After flying from Chicago to Amsterdam on the KLM Boeing 787-10, it was time to connect to Stockholm on a KLM Boeing 737-800. Let's pick up where I left off in the last installment.How I redeemed miles for KLM business classTo briefly summarize, we redeemed 60,500 Flying Blue miles plus $240 per person in taxes…
Continue reading: Review: KLM Business Class Boeing 737
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
When I flew in KLM business class all seats were occupied, which wasn't so nice. Otherwise KLM is one of the better airlines to travel here in Europe
Good review, excited for the rest. My guess is the purser saw it on a company email/memo and just announced it. Not every milestone warrants a full celebration but it's cool to note.
Ben - please, please, please get rid of the popup ad in the lower right part of the screen. You've done a good job with limiting the ads, and I can deal with the banner ad at the bottom of the page, but the popup one is incredibly annoying and intrusive. It blocks a good portion of the screen, and the fact that it's a "moving" ad is so distracting - I go close it immediately and it's beyond obnoxious. They seem to be for your other posts, which makes me think it's just a feature you've added rather than a paying ad? If so, please get rid of it ASAP.
Very similar experience to yours a few years ago - 2019. 737-800 from AMS to LHR after arriving from Abu Dhabi. I enjoyed seeing the Crown Lounge and then the flight was good. Nice friendly service, good food for breakfast, and several passes through the cabin with extra coffee/ water/ juice. A pleasant flight. I like KLM
Why did you have to go through passport control at Stockholm if ARN and AMS are both in the Schengen Area?
@ AlanT98 -- Because I was connecting from the United States, and first used the lounge in the non-Schengen area.
I'm still a little confused by this. Would you not have had to clear Schengen immigration in AMS at some point prior to boarding? If not, how were they able to differentiate between pax on board?
I understand going through passport control in AMS but why did you have to go through it when you landed in ARN?
@ Jerry -- Whoops, I'm sorry, I misread these comments, and realize now what y'all are saying. I think the reason for the passport control was because currently each country has different entry policies, and Sweden had different entry requirements than the Netherlands. So while there might not usually be passport control, there was in this case.
Probebly because this flight were before the EU-covidpass went standard and Sweden still checked on everybodys testresults etc.
Can I use the non Schengen lounge as an arrival lounge if Amsterdam is destination? Coming from LAX and may want to shower if I can’t check into hotel until afternoon.
I also noticed it recently in other travel blogs and imagined it was probably a feature of the hosting website? I agree it's annoying
Lounge access is permitted on arrival if you are coming from a long-haul business class flight on KLM.
KLM totally lack what both Swiss and LH do. My recent flight in C on KLM on evening flights was same kind of box with cold food... LH have a menu a hot food and very good same goes for Swiss. KLM in Europe and you are better of in economy same leg room and if lucky no one next to you.. And the sandwish very good....
I've noticed it on this site and View from the Wing. It is incredibly annoying!
It is disappointing to observe that business class passengers flying intra-European routes do not deserve what they pay for. The seating on the A320s & B737s is the same as economy class with probably the same legroom. Why is it so difficult to exchange these seats with the proper 2×2 configuration like what most airlines do in other continents?
Lucky, you’re giving me flashbacks. I’ve flown Houston to Amsterdam to Moscow many times for work. KLM is ok. Arriving in Amsterdam at 7am generally sucked. Then trying to get into the overcrowded Priority Pass lounge was a chore. One of the Starbucks there has a padded bench and tables tucked around the side of the counter that most folks miss. Nice place to hideout and watch planes through a glass wall.
Singapore Airlines used to fly direct from Houston to Moscow. Me and my coworkers miss that flight dearly. I flew business class on Singapore once on that route and it was amazing!
So exactly what was required for Covid status: (a) vaccination certificate, (b) neg. test result, or (c) both?
Quite a sneaky way of insinuating that the crew were not above board when wishing that pax. You do you.
These are biz seats?! Looks seats on a plane out of Congo!!! Bloody awefull! Food seems ok.
Nice to see cloth seats for a change but that COVID box catering needs to be reverted to proper service
It's a good product. You can often upgrade these 3-hour legs from economy to business for about 75€. That's a steal if you ask me
Unfortunately I take quite some intra-european flights with KLM in business class and their speed of service is quite slow. They try the individual service by asking row by row what you want to drink, however if you sit in row 3 or 4, often you get a drink after all economy already have received a drink, snack and all was cleaned. It's quite unacceptable that this happens after. Crown lounge is, on the contrary, an amazing lounge, challenging the amazing loft in Brussels airport.
Lucky, jfyi, on most Lufthansa, Austrian and presumably also Swiss narrowbodies there is 32" pitch in the first 6-10 rows (depending on the type), except for some ex-Airberlin A320s which are 30" throughout. So unless you have bad luck and get one of the exceptions, there should always be extra legroom in Business Class (and/or the first economy rows).
I have gold status on Air France-KLM. Frankly the economy class seating and service is good enough that I'd never spend money or points to upgrade on intra-Europe flights. Much rather save them for trans-Atlantic flights.
I had a wonderful experience that made me want to take another trip.
Meals are exactly as described by the earlier writer. Landing and take off were smooth. Cabin crew were friendly.
One of those two. Or a recovery certificate (but that is only accepted if issued in the EU).
Being of Dutch heritage, I often use KLM to fly around Europe to visit friends and relatives in that part of the world. But there is just no way that I would waste my points or spend $$ to fly J class on KLM or any other European airline. It's just not worth it. Sure, the lounge at Schipol is fun and I've spent many an hour in there, plane watching with a delicious bloody Mary. But in terms of what you get for flying Business, I cannot justify the expense! The seats are just Y class and middle seat is kept free. Big deal! I've travelled Y class and had a whole row to myself many a time. As for the meal, I've never been gone hungry because I've eaten in the airport terminal and would never rely on the inflight meal to fill me up..
As you were flying to a Schengen country, we you able gain access to the non-Schengen lounge simply by scanning the business class ticket, or you had to do something else for the admission?