Many people living in the UK regions who need to travel to other European countries are often faced with a transfer via one of the hub airports in London or Amsterdam when presented with the option of booking on BA or KLM. This brief paper attempts to compare the various aspects of the flight and assess which company offers the best overall package for the traveller.

Check in - Verdict KLM
Email reminders 24 hours before travel are the same for both, although recently I have not always received the reminders from KL. Online check in is easier on BA as you don't have to check your stored passport details each time like you do on KL. KL does however offer a mobile boarding pass via email which seems to work with most devices. Check in opens 24 hours before departure on both companies but I prefer the way that KL allow check in for all flights on the booking from 24 hours before the first segment, rather than 24 hours before each segment on the booking.

Airport check in is a similar experience although BA seem to be removing some of the automatic check in machines at UK regional airports. I can never seem to reprint a boarding pass on the BA machines whilst it is straightforward on KL.

KL allow non status passengers to pick their seat at the time of booking whereas it is 24 hours before on BA meaning if you book reasonably well in advance, getting a good seat is easier on KL. KL's website seems better at remembering your aisle/window seat preferences than BA's.

Boarding
Verdict - BA
Boarding takes place in a similar order. In my opinion KL is let down by seemingly having too many status passengers meaning that half of the plane seems to receive priority boarding. In my experience BA's gate agents at LHR seem more keen on checking and refusing people boarding who do not have priority.

On board - positioning into hub - verdict BA
On BA it is typically an A320 and a 737 on KL. The airbus typically has a wider aisle than the Boeing meaning wheeling suitcases to the back is much easier. KL is let down by their recently introduced policy for charging for hold baggage (unless you are a Flying Blue member) which seems to lead to more issues with finding a space for your luggage, although BA is by no means perfect on this. BA seem more proactive on making sure passengers do not abuse the baggage policies or hog the overhead space by tagging overhead from under seat luggage, KL offers a drink (tea, coffee, water, soft drinks, wine, beer) plus a choice of a sweet or savoury snack. BA offers simlar drinks (plus a choice of alcohol miniatures) with food options a normally choice of a tiny bag of crisps, chocolate chip cookies or nuts.

Transfer - Verdict even
2 runways at LHR compared to 5 At AMS does not help with transit times and in my experience delays while the plane circles in a holding position are more common at LHR than at AMS. However AMS does have the infamous Polderbaan runway which is often a 15 minute ride from landing to the terminal. On the outward bound leg, you have to go through passport control and re-screen your hand luggage at AMS while you walk straight into the terminal at LHR. On the return trip you will have your luggage x-rayed at both airports. This takes place at the gate just before boarding at AMS, meaning you have to allow some time for this if you want to eat some food or do some shopping. At LHR the check is done at the main connections area before entering the airside terminal.

On board - hub to destination
Verdict even - Drink choices are the same as on the positioning flight with KLM offering an extra round of coffee and a biscuit after the food is served. As for the food itself, both companies offer a mediocre sandwich. As stated earlier, BA benefits from wider aisles and less cabin baggage issues than on KL.

Arrival
Verdict KL - nothing much to choose between the carriers but entering the Shengen zone at AMS allows you to get straight off the plane at your destination and not have to queue at passport control like you do on arriving from a UK airport. Obviously the situation is reversed when coming back to the UK and no check is required when landing at your final destination, I rarely check baggage so cannot really comment on the time taken to wait for luggage at the belt.

Price
Verdict BA - often £100 cheaper than KL, often much cheaper than this on BA for 1 night stays although occasionally KL is cheaper if you can get a Saturday night into your itinerary.

Frequent Flyer
Verdict BA. BA wins hands down here. For a cheap ticket economy flight, KL will often earn 750 miles return in total for the 4 legs combined. On BA the same trip will normally earn over 2800 miles. Obviously, depending on status, bonus mileage can change this but a KL regular will only ever at most get 100% bonus (Platinum) where this level is achieved with BA Silver. BA's Manage My Booking feature allows you to see how many miles/tier points you will earn prior to flying which is something not available on KLM.

Timetable & Scheduling -verdict KLM
Clearly this depend so the route taken but for flights into their respective hubs, KL seems to offer a much more rigid timetable than BA, who often seem to operate a variable service between LHR and their regional airports (NCL has anything between 4 and 6 flights a day depending on what week it is). KL offers much more options in the way of regional departures, including a substantial number of airports that are not linked to LHR.

Overall
Verdict BA - but only just