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London is one of those markets where you rarely ever find truly excellent Business Class fares being offered (that’s why the Qatar Airways fares out of other European counties are so tempting to those based in the UK) so you have to take what you can when you can.
Right now KLM and its SkyTeam partners are offering some pretty reasonable Business Class fares out of London for travel to the Middle East and Asia….but you don’t have long to book.
KLM Fare Rules In Brief
- Book by 26 February 2018
- Prices advertised are subject to change without notice before a booking is confirmed.
- All prices are for return Economy / Business Class tickets per passenger and include taxes and charges.
- Prices may change to less or more than the advertised fares at short notice as prices and availability are updated frequently.
- Seat availability may be very limited at the prices advertised for desired travel dates, travel periods can vary and blackout periods may apply.
- Credit card surcharge of 2% may apply up to a maximum of £20.
- Prices are based upon departures from London Heathrow and may involve connecting flights.
- Flights may be operated by airline partners in which case KLM products and services may not be available at the airport or on-board.
- Tickets may not be changeable or refundable after booking and additional charges may be payable.
- For non-flexible tickets booked, tickets are only valid for the dates shown, and first sector must be flown to avoid cancellation of all sectors booked.
KLM 787-9 Dreamliner
KLM Business Class Fares Out Of London
On most of these routes the fares appear to be available through January 2019 so there should be something for everyone here.
- Abu Dhabi from £1,269
- Bangalore from £1,459
- Bangkok from £1,489
- Beijing from £1,869
- Colombo from £1,630
- Dubai from £1,229
- Hong Kong from £1,553
- Manila from £1,543
- Seoul from £1,700
- Shanghai from £1,753
- Taipei from £1,549
The JW Marriott Hong Kong (reviewed here) would be a good place to stay if you’re booking the £1,553 Business Class fare
Thoughts
Compared to fares we frequently see out of other European cities (on airlines like Qatar Airways) these are very ordinary Business Class fares indeed….but for departures out of London some look quite tempting.
If you’re based in the UK, the downside to the great Qatar Airways fares I post on the blog is that you have to get to whatever European city is offering the good fare before you can really start your vacation. For flyers like me that’s not a problem at all but for those with young families the extra flying and aircraft changes can be a chore and simply too much work.
These KLM/SkyTeam fares may not be as cheap as the fares from other European cities but at least they originate in London and so may be more practical.
There will still be a stopover somewhere along the journey (usually Amsterdam or Paris) but, if you’re London based, that’s still one less stopover on your journey than if you wend down the route of booking a Qatar Airways fare out of another European city.
Be Careful
Don’t assume that all the Business Class cabins you’re being offered are equal – they’re most certainly not – so make sure you check what kind of Business Class seat you’re actually booking.
The KLM booking site is actually very good at showing you exactly what you’re booking if you click on the “flight details” link next to each of the flights you’re offered:
Using this link will open up a set of information as shown below and you should pay close attention to what aircraft and seat type is being offered:
In this case the fare may be pretty good but you would be booking an old fashioned angle-flat Business Class seat.
While still considerably better than any Economy or Premium Economy seat you’ll find, these seats are not exactly a premium product.
Keep a look out for cabins like the Business Class cabin on the Air France 777 aircraft (reviewed here) which offer fully flat beds and all-aisle-access 1-2-1 cabin layouts:
Air France 777-300ER Business Class
Bottom Line
For Business Class fares origination in London there are some decent fares on offer here and, importantly, the travel window appears to include the whole of 2018 and the beginning of 2019.
Don’t forget to check what aircraft type you’re booking so you know what to expect when you get on board – nothing kills a good mood quite like expecting a great product only to find that you’ve actually booked a lesser product by accident.
