VLM Airlines this week announced its intention to launch flights toAmsterdamfrom London City (LCY) on April 4. It will pose stiff competition to KLM, which operates five flights every weekday from LCY and currently enjoys a monopoly on theAmsterdamroute.
Return fares start at around £100 between LCY andAmsterdamwith VLM, which is less than a third of the current fares offered by KLM. On its website, KLM is offering return fares of around £350 unless passengers are willing to stay inAmsterdamfor two nights or more.
The VLM flights will be operated by the same aircraft used by KLM, a 45-seater Fokker-50, offered in a two-class configuration.
The VLM service will operate three times a day, Monday-Friday, with the first flight leavingLondonat8amand arriving at10.20am, and the last flight leaving the Dutch capital at6.05pmand arriving back at6.20pm.
VLM already operates flights out of LCY toRotterdam,Antwerp,Brussels,Jersey,Liverpool,Luxembourg, andManchester. Although LCY advocates a check-in of ten minutes, VLM advises passengers to arrive at least 20 minutes before scheduled departure.
The carrier recently relaunched its website to improve the booking process and begin a migration to e-ticketing, or ticket-less travel. The site also allows passengers to save flight itineraries to make repeat bookings quicker. Go to www.flyvlm.com.
