Austrian vs KLM
On the best documented aircraft, Austrian scores 8/10 for the business seat and KLM 10/10. The aircraft on your booking decides whether those seats apply.
By Jon Miksis · comparison updated
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What matters for your booking
Business fares
Of 40 shared business routes, Austrian was cheaper on 31, KLM on 9, and 0 were the same price.
Economy fares
Of 46 shared economy routes, Austrian was cheaper on 39, KLM on 7, and 0 were the same price.
Start with your route and cabin. A fare advantage in economy does not establish a business-class bargain, and a better seat does not establish that a connection or a higher fare is worth it for your trip.
The business seats being compared
These are each airline’s best-scoring documented business aircraft. The fare grid does not identify aircraft, so the seat below is not promised with any fare in the table. Service and food require a separate firsthand review.
Austrian
787-9
- Seat layout
- 1-2-1
- Fully flat bed
- Yes
- Direct aisle access at every seat
- Yes
- Privacy door
- No
- Seat score
- 8/10
- Wi-Fi
- Paid in the recorded product
- Lounge access
- Included in the recorded fare
- Checked bags
- 2
Cabin checked .
Recorded source: Runway Girl Network and Monkey Miles 787-9 reviews (Collins Super Diamond, no doors).
KLM
777-200ER / 777-300ER (sliding-door World Business Class)
- Seat layout
- 1-2-1
- Fully flat bed
- Yes
- Direct aisle access at every seat
- Yes
- Privacy door
- Yes
- Seat score
- 10/10
- Wi-Fi
- Paid in the recorded product
- Lounge access
- Included in the recorded fare
- Checked bags
- 2
Cabin checked .
Recorded source: KLM World Business Class pages, fleet seat maps.
Seat scores describe bed, aisle access and privacy door only. Read the scoring method. A tie does not compare comfort, food, service or reliability.
Check the aircraft on Austrian
787-9: 8/10 for the seat. The 777-200ER is Austrian's other US aircraft and alternates 1-2-1 and 2-2-2 rows, so which row you are in decides whether you climb over someone. Recorded September 1, 2026.
777-200ER: 5/10 for the seat. Thompson Vantage in alternating 1-2-1 and 2-2-2 rows. Recorded as no direct aisle access because the field means every seat, and here it is row-dependent. Recorded September 1, 2026.
Check the aircraft on KLM
777-200ER / 777-300ER (sliding-door World Business Class): 10/10 for the seat. The door is documented for the refitted 777 product. Do not apply it to every 787 or A330. Check the flight's seat map and ticket type; lounge access and baggage can differ by fare brand. Recorded August 30, 2026.
A330-200 / A330-300: 5/10 for the seat. 2-2-2 lie-flat: the window seat requires stepping over a neighbor. Recorded August 30, 2026.
Compare the fares and the routing
Each row compares the same airports, cabin, travel dates and observation date. It can still compare a nonstop against a connection. Journey times, aircraft, baggage allowances and change rules were not recorded with these fares; check those before treating the price difference as a saving.
Partial carrier sample: complete evidence for 2,615 of 2,652 planned route/cabin cells; 37 unresolved and 0 not collected. These gaps are excluded from fare rankings and comparisons, not treated as airline absence. Coverage and methods.Showing 12 of 40 matched business routes. Round trip per person in USD, for travel November 8–14, 2026.
| Route and observation date | Austrian | KLM | Price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Boston (BOS) → Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Observed October 12, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $11,4991 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $5,7691 stop: AMS (outbound only) | KLM was $5,730 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Florence (FLR) Observed October 13, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $7,8271 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $6,2621 stop: AMS (outbound only) | KLM was $1,565 less |
Boston (BOS) → Rome Fiumicino (FCO) Observed October 12, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $12,7921 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $7,1401 stop: AMS (outbound only) | KLM was $5,652 less |
Boston (BOS) → Venice (VCE) Observed October 12, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $10,4411 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $7,2251 stop: AMS (outbound only) | KLM was $3,216 less |
Boston (BOS) → Barcelona (BCN) Observed October 12, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $9,8171 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $7,3361 stop: AMS (outbound only) | KLM was $2,481 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Copenhagen (CPH) Observed October 13, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $7,6981 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $7,4371 stop: AMS (outbound only) | KLM was $261 less |
Boston (BOS) → Geneva (GVA) Observed October 12, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $8,4741 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $15,3321 stop: AMS (outbound only) | Austrian was $6,858 less |
Boston (BOS) → Hamburg (HAM) Observed October 12, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $8,5251 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $15,5141 stop: AMS (outbound only) | Austrian was $6,989 less |
Boston (BOS) → Berlin (BER) Observed October 12, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $8,5531 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $8,5321 stop: AMS (outbound only) | KLM was $21 less |
Boston (BOS) → Florence (FLR) Observed October 12, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $10,5631 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $8,6031 stop: AMS (outbound only) | KLM was $1,960 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Amsterdam (AMS) Observed October 13, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $8,8211 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $15,078Nonstop (outbound only) | Austrian was $6,257 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Observed October 13, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $8,9091 stop: VIE (outbound only) | $15,2141 stop: AMS (outbound only) | Austrian was $6,305 less |
Your airport missing? Check the full route tool for the airlines we observed there. Confirm current fares, journey time, baggage and ticket rules before booking.
Before paying for the ticket
- Check the exact operating airline and seat map on every long flight, including the return. An airline name or business-class label alone does not guarantee a flat bed or aisle access.
- Compare total journey time and connection length. A lower fare may buy a much longer trip.
- Reprice with your bags, preferred seats and change rules included. These observations do not establish that the tickets have identical restrictions.
- Check other airlines on the route. Being cheaper than the other airline on this page does not establish the cheapest fare in the market.
Common questions
- Is Austrian or KLM better in business class to Europe?
- On the best documented aircraft, Austrian scores 8/10 for the business seat and KLM 10/10. The aircraft on your booking decides whether those seats apply. Of 40 shared business routes, Austrian was cheaper on 31, KLM on 9, and 0 were the same price. Service and food are not scored in this comparison. These are observations for travel November 8–14, 2026, not current quotes.
- Which is cheaper, Austrian or KLM?
- Of 40 shared business routes, Austrian was cheaper on 31, KLM on 9, and 0 were the same price. Of 46 shared economy routes, Austrian was cheaper on 39, KLM on 7, and 0 were the same price. Both counts refer to travel November 8–14, 2026. A cheaper fare may involve a connection; compare the itinerary as well as the price.
- Will I get the business seat shown here?
- These cards describe the named aircraft in our cabin records, not a seat guaranteed on every flight. At least one of these airlines has a recorded aircraft or cabin variation. Check the operating airline, seat map and aircraft for every segment before paying; equipment can change. The fare observations do not record the aircraft.
- Has Jon flown these business cabins?
- Austrian business class is not on Jon’s confirmed flown roster. KLM business class is not on Jon’s confirmed flown roster. That records the airline and cabin, not every aircraft or itinerary. This page compares documented specifications and dated fares.
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