Health and fighting COVID-19 are paramount but the measures taken must be effective and proportionate. It looks like other EU member states, such as Italy, France and Belgium are not putting a triple lock on the door for travelers from the US.  

The decision by the Dutch government is a big step backwards for KLM. As a result, KLM is forced to remove the proposed new flights from Amsterdam to Orlando, Miami and Las Vegas this winter (October 31, 2021 through March 26, 2022) from its winter schedule until further notice. Travelers will be informed starting next week. 

KLM will operate its flights to Las Vegas on Thursdays and Sundays. The flights, using a Boeing 787-9, offer thirty seats in World Business Class, forty-five seats in Economy Comfort Class, and 219 seats in Economy Class. In July, we will add a third weekly flight on Tuesdays.

The flight schedule is as follows:

• KL0635 departs from Amsterdam Schiphol at 12:35 and arrives at Las Vegas McCarran International at 14:15 local time.
• KL0636 departs from Las Vegas at 16:05 local time and arrives the next day at 11:05 Amsterdam-Schiphol.

Destination Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a city in the state of Nevada, in the southwestern United States. It is located 380 kilometres east of Los Angeles and attracts millions of visitors every year. It is located in the middle of the desert and, as a gambling and entertainment paradise, has provided the backdrop for numerous Hollywood movies. Luxurious hotels, endless casinos, and performances by big stars – that’s Las Vegas in a nutshell.

In addition to all the entertainment it offers, Las Vegas is also an ideal destination for nature lovers and hikers. It is an excellent starting point for a visit to the beautiful national parks in the area, such as Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. The large number of conferences in Las Vegas also makes it an important destination for business travellers.

• KL0635 will depart from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at 12:30 hours and arrive at 14:15 hours local time in Las Vegas at McCarran International.

• KL0636 will leave Las Vegas at 16:05 local time and arrive the next day at 11:05 in Amsterdam at Schiphol.

Destination Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a city in the southwest of the United States in the state of Nevada. It is located 380 kilometres east of Los Angeles and attracts millions of visitors every year. Las Vegas was officially named a city in 1911. The city is located in the middle of a desert and is the United States’ gambling and entertainment paradise, its luxurious hotels and innumerable casinos often forming the backdrop to Hollywood movies. Las Vegas also serves as a hub for several beautiful national parks, making it an ideal destination for nature lovers and hikers. And to top it all, the large number of conferences and conventions held here, make it an important destination for business travellers too. The new KLM flights will extend Air France-KLM’s transatlantic network and strengthen its joint venture portfolio with Delta Airlines.

Slot restrictions at Schiphol

In order to open Las Vegas as a new destination, changes had to be made to KLM’s network. Partly due to Schiphol’s slot restrictions, KLM was forced to revise its portfolio of destinations sooner than expected. With effect from 29 March 2019, KLM will therefore stop flying to Freetown in Sierra Leone and Monrovia in Liberia. While the Freetown/Monrovia route launched in 2017 would have previously been given more time to grow in terms of performance, KLM is now compelled to deploy its fleet and slots differently.

Passengers with a reservation for a flight after 29 March 2019 from Amsterdam to these African destinations and vice versa will either be rebooked or reimbursed. Air France will continue to operate its direct service to Freetown from Paris Charles de Gaulle.