This is the second part of my trip from London booked on Virgin Atlantic points. You can read part one here.
In this post:
Boarding
Typically for Amsterdam, the boarding gate was about as far away as it could be from the KLM lounge and right next to where I had got off the short-haul flight!
Somehow KLM seems to manage to have an orderly boarding process, whereas BA’s seems to currently be a bit of a shambles. I think it helps that they display the zones in large letters on the screens and allow enough time for each zone to board before they start to call the next one.
Once on board, I was offered a welcome drink. I went for champagne. I liked the rather retro glasses that felt like a “proper” glass. Already at my seat were the food and drinks menus as well as an amenity kit.
I quite liked the look of the bag which was a decent size and sturdiness that you could re-use it. It contained the usual eyemask, socks (liked the snazzy stripes) toothbrush, a decent size tube of toothpaste so you could use it again, earplugs and hand sanitiser. There were also the Rituals products in KLM’s signature blend, which consisted of a Tulip and Yuzu face moisturiser (the Rituals products for KLM smell great) and a Mint lip balm.
KLM B787-10 Business Class Seat and cabin
This is KLM’s newest business class seat and is only available on its B787-10 and on Air Europa. The seats are configuredin a reverse herringbone in a 1-2-1 layout.
There are not really any bad seats as they are all in one long cabin. I generally avoid being too close to the front or the back due to the proximity of toilets, bassinet positions and the galley. I was in 6K.
The main flaw with the seat for me was the lack of pre-departure storage. There was a shelf with a water bottle where you could fit a few bits, and that was pretty much it.
After take-off, there was also room under the TV screen, plus of course, on the side console.
Although there was no door, it was very private, and you could not really see anyone else from your seat.
I found the seat of KLM B787-10 Business Class comfortable for sitting and sleeping. It wasn’t too hard, unlike some seats which was just as well as the bedding consisted of a quilt but no mattress topper. It was a day flight but I managed to have a good nap to see me through the day after an early start. The pillow was a good size and well-cushioned. The space between the TV was really wide for your feet, and found this very spacious for sleeping on your side. Often I find it a bit cramped for my legs as I sleep with them bent, but this was one of the roomiest seats I have tried in that respect.
The only other complaint was that you could not control elements of the seat individually. I personally like to only recline slightly but have my legs raised fully when eating or watching a film. There were three buttons for sitting mode, lounge mode and sleep mode to choose from. Obviously, you could adjust it to every position in between, but I would have preferred to be able to raise the leg rest individually.
KLM B787-10 Business Class Food and drink
The menus were nicely presented.
I was more impressed by the drinks than I expected. There was a Negroni cocktail, a choice of 3 red wines, champagne and even a dessert wine. There were also some more unusual spirits and liqueurs, such as limoncello and Grappa. Plus, of course, they had cognac – KLM 1: BA – 0!
The service started with a hot towel.
Then there was an offer of a drink accompanied by a choice of snacks. I thought I would try the Dutch cheese.
I loved the cute little bowl it came in. The flag seemed a bit wasteful, though, for an airline focused heavily on sustainability. The champagne was Bernard Lonclas Blanc de Blanc which I have not had before, but it was definitely quaffable but not something I would go and buy. (To be fair, the only business class champagne I’d buy apart from the Qatar rosé from Laurent Perrier would be Joseph Perrier which Finnair serve).
The starters came as a selection; there was no choice. Since it was vegetarian, it would be suitable for most people. Again it is not something I would choose in a restaurant, but it was tasty, and I particularly enjoyed the nut salad, which I thought I would dislike. The one bit I did not like was the chickpeas which were a thick puree and stodgy. If they had made this into hummus, it would have been much better. I did enjoy the crusty warm roll, though. I tried a glass of the chardonnay with the starter, which was OK but a little dull.
The crew were friendly and attentive with plenty of top-ups offered. So far I have KLM crews very consistent.
I went for the salmon for my main course.
