Hey folks --

Looks like I might need to fly to the Middle East soon. Would be a business trip, most probably booked in Y. Looks like an upgrade would be 30k each way; just to AMS would be only 10k.

Question: could I upgrade just the transatlantic segs (assuming space is available -- I know, I know)? Doesn't seem like it's worth the extra...

Why not?

I've wondered the same thing. KL flies 737's with lousy "WBC" (2-3 seating with only slightly more legroom and no IFE at least for now) to the Mideast, and those flights are almost never overnight, so upgrading on them hardly seems worth the extra miles. Maybe if they actually introduce the portable video players like they've been saying.....

If you find out the answer, Alpha, let us know!

Couple of clarifications from my experiences...

To "near Middle East" destinations like TIP, BEY, DAM, CAI and TLV they fly 737s. You will be lucky if these have the 2-3 seating in Business Class... most 737-300, -400, and -800 are now 3-3 for the whole aircraft. The -900 has 6 rows of 2-3 in Business and some rows of 3-3 in Business. Check out the KLM seat maps page.

To most other destinations there are widebodies, I know DXB gets 777s and MD-11s. If you can't find availability (I never have, but never tried w/ a Y-class tkt, only cheap Bs) then definitely upgrade the whole thing as long as you will be on a widebody. After flying 7-9 hrs to get to AMS, the last thing you want to do is get on another aircraft in economy again!

i recently flew kuwait city-amsterdam-houston. i was floored it was going to be only 10000miles to upgrade ams-iah but 30000 to upgrade the entire trip. nw allowed me to upgrade just the ams-iah portion.

Well all academic for me. NW was about $600 more so I have to take UA/LH.

KL flies 767s AMS-KWI (I've done the trip three times).