KLM's premium economy offering – called KLM Premium Comfort – does exactly what you want a premium economy to do for a trip over the Atlantic Ocean: It perfectly splits the difference between the value of economy and the creature comforts of business class.
And for just 40,000 miles – and around $230 to $350 in taxes and fees (depending on the direction) – the price hits a sweet spot between economy and business class prices, too.
This trip from Minneapolis (MSP) to Amsterdam (AMS) in mid-August 2026 was my second time in KLM's Premium Comfort seat, which is the exact same no matter what aircraft you're flying across the Atlantic. I remember being impressed the first time, and KLM did nothing to dissuade me this time around.
A surprisingly good meal service, a seat I find roomy and relatively high-tech, and excellent service left me impressed once again. The drawbacks are simply what premium economy seats lack, namely, not enough recline for real sleep, and a flight time from MSP (3 p.m.) that made getting good rest near impossible.
So let's review the experience, and we'll start where I did: Booking the seat.
How to Book KLM Premium Comfort for 40K Points
The best way to book KLM Premium Comfort is to use Air France/KLM FlyingBlue miles. You can, of course, book KLM Premium Comfort with cash, too – start by searching for the cheapest fares on Google Flights before booking directly with either KLM or its U.S. partner Delta.
The lowest price I could find for an MSP-AMS Premium Comfort flight was around $1,000 each way.
The better way will be to find that 40,000 Air France/KLM FlyingBlue miles rate instead, which you will first search for with KLM's website after you make a FlyingBlue account.
By filtering for “Premium” fares and leaving the date section blank, you can pull up this handy calendar to more easily find the 40,000-mile rates you're looking for.
That's how I found my fare: Just 40,000 FlyingBlue miles each way and $232 in taxes and fees to get to Amsterdam nonstop. I transferred the points from American Express Membership Rewards, and the miles were there instantly to book the trip.
At Thrifty Traveler, we don't accept freebies. We use our own points, miles, or cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one.
Included in these “Premium” fares is a pesky ~$75 change and cancellation fee, but it's well worth it to secure a seat like this at such a low rate. (It was actually cheaper than economy on the flight I booked!)
Checking In, SkyPriority, & Boarding
When you book a Premium Comfort flight, you get access to SkyPriority, which is the SkyTeam Alliance's priority check-in, boarding, and security fast lane. It's most useful at airports that are Air France/KLM or Delta hubs with dedicated SkyPriority benefits throughout the airport.
Luckily, Minneapolis (MSP) is one of those Delta fortresses, so there was a dedicated area for SkyPriority check-in. Air France and KLM also share a sign in the MSP check-in area to let you know you're in the right place, even though everything else has Delta's logo on it.
The check-in, boarding, and entire experience before you step on board the KLM plane are identical to a Delta flight, down to boarding from a Delta gate with Delta gate agents and a Delta logo on the screen. (The flight was a codeshare with Delta, but you had to squint to even see this wasn't a Delta-operated flight.)
Premium Comfort boards in boarding group 2, just after the business class passengers.
The Cabin and Seat
The Premium Comfort cabin is slotted just behind the business class seats and before KLM's economy cabin. That is the case on all of KLM's long-haul aircraft, including this funky 777-200 KLM Asia plane we were assigned to for this particular run across the ocean.
The seats are configured in a 2-4-2 layout, which is perfect for traveling couples to grab the sides and traveling families to spread out across the middle.
With eight seats across and only four rows deep, the premium economy cabin is quite cozy.
For my journey, I chose a seat on the side in what I saw would be a fairly empty cabin. (There were only about 10 passengers in the whole Premium Comfort cabin on my flight.)
KLM's premium economy seats measure 18.5 inches wide, which is significantly roomier than economy. They recline about eight inches, also very solid for a premium economy product. The seats also boast 38 inches of legroom, a noticeable difference from even the extra-legroom economy seats, too.
At each seat, you are greeted with a huge, 13.3-inch touchscreen for in-flight entertainment. Plus, when the person in front of you reclines, you can tilt your screen so you can keep a good viewing angle.
These seats have a helpful, mesh pocket for your personal belongings, as well as the normal seat pocket beneath it for the safety card and other literature.
Finally, you have plenty of charging options on the seat – both USB-A and USB-C ports next to the seat controls – and two regular outlets on the seat in front of you.
Shortly after we boarded, all Premium Comfort guests were given this amenity kit in an orange bag labeled “Laundry Bag,” which included a toothbrush and toothpaste tablet, earplugs, and an eye mask.
There was also a pillow and blanket waiting at every seat. The pillows were standard airplane fare, but the blankets were nice and hearty, which was a pleasant surprise.
The tray table comes out of the left armrest and folds out across the seat in front of you. It first folds in half, giving you a good drink-and-hors d'oeuvres table before unfolding again to the full thing.
Finally, a note about the Wi-Fi. I only used the free messaging Wi-Fi for this particular journey, but there were two purchase options: A 1-hour pass for 12 euros (or 2,400 FlyingBlue miles) and a full flight pass for 29 euros (or 5,800 FlyingBlue miles)
Meals & Service
The service on this flight was dedicated and prompt. I hope that's always the case, but I'm sure the fact that there were only 10 of us in the whole cabin had a lot to do with how attentive the flight attendants were.
Still, my last KLM Premium Comfort flight was completely full, and I remember the flight attendants being warm that time, too.
The service began with a water and a pre-packaged towel for your hands before they circled back with the drink cart.
The alcoholic beverage options were fairly limited in the premium economy cabin. The soft drink selection was what you would expect – a mix of coffees, teas, sodas, and juices.
The food menu offered a choice of three main entrees: Grilled chicken filet, vegetarian gnocchi, and grilled beef. I chose the chicken.
I quite liked every bite of this surprisingly good meal. Premium economy isn't known for its culinary delights, so I kept my expectations low, but this meal was really solid. It was capped off with a little Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream that hit the spot, too.
I woke up for breakfast that featured some more great bites! An oatmeal, some French toast, and a traditional European breakfast made up the brunt of this course, with a coffee and orange juice on the side.
Overall, the meal service on this flight surprised me. I can't remember a bad bite.
KLM Premium Comfort vs. Delta Premium Select
KLM Premium Comfort is a world-class premium economy product. I've flown premium economy all over the world, and I think KLM is up there with Singapore Airlines for the best of the best.
Compared to KLM's close partner, Delta, and its Premium Select premium economy product, I don't think it's close.
I've now flown Delta Premium Select a few times, and while the seat is similar to that of KLM Premium Comfort, it still felt more rigid and less roomy. I liked the screens on KLM's planes better, and the Delta Premium Select catering was significantly worse than KLM's.
If you're on Delta's website and choosing between the two options, I'd go with KLM 10/10 times.
Bottom Line
KLM Premium Comfort is a top-tier premium economy seat that deserves some serious consideration for your next trip to Europe … if you can get it at the right price.
With a wider seat, extra recline, and solid catering, it's a great choice to split the difference between economy and business class.
Book these seats from 40,000 FlyingBlue miles each way, plus $230 to $350 in taxes and fees, for the best deal.
I was also able to book 7 KLM Premium Comfort at 40K Flying Blue miles last Christmas from Portland to Amsterdam and pretty much enjoyed the experience like you do. Like you, I believed they do have the best PE product out there.