We are looking at KLM to fly from San Francisco to Dublin, Ireland. Do you have any comments on the airline or route?

I have flown with KLM many times, I personally have very good experiences with them. But I didn't use KLM after they merged with Air France so I don't know if the merge also affected to quality of KLM.

KLM code-shares (or USED TO, at least) with NorthWestern (now merged with Delta). You might look to see if it is a KLM flight OPERATED by either NW or Delta ...

For me, the BIG difference would be in the type of plane 'Across the Pond' -- an Airbus or BIG Boeing, or a 757, out of JFK or BOS.

Bob

I find KLM prices and service excellent, the seats are really tight though.

We took KLM from L.A. to Amsterdam on a 747 and used business class, located on the upper deck. It was awesome.

Like most airlines, I think you'll find people who have had both good and bad experiences. Our experiences have been pretty good (although the last few years we've preferred LH - better food, service, etc). We have friends in the States who return home to Europe at least twice a year and their experiences have been bad enough that they won't fly KL anymore.

I tend to agree that the aircraft can make a difference. Double check, but KL is currently showing an MD-11 (successor to the DC-10) on the SFO-AMS route. It's an older plane and most airlines have retired those, the last one having been produced in Feb, 2001.

The one plane KL flies that we really don't like is the 74M (747 Mixed) - the back half of the main deck is cargo, so it seats about half the people as a regular 747. The galley and restrooms in economy take up a large part of the right half of the plane with no windows, so some people (including us) think it has a very cramped feel.

Whether the aircraft matters to you is really a personal choice.

Yes, KL still code shares with DL (and as of about 2/1/10 - the NW name is no more and has been relegated to history. So everything is now listed on DL's web site).

Presumably you have to fly via Schiphol to go to Dublin on KLM? Or do you change within the US? If you change within the US chances are it is not a KLM operated flight.
The flight from AMS to DUB will probably be an Aer Lingus flight as KLM codeshare with them too.

KLM are no better or worse than any other airline nowadays.

After the Air France/ KLM merger we have actually switched from the former to the latter for our annual 2-3 flights to Europe. We'll be flying KLM to Rome via A/dam in 4 weeks.

We find the economy seats roomier on the A/dam-Montreal run than on Air France. We also find the staff, both on transatlantic and on European flights, to be just a bit fresher and less harried seeming than Air France staff.

Finally, flying via Schiphol is more pleasant than flying via CDG.

The last time we booked, we did it over the phone (I refuse to book online if you cannot get seat selection, as it appeared we could not).

The Delta agent who handled our order (we had it all mapped out in advance, needed only to log the details into their computer) was an absolute cracker-jack -- incredibly fast and efficient.

If you are using your skymiles,then why not fly to Atlanta on Delta and continue out on Delta on the nonstop out of Atlanta to Dublin on a 767ER?

It looks like KLM is switching to a 777-300ER during the summer. This plane is packed pretty darn tight. Seats are 10-abreast, vs the 9-abreast seen on most other carriers and the pitch is 31", which is on the low side. If you are going outside the summer months, they fly the MD-11, which is getting a bit long in the tooth, but has recently been updated with AVOD.

My personal opinion is that KLM is okay, but nothing special. For long-haul, they are probably just below average. Service is usually decent, but the comfort of the cabins leaves quite a bit to be desired. I wouldn't avoid them, per se, but I wouldn't go out of my way to fly them, either.

For the AMS-DUB, you will be on Aer Lingus. They are not a very good carrier, and their intra-European service is bare bones. You will have to pay for water, food, etc. Note that, due to the security layout at AMS, you will not be able to bring drinks from the airport onto the plane.

The flight to Dublin is only just over an hour so it isn't imperative to have a drink on board. You will undoubtedly have plenty of time at Schiphol to get something to drink.
Make sure the connection is Aer Lingus though, not via Paris and Cityjet, which will obviously take a heck of a lot longer.
Your bags will be checked through and you won't have to pay for checked baggage on Aer Lingus as is normal on their short haul flights. They are very strict o cabin baggage however!

<i>The flight to Dublin is only just over an hour so it isn't imperative to have a drink on board.</i>

It is actually over 1-1/2 hours. Couple that with boarding time, deplaning, and passport control in DUB, and you are looking at at least 2 to 3 hours behind security. You aren't going to die of dehydration, but I would certainly get thirsty and it is good to know what you are getting into.

They allow 1 and a half hours for it but really it doesn't take that long.
Security is done just before boarding so there is plenty of time to get a drink or two before that.
Pay a couple of euro for a drink on board if you must.

I really can't see the difficulty in going without a drink for a couple of hours.

Certainly Aer Lingus compares well with the likes of Ryanair and Easyjet and at least as well as Jet Blue or Southwest in the US.
The crew are considerably nicer and more professional than on many European cost cutters.

<i>Certainly Aer Lingus compares well with the likes of Ryanair and Easyjet and at least as well as Jet Blue or Southwest in the US.</i>

It absolutely does not compare well to JetBlue or Southwest.

JetBlue offers one free checked bag, well-kept planes, free snacks and drinks (which come by very frequently), and a class-leading IFE system that features live TV. On their A320s, you get 3 or 4 inches more pitch than on Aer Lingus, as well. You can buy up to 7 or 8 inches more for as little as $10 per segment. In coach, JetBlue is, IMO, the very best carrier in the US, and much, much better than ANY European short-haul carrier in coach. Indeed, I would probably prefer a JetBlue "More Legroom" seat to any European short-haul business class.

Southwest is also more generous with pitch, has 2 free bags, on-board wifi, and plenty of free drinks and snacks. I don't think them as good as JetBlue (and they don't really fly anywhere I want to go), but they are almost certainly on-par with the better European short-haul coach products, such as Swiss, BA, or KLM.

US Airways is a much more comparable US experience.