KLM A330 business class review: from Amsterdam to Atlanta
The United Kingdom of the Netherlands, better known to all (wrongly) as Holland, named after its most [...]
KLM
SkyTeam
ATL
The United Kingdom of the Netherlands, better known to all (wrongly) as the Netherlands, named after its most populous province, recently decided to increase restrictions and controls to limit travel and counter the spread of Covid, requiring passengers on flights not only a negative Pcr test to be performed no later than 72 hours before the flight, but also a negative rapid test from Carry out within a maximum of 4 hours of departure.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- A330/300
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- AMS - ATL
- Price:
- ---
- Book
Please note: this does not only apply to those who are headed to Amsterdam or any other Dutch destination, but also to those from the Netherlands who are only in transit, as in my case arriving on a flight from Brussels.
The best bonuses
However, these new and imaginative obstacles did not prevent me from boarding the KLM between Amsterdam Schiphol and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, in the comfortable and elegant World Business Class. I did not, however, manage to visit none of the Crown Lounges Of the Dutch stopover.
N.B. Currently the borders for travel. to the U.S. are closed, except for proven business needs as in our case.
The booth
The red tape-which comes with the documents and visas required to enter the United States, given the closed borders-is soon forgotten, after priority boarding, thanks to the treatment of travelers, welcomed with a glass of champagne (or wine, or orange juice, or water) .
Unfortunately, KLM is one of the airlines that adopts a 2-2-2 business class configuration in the vast majority of its long-haul aircraft. This means that not all passengers have direct aisle access.
The route is currently served with Airbus A330/300s, the seats (model B/E Aerospace Diamond) are comfortable, but certainly not the top in the world of business chairs. With this configuration, there is not a lot of privacy, and legroom is also not a lot. However, since it is a daytime flight, leaving at 9:30 am and landing at 1 pm local time, it is not a big problem. On the contrary in a night flight the difference with other configurations is very noticeable. It is unfortunate that this was KLM's choice when it renovated the cabins of its A330 fleet.
Food & Beverage
Unlike other airlines, KLM has restored the service traditional business class, obviously adapted to the new sanitary regulations.
This means that paper menus are back on board where you can choose what to eat or drink, and most importantly, there are all the amenities: from welcome cocktails to snacks.
The constant availability of beverages (including cocktails, most notably The Anniversary Cocktail to celebrate Klm and Negroni's 100th birthday in 2019) is complemented by excellent choices in the kitchen, with a tasty lunch menu followed by a "light meal" just before landing (a must-try, the "beef burger on brioche").
As you can see everything is served covered and portioned, but apart from this small difference, everything is as before
IFE & Service
The cabin crew was very present throughout the flight, which is not a given for a Covid-era flight with the restrictions and advice to passengers to move as little as possible.
Very nice is the Jantaminiau-branded Klm clutch bag inside which you will find everything you need to travel in total comfort (socks, eye mask, toothpaste and toothbrush, lip balm, face cream, earplugs, plus, of course, the now unfailing hand sanitizing gel).
There is no shortage of entertainment: wide selection of movies, TV series, music and games to accompany the long journey.
Also noteworthy is the presence of Wi-Fi on board, with several options, including the fastest "stream" (cost € 30), which also promises the ability to watch online videos on your smartphone/tablet/pc. The connection speed is actually very good, although it cannot always guarantee a quality stream (or upload images to whatsapp, for which you have to wait sometimes a few minutes): put to the test by a video call via Amazon Alexa, the wi-fi managed to hold up, despite a few hiccups.
With rare and fortunate exceptions, thanks to the KLM treatment-which will also treat you from the company's customary iconic "little house"-you'll be so comfortable that you'll feel like you've never really traveled before. And after 9 hours and 45 minutes of flying, you will look forward to boarding such a plane again.
Pro
- Great service, pampered customer
Against
- A greater selection of movies and TV series wouldn't have hurt
- Wi-Fi allows only one device to be connected at a time
