KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offers travelers an opportunity to experience Amsterdam while socializing with a local. The “Layover with a Local” service lets travelers waiting for their connecting flights at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol meet up with Amsterdam locals who enjoy meeting new people. The social profile of both traveler and local makes the perfect match to give travelers with a layover an authentic Amsterdam experience during their brief visit to Holland.
The “Layover with a Local” service is intended for travelers with a layover of 6 hours or more at Schiphol. Based on flight information, selected travelers can sign up for the “Layover with a Local” app, which turns a transfer at Schiphol into a city trip to Amsterdam. Travelers are matched with an Amsterdam local based on languages and social interests. After touching down at Schiphol, the app provides travelers with clear instructions as well as a free train ticket from the Dutch Railways to Amsterdam’s city center, where they hook up with the local. After the get-together, the app helps travelers get back to the airport on time.
“This initiative fits KLM’s positioning as a social airline. Around 70% of KLM’s passengers catch connecting flights at Schiphol, which is why we created this service that turns layover time at the airport into a unique and social experience in Amsterdam with a new friend,” said Tjalling Smit, SVP of Digital at Air France-KLM. “Travelers who catch a brief glimpse of Amsterdam this way may decide to come back in future to get the full Amsterdam experience.”
The “Layover with a Local” app will be available starting in mid-March and the service is initially for travelers departing from the United States, Canada and Italy.
