KLM AND NORTHWEST AIRLINES COMPLETE RECONFIGURATION OF WORLD BUSINESS CLASS

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and alliance partner Northwest Airlines today announced they had completed the reconfiguration of their joint intercontinental World Business Class accommodation to a 60-inch pitch between seat rows. This summer, KLM will also be introducing several other enhancements of its World Business Class service, including a Comfort Bag and Welcome Package. Main courses and hors d'oevres on board will be prepared under supervision of top chefs working for some of Holland’s premier restaurants.

More Room for Comfort

The reconfiguration of World Business Class to 60 inch pitch, which began in early November 2000, more than doubles the legroom for World Business Class passengers. KLM’s entire intercontinental fleet (21 Boeing 747-400s, ten Boeing 747-300s, and ten MD-11s) has been reconfigured to this new standard pitch. KLM’s Boeing 767 fleet, primarily operated on European and medium-haul routes between Amsterdam and Middle Eastern and West African cities, will not be reconfigured.

Northwest Airlines has also reconfigured its entire intercontinental fleet, comprising 24 DC-10-30, 20 Boeing 747-200, and 14 747-400 aircraft.

At the end of May 2001, KLM will continue its pan-European advertising campaign publicizing this World Business Class upgrade, under the slogan “More Room for Comfort.”

KLM and Northwest Airlines seek to offer high-quality, matching products with room for variation in accent and identity between the two partners.

KLM Comfort Bag

KLM will be presenting a new version of its Comfort Bag for the convenience of World Business Class passengers by the end of July, containing lip balm, moisturizing cream, comb, shoe horn, ear plugs, facial towel, tissues, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a pen. A new feature of KLM service will be the Welcome Package handed to passengers shortly before takeoff, containing an eye mask and a pair of socks.


KLM Catering on board

As of June 1, chefs de cuisine from some of the best restaurants in the Netherlands will take turns in supervising the preparation and presentation of hors d'oevres and two of the main courses. The menu will change once every three months, with a new chef concocting the meals, style and presentation. First restaurant in line, between June 1 and August 31 is "De Karpendonkse Hoeve”, a well-known countryside restaurant in Eindhoven in the southern province of Brabant. Hotel "Prinses Juliana" and Hotel "De Hamert" both located in Limburg, the southern part of the Netherlands, will follow. This service will only be available on flights departing from Schiphol Airport. In addition to these two main courses, KLM's World Business Class will continue to offer passengers their Indonesian “Rijsttafel”(oriental meal). These main courses will not be served on dedicated-service routes to cities in Japan, Korea, India and the Middle-East.