This definitely tasted better than it looked. The salmon was not too overcooked and the sauce was plentiful and tasty. I also liked the couscous as a change from potatoes. I thought the portion was quite generous with two pieces of salmon.
The dessert was a choice of mixed desserts or cheese. I went for the mixed desserts. This was accompanied by a Dutch house shaped chocolate which was a nice touch. I thought the desserts looked attractive, and they tasted pretty good too.
The second meal was a snack which was fine for the flight which was under 7 hours.
I started off with the croquette roll which turned out to be a bit like a sausage roll but with beef inside. It was warm and actually very tasty.
The crew came around with the selection in total three times, and I’m afraid I tried it all. I was still a bit peckish after the croquette so I went for the sandwiches. These tasted fresh but rather bland. It felt like it needed some condiments like pickle with the cheese, for example.
I was planning to stop there but then the lovely crew waved a tray of Stroop waffle ice cream under my nose. Being a massive Stroopwafels fan, I had to try it, and it was really delicious!
The flight ended with the presentation of a gift which is a Delft Dutch house filled with gin. Interestingly I forgot all about it, and it sailed through security in a couple of airports before I got it home! They make a selection of different houses, so they bring a tray with them all on so you can choose the one you want in case you collect them.
KLM B787-10 Business Class Entertainment and wifi
The screen was large and had great definition as you’d expect with a modern aircraft.
Noise-cancelling headphones were supplied and were decent quality and fairly comfortable with the well-padded earpieces. The controller had a touch screen which was pretty simple to use and didn’t seem to lag.
There was a good choice of new and older movies as well as TV programs. I spotted one with Pete Davidson, so despite the most random premise of a time machine in a tanning bed I decided to give it a go. Meet Cute started well with the premise of a girl whose life is in so much of a mess she wants to commit suicide. She discovers a time machine and ends up meeting a guy (Pete) only to keep going back trying at first to perfect the date, and then to perfect him. The first half was good, but then when she went back to start perfecting him, it made no sense since every time she went back, he would have gone back to how he was, so he never met her. A very odd film!
There was wi-fi onboard, but I really struggled with it. It was a complicated system that involved buying a voucher and then activating it, but when the wifi dropped out for a while, I couldn’t get back on again despite still having bought a full flight. I thought the prices were reasonable, and it was good that you could use the messaging for free. (I couldn’t get that to work either, so I suspect there was a fault with the whole system).
There was plenty of capability for charging with a USB charger under the TV screen and a second one, as well as a multi-country socket by the shelf.
Conclusion
I was pretty impressed overall with the new KLM B787-10 business class, and I would definitely fly with KLM again. It was a stress-free experience connecting in Amsterdam, and then the service onboard was excellent. The starters were about the only thing that I wasn’t overly keen on, and while the rest of the food and drink didn’t wow me as Qatar would, it was definitely a solid service and plentiful.
It was the little extra touches that sold KLM to me as well, such as the chocolate and the Delft house. You actually come away feeling like you are a valid customer. I only have Skyteam Elite Plus status compared to my BA GGL status, but I felt as valued as a customer with KLM on this flight as I would on most BA flights.
Like our KLM B787-10 business class review? You can read more flight reviews here.
10 comments
Thanks for a thorough and interesting review. Haven’t done KLM long haul for a great many years (after a less than ideal flight to Caracas) but your experience did look pretty solid it has to be said! Must confess though that I did giggle about your comment that the Dutch flag in the cheese “seemed a bit wasteful”, haha. Essentially a wooden toothpick and a piece of paper the size of a stamp?! I thought it was a nice touch! Thanks again and Happy Easter all.
For SkyTeam, out of Virgin, KLM, Delta and AF, I rate Air France top. I hope you can give them a go soon, I couldn’t find a recent AF long haul business class review on TLFL.
