KLM is rolling out free WiFi in phases across most of the aircraft used for its European routes. Half of the European fleet will be equipped with free internet service as of Thursday. In the coming years, WiFi will be available on all A321neo, Embraer 195-E2, and a portion of the B737-800 aircraft. 

KLM’s European fleet does not feature in-seat entertainment screens. By offering complimentary internet, KLM aims to enhance passenger comfort. After logging in or registering as a Flying Blue member, passengers can enjoy unlimited internet access during their flight. Stephanie Putzeist, responsible for customer experience at KLM, commented: “We listen carefully to what our passengers value and free internet has been on their wish list for some time. Through this step, we are making travel within Europe more personal and comfortable: everyone can plan their flight in their own way and stay connected. We are delighted to realize this now for our passengers.’’

A more pleasant travel experience
Since August last year, KLM has added 12 new A321neo aircraft to its fleet. These aircraft, which serve European destinations exclusively, are equipped not only with WiFi but also with modern, comfortable seats. In this way, KLM aims to ensure the most enjoyable travel experience possible for its passengers.

Free messaging

Internet connections are made possible by connecting passenger devices directly to Viasat’s European satellite. During the flight, KLM offers a choice of three internet packages: Messaging, Surf and Stream.

Messaging allows passengers to send and receive messages via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc., free of charge. Those who want to use more data can pay a fee and select either Surf or Stream. Customers can choose the package that best suits their needs. Those who want to watch movies should choose Stream, while Surf offers enough data for those who just want to shop online or read news articles.

Passengers can purchase the Internet packages via the KLM Portal during their flight.

KLM Portal: greater flexibility and control over the journey

The KLM Portal provides access not only to the Internet, but also to upgrades for connecting and return flights; service in the event of delays and cancellations; and services offered by our travel partners, such as booking excursions. This offers the customer greater flexibility and control over their journey.

A passenger at risk of missing their connection due to a delay, for example, can rebook their next flight to one with a later departure time via the KLM Portal. And an Economy Class passenger who wants to fly Economy Comfort on the return trip can arrange this for themselves in the Portal on the way to their destination (if availability permits).

After connecting to the Wi-Fi network on board, a passenger will not only be able to access all functionalities of the KLM Portal, but will be able to use the KLM app and KLM.com at no charge as well. The Portal is the same on every aircraft, meaning customers will have a consistent user experience no matter where they are.

All intercontinental aircraft in 2022

KLM already offers Wi-Fi on board the Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 fleets and is currently installing it on the Boeing 777 aircraft. As it stands now, 81 per cent of the intercontinental fleet is equipped with an Internet connection. Passengers are expected to have Internet access on board all intercontinental aircraft by the first quarter of 2022.

KLM receives around 100,000 mentions per week via social media and this number is still growing. A dedicated team of 235 social media service agents personally engages in 15,000 conversations. The DigitalGenius AI system is integrated directly into KLM’s Customer Relationship Management tool, and provides a layer of deep learning and artificial intelligence to service agents in real time.

About KLM and Social Media
Since 2009, KLM has gained a reputation for being an initiator and pioneer of social media services and campaigns across the social media landscape. In August 2016, KLM had over 22.5 million fans and followers on various social media platforms. Through these channels, KLM is mentioned more than 100,000 times a week. A dedicated team of 235 social media service agents personally engages in 15,000 conversations a week on Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, WeChat, KakaoTalk and VKontakte. KLM offers its customers 24/7 service in 10 different languages: Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Questions can also be asked in Norwegian and Russian during local office hours. In recognition of these efforts, SocialBakers voted KLM the “World’s Most Socially Devoted Brand” for four consecutive years from 2011 to 2014.

About DigitalGenius
DigitalGenius brings practical applications of deep learning and artificial intelligence into customer service operations of leading companies. Its Human+AI™ Customer Service Platform combines the best of human and machine intelligence enabling companies to deliver on increasing customer expectations. At its core are deep learning algorithms, which are trained on historical customer service data and integrated directly into the contact center’s existing software. Once enabled, the platform automates and increases the quality and efficiency of customer service & support conversations across text-based communication channels like email, chat, social media, SMS and mobile messaging.

With this new joint Air France and KLM agreement, the Group’s passengers will benefit from WiFi during their trip by staying connected around the world with their family, friends or business partners, on their smartphone, laptop or tablet. On the in-house Air France-KLM designed onboard portal a freely accessible environment is available where customers can find relevant information about their flight, arrange travel details and find entertainment beyond the state of the art seat-back inflight entertainment systems.

The 2Ku product from Gogo offers a future-proof platform based on the latest antenna technology, bringing flexibility to adapt to growing demands from our customers.

Boeing 787 already equipped with WiFi
On Air France-KLM's long-haul fleet, passengers already enjoy WiFi on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with currently 8 aircraft operated by KLM and the first aircraft operated by Air France as from 9 January next year. The Group's Boeing 787, which offer WiFi on board, are equipped by Panasonic Avionics, and offer the same portal and products as planned on the rest of the long-haul fleet.

About Air France-KLM
A global giant with a strong European base, the Air France-KLM Group’s main areas of business are passenger transport, cargo transport and aeronautical maintenance.

Air France-KLM is the leading Group in terms of international traffic on departure from Europe. In 2016, it offers its customers access to a network covering 320 destinations in 114 countries thanks to its four brands Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Transavia and HOP! Air France. With a fleet of 534 aircraft in operation and 89.8 million passengers carried in 2015, Air France-KLM operates up to 2,200 daily flights, mainly from its hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol.

Its Flying Blue frequent flyer programme is one of the leaders in Europe with over 27 million members.

Air France-KLM and its partners Delta Air Lines and Alitalia operate the biggest trans-Atlantic joint-venture with 270 daily flights.

Air France-KLM is also a member of the SkyTeam alliance which has 20 member airlines, offering customers access to a global network of over 16,270 daily flights to 1,057 destinations in 179 countries.

Online Access
In partnership with Panasonic Avionics, Air France and KLM will conduct a trial phase throughout the rest of 2013 on two Boeing 777-300s. During that time, customers can connect to the internet using their Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, laptops or tablets at a fixed rate and use their mobile phones for text messages or email, no matter what travel class they are in. The two Wi-Fi equipped aircraft will operate on several long-haul destinations during the trial.

Fares
During the pilot phase we will offer hourly and full-flight fees: EUR 10.95 per hour or EUR 19.95 for the full flight, applicable for all classes. These fees are in line with industry average. Travellers can pay for their internet access by credit card. Mobile phone usage (for text and data) will be billed to the phone users according to their own roaming agreements. Access to the inflight website will be free of charge.

Wireless service — whether the on-board portal or satellite internet — will commence once the flight has reached 20,000 feet, shortly after take-off.

Customer experience
With the inflight connectivity test, Air France and KLM are adapting to their customers’ new travel habits, while also surprising them with new services. During this test phase, customers will be asked to share their comments, suggestions and expectations and therefore contribute to the improvement of these services.