to other points within Europe.
KLM has changed a lot since they were taken over by Air France. I travelled on them recently, and have also read a lot of reports on line about their service. KLM has cheapened their economy product considerably, and their Business product (they have no First Class) is more in line with Northwest, it seems, than with a consistently excellent and innovative airline like Lufthansa.
There was also talk on Airliners.net about KLM increasing Economy Class in the 777's to 10-abreast, increasing from 3-3-3 to 3-4-3. AF is doing the same thing. They are not increasing seat pitch, though. :angry:
I hate to hear that. I haven't flown KLM in some years, but they used to be one of the class acts of the aviation world. Thanks for the update.
Sounds like KLM has taken a page from the U.S. domestic carriers' playbook.
1. Hire new people.
2. Tell them nothing about applicable laws or company policies.
3. Put them on the phone and let them make up whatever policy they want.
4. See if customer has enough savvy to know they are blowing smoke.
5. If no, money saved; executive bonusses increased.
Cynical, party of one, your table's ready.
Gives DFW another flight to Europe from a none AA source. DFW has to be one of the last USA cities KLM doesn't fly to, they serve the country very well.
eolesen
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- Jul 23, 2003
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No, there are lots of places they don't serve yet that I would have expected before DFW...
They don't serve PHL (#4), BOS (#7, but NWA has a nonstop AMS), MCO (#28 but easily in top ten tourism destinations in US), SEA (#13 but NWA has nonstop to AMS), PHX (#14), SAN (#19) or LAS (#32 but also in the top ten tourism destinations in US).
AdAstraPerAspera
Veteran
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