KLM Brings Back US Destinations As Travel Restrictions Ease

As travel restrictions have started to come back down between the United States and Europe, KLM is preparing to bring back more of its US network. The Amsterdam-based airline will be reinstating flights to Las Vegas and Miami, along with flying to most of the other major cities in the US in conjunction with its joint venture partners Air France, Virgin Atlantic, and Delta.

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KLM is bringing back Las Vegas and Miami services this winter. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

KLM brings back two cities

This December, KLM will be resuming flights from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) to Las Vegas and Miami using Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Flights will return on December 7th with three weekly operations per week to each city under the following schedule (all times are local):

  • KLM flight 627 departs Amsterdam at 10:20 and arrives in Miami at 14:20 on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
  • KLM flight 628 departs Miami at 16:30 and arrives in Amsterdam the next day at 06:50. Flights depart Miami on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
  • KLM flight 635 departs Amsterdam at 12:35 and arrives in Las Vegas at 14:10 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays
  • KLM flight 636 departs Las Vegas on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 15:59. Flights arrive in Amsterdam the next day at 10:50

In early September, after the Dutch government announced a quarantine mandate for US travelers and ongoing restrictions prohibiting most Europeans from entering the US, KLM announced it would not fly to Orlando, Miami, and Las Vegas this winter while maintaining the rest of its destinations in the United States. These three cities are primarily leisure routes, and Orlando was a new pin on the airline’s route network.

Since then, the Netherlands has reversed its quarantine mandate. Furthermore, the United States is also preparing to lift the travel ban for vaccinated foreigners, which will allow KLM to fill its flights with more passengers. As a result, it is bringing back Miami and Las Vegas, but there is no word on Orlando yet.

KLM Brings Back US Destinations As Travel Restrictions Ease
The Dreamliner will operate flights to both cities. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

KLM’s other US route network

Data from Cirium shows that KLM will operate to nine other destinations this winter. The airline will offer flights to the following destinations from its hub at AMS:

  • Atlanta (ATL)
  • Boston (BOS)
  • Washington D.C. (IAD)
  • Houston (IAH)
  • New York (JFK)
  • Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Minneapolis (MSP)
  • Chicago (ORD)
  • San Francisco (SFO)

Washington D.C. and Boston are expected to see the Airbus A330 consistently. Chicago and Minneapolis are expected to see the Boeing 787-9 operating. Other routes will see various aircraft, including the Boeing 777-200ER, 777-300ER, and 787-10.

KLM Brings Back US Destinations As Travel Restrictions Ease
KLM will fly several different types of aircraft to the US this winter. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

KLM’s US partnership

KLM has a very close partnership with Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines. The two are part of the same airline alliance and are in a joint venture together, along with Virgin Atlantic and Air France.

The airlines can all work together on pricing and network planning on routes between Europe and the United States through this partnership. These metal-neutral joint ventures mean airlines share sales, marketing, purchasing, advertising, and promotion costs while also sharing revenue. As part of the joint venture, these airlines have expanded service between Europe and the US, though the crisis has upended some of those plans as travel demand remains suppressed.

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Delta and KLM have a joint venture. Photo: Getty Images

With the partnership with Delta, KLM gets access to a larger swath of customers in the United States. While it will not necessarily target connecting traffic out of Las Vegas or Miami, KLM will benefit from tapping into Delta’s frequent flyer members in either city while also filling its planes with travelers bound for each destination.

Are you going to fly KLM to Las Vegas or Miami? Let us know in the comments!



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