KLM vs Delta: Portland Or to Barcelona

[cruisin-wannabe]

We are ready to purchase our airline tickets for our flight from Portland, OR to Barcelona, Spain. We are looking at flights that change in Amsterdam. On the KLM website, I am not able to choose our seats until 90 days before the flight. On Delta, I may choose the seats, but I can get a better connection on KLM. Does anyone have any info on the seats of these two planes? Is it important to get them assigned? Are some seats better for a 10-hour flight? (We can't afford 1st class or business).

Thank you!

[twoputt.plusone]

Since nobody's replied to your post so far, I'll tell you what I know. Not much maybe but at least it's something. :o I'm sure others will weigh in shortly.

 

I've flown Delta quite a lot but never overseas. Not my favourite airline but far from the worst either. One thing that I've found is that they tend to change their schedules - a lot. Sometimes it gets hard to keep up with them.

 

We flew KLM out of AMS for an inter-Europe connecting flight and again on our return. I was very impressed. I don't know if this is standard or just the plane types we were on, but there seemed to be a lot more seating space. The food was excellent and more of it than I'd expected for a 2 hour flight. Flight staff was polite and very professional. I'd certainly book a flight with them again if the situation arises.

[alidor]

The Portland-Amsterdam flight is the same plane and is a code share. You can book it as Delta or book it as KLM but it's the same plane and is actuallyDelta from Portland to Amsterdam, NOT a true KLM flight.

[zoncom]

Ask any experienced air traveler, foreign lines are the way to go. My Aspen TA told me that yrs. ago and its always held true. Except Iberia and Italia once each, long time ago. Look up each lines seating plans on Seatguru.com.

[Gardyloo]

If you're looking at nonstop flights from PDX to AMS, please note that this route is not flown by KLM using its own planes. This is a "codeshare" flight in which KLM sells seats on airplanes actually operated by Delta - the two airlines are partners in the Skyteam alliance.

 

So if you buy a ticket on KLM thinking you'll be riding on a KLM plane, you won't - it will be the same Delta plane you'd be on if you bought the ticket from Delta.

 

The closest point to PDX actually served by KLM planes is San Francisco.

 

Oops - sorry - failed to notice that Alidor said the same thing a few minutes ago.

[scottbee]

 

The closest point to PDX actually served by KLM planes is San Francisco.

 

Oops - sorry - failed to notice that Alidor said the same thing a few minutes ago.

 

But, you're wrong. YVR (250 miles from PDX) is the closest point served by KLM planes... not SFO (550 miles from PDX)

[Gardyloo]

But, you're wrong. YVR (250 miles from PDX) is the closest point served by KLM planes... not SFO (550 miles from PDX)

Yeah I thought about YVR after I made that comment.

 

Not that I would (personally) travel even 250 miles for an aging KLM MD-11 coach seat compared to a coach seat on a (nonstop) ex-NW 330 from Portland.

[cruisin-wannabe]

Thank you for your input--I went with Delta (which was indeed the same plane as KLM) so I could choose our seats. There are five of us and we wanted to make certain we got to sit together. I heard great things about KLM, but didn't want to throw in another connection just to get on one of their planes--hopefully we won't regret Delta. And we are flying on KLM from Amsterdam to Barcelona and back, so will get an opportunity to try their airline. So happy to have that checked off the to-do list! On to planning shore excursions!

[alcpa1]

We fly Delta almost exclusively and were just on one of their 767's from Atlanta to Copenhagen. It was not our first overseas flight with them and it was just fine.

You do need to monitor your reservations. Delta does make schedule adjustments from time to time. They also make equipment changes which may kick out your seats.

The best advice I can give for any long flight is to choose seats that are not near the galley or bathrooms. On some of the 767's exit rows can be booked for regular passengers, but you swap better leg room for a narrower seat possibly across from a bathroom. You can check your seats on Seatguru. Some seats are better than others.

Happy planning.

[truffles68]

We flew from Amsterdam to Venice & Barcelona to Amsterdam in 2009 on KLM. KLM's service was good & food/beverage were provided free of charge. However, the aircrafts were much older. It reminded me of the BOAC type of planes. For the intercontinental flights in Europe, KLM would not let us do seat assignments ahead of time but we had no problems at all.

 

For the transatlantic portion, we flew KLM (roundtrip) to/from Vancouver to Amsterdam. The service was excellent & the flights were punctual. What a pleasant surprise ! We usually fly British Airways & the flights have been late (in take offs & landing).

[cruisin-wannabe]

Thank you to the people that suggested Seatguru! I had never heard of that, and changed the seats I had booked to seat that had plugs ins for our three teenagers to be able to use their electronices the whole flight!

 

I am hearing a lot about Delta changing schedules--we have two-hour layovers in Amsterdam--what happens if Delta changes schedules and we can't make our connections on other airlines?

[Gardyloo]

Thank you to the people that suggested Seatguru! I had never heard of that, and changed the seats I had booked to seat that had plugs ins for our three teenagers to be able to use their electronices the whole flight!

 

I am hearing a lot about Delta changing schedules--we have two-hour layovers in Amsterdam--what happens if Delta changes schedules and we can't make our connections on other airlines?

If it's all on one ticket, Delta will be obligated to re-accommodate you on flights that work. But 2 hrs at Schiphol is tons of time.

[Fattony]

Ask any experienced air traveler, foreign lines are the way to go. My Aspen TA told me that yrs. ago and its always held true. Except Iberia and Italia once each, long time ago. Look up each lines seating plans on Seatguru.com.

 

I think this generalization is less true than it was years ago, when more foreign carriers were more highly subsidized by their home governments and the lines were not involved in fare wars and fewer airlines were going broke or involved in mergers. Fewer and fewer people flying Economy are willing to pay more for better seating or service. Legacy European lines now get cost competition from no-frills carriers such as Ryan Air. KLM has been known to some as somewhat of a discount carrier, compared to some other carriers, for a while. We took it from Johannesburg to Amsterdam 10 years ago. It was fine, nothing special. You can find reviews of many airlines at http://www.airlinequality.com/

 

But I agree about what airlines are likely involved. Look closely at the schedule and you may find that in either of the two cases you're looking at, you'd be flying Delta to Amsterdam and KLM from there. The only difference may be who the tickets are issued by. So choosing between Delta and KLM may be a moot point. I don't believe KLM flies from Portland.

 

All airlines change schedules. I've had it happen with Delta just once-- they moved up the time of a deprture from SEA to ATL-- and when I phoned, they asked if the change was a problem for me. I said no (in fact it gave us a more comfortable amount of time to change planes in ATL), so we didn't pursue finding other flights.