AF: superb dining which lives up to the French style, lovely self-serve bar during flights (bottle of champers, liquors, snacks), comfy seats, and great CDG lounge. Only hiccup is no bubbles until 11 or noon in CDG lounges as of a couple of months ago, but they do have Grey Goose and other spirits out from opening. The FAs can be brusque but do warm up.
I’ve flown KLM business a couple of times in past 12 months. Love the quirky Dutch touches and friendly service. But I think their food quality has gone downhill with bland and limited options. Also their wine glasses are minuscule, around ~120ml. Not great for FAs or if you have an FA who doesn’t do top ups.
Thanks for the review!
I flew back on AF so the review is coming next week. I’d agree I thought they were definitely better than KLM. We do have a recent review from Jason. https://www.turningleftforless.com/review-air-france-business-class-b777-300-from-paris-to-mexico-city/
I flew KLM Business to Cape Town at Xmas and back AF. Agree with all your comments, the KLM crew were lovely, although did all look like they had just got out of bed and forgotten a hair brush, but super friendly. The food and drinks were better on AF but absolutely soulless cabin crew and not nearly as attentive. Loved the little extra features like the Delft House, and the cute china and glassware.
On a separate point that you commented on, I transited through AMS on Sunday and after my Easyjet flight from Bristol was delayed by 2 hours (having booked what I thought at 2 hrs 40 mins was plenty of time!) I had to run from one side of the airport to the other (and it is huge), somehow I just made the Etihad flight as they were closing the gate, but without attempting to collect my luggage…..it was that and pay for a night at the last minute in Amsterdam, or try and make my flight to Abu Dhabi without it. My luggage has already arrived in Abu Dhabi, which I thought was pretty impressive of AMS Baggage services, since I was on two separate tickets so presumed they had no liability to send it to my final destination, excellent service on their part.
Also loved the KLM lounge whereas the AF one was packed and hideous……
In my humble opinion, BA’s boarding woes are the result of someone’s unhealthy obsession with FlexiBarrier Belt Stanchions!
When T5 opened the queuing systems in place didn’t seem to be so obtrusive, with plenty of seating and circulation space in the gate areas. Over the years seats have been removed and replaced with queue barriers which, in my estimation, take up at least 30 square meters of floor space at each gate that is only used once boarding commences.
In T5A, the pay-for-use lounges at gates A7 & A18 have also taken away attractive sight lines and the quiet seating areas for folk on long transits, and if people are loitering and waiting to board at A6 & A7 it’s now a struggle to get round to the other gates in that area.
In the melee, at most gates it’s difficult to read the waist level signs, so when the strap is removed in preparation for the big event that is Group 1 boarding the jostling starts! It’s why I stand back and board when it’s all settled down and flowing smoothly.
What seems to work well for other airlines, and at other airports, are two or three high level monitors giving group and boarding information, with short barrier lines beneath to enable the gate staff to control the passenger flow once boarding commences.
Good analysis of the issue Duncan. I have also noticed that the boarding areas feel very cramped. I don’t really see why you need a long area that’s roped off if people only come up when they are called and if they actually just called one group at a time.
I defected from BA to AF/KL a couple years ago and am still happy with my choice, but one thing that still really annoys me is why they can’t get any beers other than Heineken.
I am surprised you feel like a valued customer on BA. I have been a BA GGL member since launch and Gold in total for over 15 years. Nowadays, BA is just absolutely terrible. I have had such poor service and lack of meals that cabin crew feel forced to apologise to customers and encourage them to complain to BA. This includes CW and First.
I am now actively looking at ways to move away from BA as possible. Friends and colleagues the same. Including a premier member.
One of the things about KLM which is unique to them among major European carriers is that they have no captive audience and no home market that could sustain their operation at the level it is and therefore they depend on people who have a more convenient choice traveling with them. I never mind a stop provided the airport is reasonable so I like AMS but would never transit FRA simply because the airport is chaotic and difficult to navigate even for LH to LH.
I guess to KLM crews are very aware that their passengers have to walk away content and that’s one of the things that keeps them among the best.
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