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Disclaimer: This flight was at the very end of December 2019 as part of my, and my “BRU boys”, Delta elite mileage run to keep my Diamond status with Delta for 2020.
With that, on to the review:
At this point in the saga of the “BRU boys” year-end mileage run, we have visited the new The Club at LAS (and some time in the Vegas Centurion lounge for good measure) and enjoyed the famous Delta Burger at 30,000 feet as well as jumping ahead to the flight from Amsterdam to Brussels.
But now my first time on the refurbished KLM 777 full-flat seats (they have been out for a number of years now)!
The old 2-3-2 configuration was really bad. I had flown that a number of times and hate having to crawl over someone from the middle in business class.
Having said that: if you are in the window seat on the 777, you still have that issue as only the middle and aisle seats have individual access.
Other than that, these are decent seats and very similar to the Delta 757 Delta One seats you will find flying transcon.
I love the open feel of the cabin. My only mega gripe with the setup is that the metal divider is fixed. When traveling with someone, it would be nice to see it disappear when you want that.
Storage is an issue like any of the seats of this general flavor. Plus, if you fill up the spot next to your shoulder with stuff it can get in the way of the power plugs.
The IFE was large, worked well, and had a good amount of movie selections. No complaints.
Again, a view of the extremely limited storage options presented to you. The downside? You have to use the overhead and are not always able to pop up and down to get stuff (turbulence, food and drink service, etc.).
On to the seat controls.
Sorry for the out of focus shot but if your arms are too short to reach the touch screen IFE you do have a remote next to your seat (or if you want to play games). Yet again on storage I found the magazines right next to me annoying and tossed them up into the overhead.
Seat controls are simple and functional. I was comfortable both during dining and for sleeping on this night flight to Europe.
I really prefer this type of tray table i.e. one that pulls all the way out and slides vs. those that are split the other way (in some configuration) and pivot. Even the split middle makes it nice when you want to use only half the tray for, say, a drink or snack.
The business class amenity kit is nothing to get excited about nor is it a “keeper” for me to reuse in the future (for cords etc.). As to the contents, functional but uninspiring. On to the food choices.
Let’s see how KLM compares to Delta One service and offerings that always seems to be the measuring line for me.
Before takeoff, Delta offers you either sparkling wine, juice or water – nothing more. With KLM, you get a tiny bite. It was tasty — but, honestly, a bit odd timing. I would rather have had this pre-dinner.
The real difference was the soup and salad course. A much larger selection and offering than what you would see with Delta and quite good.
The beef, however, was disappointing and very well (over) done. Delta, most times, does the beef a solid medium and is what I request most flights.
For dessert, I chose the cheese plate. It was OK. But again, here I give the win to Delta as they will give you a lot or a little as it is served buffet style vs. pre-made plates.
I slept through the breakfast service but my friend traveling with me said it was just OK. I have never been a fan of airline breakfast and tend to wait until I get to the lounge for my first meal of the day.
Overall this was a solid flight. Service was what I have come to expect from KLM, that is, attentive and good. The seats are a HUGE improvement over the old style and other than the lack of storage I have few complaints and would fly them again. Food was average but what I have come to expect from KLM.
Next up: a review of the new massive KLM Crown Lounge in Amsterdam. It really is massive — but has one major flaw that disappointed me and frankly surprised me a ton! – René
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
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No wonder Air France–KLM as a corporation have the problems they do. For the life of me I don’t understand why they didn’t use the same business-class configuration on Air France and KLM. KLM’s business-class is inferior because it remains 2x2x2 on most aircraft, whereas most Air France aircraft are 1x2x1 in business-class. This was a huge blunder in my opinion. Given the Air France–KLM–Delta joint-venture, I also don’t understand why all three airlines don’t have the same seats and configurations. It would sure make sense. But regardless, outside of the cool houses and the cool dishes, KLM is a vastly overrated airline. It serves the cheapest wine, both in-flight and its lounges. Villa Maria sauvignon blanc is good, but that’s a $10 bottle of wine at the grocery store.
I didn’t care for the crown lounge, so I am looking forward to your review!
KLM is akin to a budget US airline. They’re very cheap/miserly–maybe it’s an Anglo-Saxon country trait? Food is well below average and it shows. Business class or economy class. It’s budget/cheap all the way. it’s sad bc their stewards/stewardness are attentive, kind, and proactive.