KLM and LIFT Take South Africans on a Sky-High Dutch Experience

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines teamed up with local premium carrier LIFT to surprise South African travellers with a unique taste of Dutch hospitality at 36,000 feet. This special in-flight experience was available on flights leaving from Johannesburg and Cape Town.

During the trip, travellers got to play a surprise in-flight bingo game with cool Dutch-themed prizes. They also enjoyed a curated onboard package featuring KLM’s signature amenity kit, a cute Dutch house ornament, traditional Dutch stroopwafels, clog ornaments from the Dutch embassy, and a Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bar. Each person received a specially designed Dutch-inspired boarding pass, and a few lucky passengers even had their caricatures drawn mid-flight by Palettes of Joy. To make it even better, everyone on board received an exclusive discount code for 10% off their next KLM flight booking.

These days, it's not just about how far or how often we travel — it's about making the most of the journey. KLM and LIFT are all about taking it slow, enjoying the ride, and making each trip special. This unique initiative is part of KLM's effort to connect more with the South African market and highlight their top-notch hospitality, even before you hop on an international flight.

“This collaboration is all about celebrating the joy of travel, the magic of mid-air moments, and the spirit of partnership. We’re thrilled to work with KLM to bring such a fresh and fun Dutch-inspired experience to our passengers,” says Haydn Henning, Brand Manager at LIFT. “We are always looking at ways to ‘Surprise & Delight’ our passengers and what better way to do that than with a few rounds of Bingo, great prizes and good laughs at 36,000 feet!! We love treating our passengers with elevated onboard experiences.”

“South Africa is an incredibly important market for KLM, and this collaboration with LIFT is a fun and creative way for local travellers to engage with the KLM brand,” says Wilson Tauro, Country Manager Southern Africa at Air France-KLM. “Our goal was to deliver a memorable surprise that not only celebrated our Dutch roots but also gave passengers a little taste of what flying with KLM feels like. We’re proud to partner with an innovative airline like LIFT to bring this experience to life in such a uniquely local way.”

KLM still runs daily flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Amsterdam, hooking up South Africans with over 160 spots around the world thanks to their awesome global network and top-notch service.