Hofmann's recommendations

KLM World Business Class

700394

700394

KLM from the Netherlands, one of the oldest airlines in the world, has joined
has joined the trend of Business Class renewal. 200 million
The "Flying Dutchman" is investing 200 million euros in a well thought-out product
which first took off in July 2013 and bears the signature of Dutch designers.
Dutch designers. Incidentally, the company is celebrating its 95th anniversary in 2014.
birthday.

Even the feeder flight from Vienna to Amsterdam is a positive surprise.
The service has also been upgraded on European routes. Because one thing is
clear. The enormous service performance of the airlines from Asia, but above all
especially from the Middle East or Turkish Airlines have put many airlines in Europe
in Europe under pressure. KLM's partner Air France alone is investing
invested 500 million euros in new Economy and Premium Economy Class products.
Economy Class.

Amsterdam: The distances at the airport are long, but exemplary in terms of
signage and helpful ground crew, travelers can find their way around.
right. KLM has equipped five Boeing 747-400s (as of October 25, 2013) with the new
Business Class. Although such an undertaking
time-consuming, the company manages to refit one aircraft every two weeks.
aircraft every two weeks. This means that all 22 KLM jumbos will have the new product in April 2014.
new product by April 2014. Although the first Boeing 747s will be retired in four to five
years will be retired. As a result, some details, such as the
luggage compartments, have not been replaced.

The first impression on board is refreshing. The new colors of the carpets,
walls and seats bring much more elegance than the traditional KLM
KLM's traditionally dominant blue.

The centerpiece is, of course, the new Business Class seat. My seat, 73K,
is located on the upper deck. The armchair, slightly to the right,
gives the window seat a cozy atmosphere. Some data:
Seat spacing: 160 centimeters, 180 degree adjustable backrest, thus
into a bed, which at 2 meters and 7 centimetres (Lufthansa 2
meters, British Airways 1.80 meters) is probably one of the longest in the industry.
in the industry. 58 centimeters seat width (Austrian 51cm, Swiss 57cm, British Airways
63cm) In any case: an excellent lying surface, the seat cushion is very comfortable as a bed.
very comfortable. The keypad for adjusting the seat is also simple and
simple.

If you are not traveling on the upper deck and want to be alone, you should reserve seat
1A or 4A. These are individual seats by the window and offer
really plenty of space. In addition, the number of seats on board the jumbo
has been reduced from 42 to 35. 20 on the upper deck and 15 in the nose at the front of the
main deck. And very importantly - no more unpopular middle seat.

In addition to the cabin design from the Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, the
The cuisine on our test flight was created by celebrity chef Onno Kokmeijer.
There is still a risk here. Star Chef menus are not always perfect, even if they are
are of course test-cooked on board before being introduced, are not always easy to
on board. Chicken may not have been a happy choice, but the
quality of the product was nevertheless very good. The tableware and glasses are
from the design of Marcel Wanders. Worth mentioning: the exquisite wine selection
also includes a good drop from the Netherlands. There should have been
landing there would have been a second dinner service, which the reporter
reporter missed.

The entertainment program is shown on 43-centimetre personal screens.
screens, so many movies that it was not possible to find out how many hours of
of individual audio and video on demand is available.

As for the rest of the long-haul fleet: from summer 2014, work will begin to successively convert
fifteen Boeing 777-200s, followed by the Boeing 777-300 fleet.
The product will then have a more modern design, such as touch
screen on the monitor. And despite the enormous investments, the
Business Class prices will not be raised at KLM - the competition no longer
will no longer allow this.

Kurt Hofmann

KLM World Business Class

Kurt Hofmann

BEITRÄGE

The current CC highlights

Rating - The best hotels

The world of CC Print

Friends of the Caribbean

Hospitality Awards

CC Top tip

CC VIP

Current competition

Unsere Partner