Last month, I flew from Austin to Amsterdam for the last week of my vacation, and after spending six nights at the Hyatt Regency Amsterdam, it was time to head home.
I arrived at the airport a few hours before my flight and proceeded to check in for business class. I saw on my cell phone that our aircraft had been swapped from a Boeing 787-9 to a -10. It would be a similar product, but we were no longer in the bulkhead of the business class cabin.
We passed passport control and security and headed to KLM’s international (non-Schengen area) Crown Lounge. First, the signage to find the lounge is strange: “Airline Lounge 52”. How about calling it “KLM Business Lounge” or “KLM Crown Lounge”? It will be more clear.
This lounge opened in 2019 and is very spacious. It spans over 70,000 square feet and seats over 1,000 people. And I’m busy! This is the lounge for SkyTeam Business Class passengers, and is also available to all members of SkyTeam Elite Plus, but it is busier than expected given its size.
The food is…ok. It’s what I expect from a British Airways business lounge, nothing special, but competitive and better than domestic airlines like American and United. However, the lounge has additional charge services, including a premium pay restaurant called Blue and a pay sleep room.
The lounge is spread over multiple levels and is absolutely gorgeous, with light wood and well-finished lighting, as well as Delft Blue house displays. Of course, if you’re traveling with luggage, the stairs to the upper level of the lounge aren’t practical.
We only spent about 35 minutes in the lounge before heading to the gate. Boarding was delayed a little without any announcement. However, once I got on board, the crew was very friendly. I really liked the light blue color of KLM’s business class cabin.
KLM’s seats predate the new Boeing 777 suites and are about average for a transatlantic airline, with four rows of lie-flat seats with direct aisle access. The Boeing 787 has a narrower fuselage than the 777 (or Airbus equivalent), so the seats are a bit cramped. And there’s actually very little storage. My test is if there is a place to put my laptop in the compartment, but there is not here.
Instead of a cabinet, there is a small open space next to the seat with headphones and a bottle of water.
Amenity kits were available at each seat. It was functional, had plenty of items, and was good enough for business class, but it still felt a little cheap. Mainly because of the packaging and soft-sided kit itself rather than the contents.
Pre-departure drinks were offered and I only had a glass of water, which I had been denied on British Airways a few weeks earlier.
Then I went to the bathroom to change for my flight. A short transatlantic flight in business class I know airlines don’t provide pajamas, so I bring my own airline pajamas to keep me comfortable for 10 hours.
I returned to my seat and perused the menu, but on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines you almost always end up opting for a “tasting of delicacies.”
After that, we departed about 10 minutes late to unload the luggage of passengers who did not show up at the gate.
I had a Coca-Cola on the flight – I probably drink soda six times a year, and half of those times are Dr. Brown sodas – and I really like that KLM serves cheese. is. I mostly skip nut mixes unless they’re really interesting.
Food service is very efficient and I appreciate it most on overnight flights, but I prefer to end the flow of service quickly anyway so I can snuggle up to the show or get my work done uninterrupted. I would like to.
I appreciate KLM’s unique little twist. While not the flashiest business class, the way they incorporate the distinctive Delft Blue House throughout the product is great, as is the consistent use of blue. Their chocolates are also house shaped.
The in-flight snacks located at the front of the aircraft are very There weren’t many people, but they brought us hot snacks on board.
The meal before arrival was very delicious (I chose poke). In fact, overall I’m really impressed with the quality of KLM’s business class food.
At the end of the flight, the flight attendants went around the cabin and encouraged passengers to choose the Delft Blue House. One of the benefits of traveling as part of a trio is that he can add three new Blue Houses to his collection.
They are something airline business class passengers look forward to, and many people collect them. Apple and Google’s online stores also have a Delft Blue Houses app to help you keep track of all 104 homes.
Each house is a reproduction of an authentic Dutch building and is home to a Dutch gin. These stories are that KLM wanted to give gifts to premium passengers, but doing so violated national regulations. However, there were no prohibitions on serving the drink (Dutch gin) and no rules regarding what could be served with that drink (Delft house). These homes bring great brand value to KLM.
I arrived about 20 minutes late. I really like landing from an international flight in Austin and not having to make a layover. This trip made sense mainly because of the direct flight. Without it, I would never have chosen Amsterdam for my trip. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is in the process of upgrading its flights to Boeing 777 aircraft, but I personally would like to see them increase the frequency of their flights from the current three days a week. However, I couldn’t request more than three Saver Business Class awards on any given day.
Customs and Immigration in Austin is weird, and you have to wait until your checked baggage arrives before going through immigration. Our bags lasted until the end and my daughter was conditionally approved for an extension to her global entry. My wife and I didn’t have to be interviewed, but we’re probably going to need an interview to update the photo of her 5 year old (as the last one was taken when he was a baby).
While doing Global Entry, I asked her if I would like to be interviewed and was pointed to the area where I should wait. we kept waiting. How long will it take? I asked.And was told they were clearing everything next flight Before helping anyone looking for a Global Entry interview. Several more families came to wait. And wait. I went back and pointed out that this was just an update for a 5 year old. They agreed to meet us and we left immediately.
