Originally Posted by wldtrvlr
KLM/NW by virtue of their longstanding agreement split the income from all Transatlantic flights operated by both carriers. KLM serves some markets, NWA serves others. Sometimes (but not so much anymore) they both have flights to the same airport.
For years NWA metal served IAD-AMS, however, over the last few years KLM has served it. (There is only one flight a day).
Every so often they will switch things around (like when new planes are added to the fleet). But I don't think you will see KLM at DTW in the near future since most of the A330's are allocated to DTW.
As pointed out by wldtrvlr already, KLM and NWA share their income and costs 50/50 on the routes across the pond to the US ( Canada is excluded as well as the Caribbean ) so it is completely irrelevant which route is served on blue or silver metal.
IIRC KLM operated to DTW for the last time in the winter season after the new World Gateway opened, I can remember sitting in F on a 752 bound for Phoenix after arriving on a KL 74M.
NW had some operational problems early on, so delays were common.It was the 2 p.m ish departure from Schiphol that was served by KLM, now it is NW 53 / KL 6053 again.
For example KLM used to operate the Memphis route for a very long time, until NW took it over about a year ago.It was a MD 11 for most of the time and always a late departure out of Schiphol, conveniently connecting to the last bank of flights at MEM.After Sep. 11 NW ceased operations out of MEM after 6 p.m. ( kind of scary when the WC closed at 5.30 p.m ) and KLM operated the flight earlier to offer connections, it became a 767 for some time.Then NW took it over and operates it with a DC 10.
Other airports that saw NW and KL shuffle aircrafts were MIA, IAD, MSP, but also EWR and JFK.NW used to opearte a daily 744 to Schiphol that left Kennedy at 6 p.m., now we have two KL flights to JFK and one to EWR.Only airports which I can remember not to have any aircraft shuffles are the ones which are served mostly with a KL 74M ( NW obviously do not have Combi aircraft ) so we are talking about IAH, LAX or ORD.
SFO-AMS was also always served on KL 747/M11 or 777 metal. ATL-AMS was a 743 in the past and from then on always a KL 767.
IMO BOS-AMS was always a NW DC 10 / A 330
PHL-AMS was also always a NW DC 10, IIRC