Is Azores Airlines or KLM better to Europe?

KLM scores 8/10 against Azores Airlines at 5.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare. On the four dimensions we can verify, Azores Airlines wins 1 and KLM wins 2. Service and food are not scored here because they cannot be read off a spec sheet.

Does the aircraft change the answer?

Yes. KLM scores 10/10 on the 787-9 / 787-10 / 777 (World Business Class) and 5/10 on the A330-200 / A330-300. Check the equipment on your date before deciding.

Has Jon flown either of these?

Azores Airlines, in business on a Europe route. KLM has not been flown, so nothing here claims firsthand experience of its cabin.

Head to head

Azores Airlines vs KLM

KLM scores 8/10 against Azores Airlines at 5.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare.

By Jon Miksis · cabin data verified August 30, 2026 · fares for travel November 8–14, 2026

Best product each one flies

Scored on what can be verified. Service, food and ground recovery are absent deliberately: they need someone in the seat, and they live in the reviews rather than here.

One caveat on the Value line, stated rather than buried: the cabin scores describe a business product and the fares behind Value are economy. A carrier that prices economy aggressively generally prices business the same way, but they are different products. Read Value as how an airline prices against its competitors, not as what its business seat costs.

Azores Airlines

A321neo / A321LR · flown by Jon

Seat: 0/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 5/10
Value: 9/10
Product score: 5.5/10

KLM

787-9 / 787-10 / 777 (World Business Class)

Seat: 10/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 4/10
Product score: 8/10

Dimension by dimension

Seat: KLM
0/10 on the A321neo / A321LR against 10/10 on the 787-9 / 787-10 / 777 (World Business Class).
IFE: level
Screens, connectivity and power: 8/10 against 8/10.
Lounge & bags: KLM
What the fare includes before you board: 5/10 against 10/10.
Value: Azores Airlines
Median premium over the cheapest carrier on the same route: 9/10 against 4/10.

What happens if the aircraft swaps

Both carriers are paying-the-same-fare-either-way propositions on some frames. The worst product each one flies:

Azores Airlines

A321neo / A321LR · flown by Jon

Seat: 0/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 5/10
Value: 9/10
Product score: 5.5/10

KLM

A330-200 / A330-300

Seat: 5/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 4/10
Product score: 6.8/10

Azores Airlines: Comfort Class is a wide 2-2 recliner, not a lie-flat business seat. The airline states about 40 degrees of recline; it is closer to US domestic first than to a transatlantic bed, and the sub-five-hour Azores sector is what it is built for.

KLM: 2-2-2 lie-flat: the window seat requires stepping over a neighbor.

Common questions

Is Azores Airlines or KLM better to Europe?: KLM scores 8/10 against Azores Airlines at 5.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare. On the four dimensions we can verify, Azores Airlines wins 1 and KLM wins 2. Service and food are not scored here because they cannot be read off a spec sheet.
Does the aircraft change the answer?: Yes. KLM scores 10/10 on the 787-9 / 787-10 / 777 (World Business Class) and 5/10 on the A330-200 / A330-300. Check the equipment on your date before deciding.
Has Jon flown either of these?: Azores Airlines, in business on a Europe route. KLM has not been flown, so nothing here claims firsthand experience of its cabin.

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