After flying on a Boeing 737-800 from London Heathrow to Amsterdam the previous day.
Unsurprisingly I enjoyed a day at the Panorama Terrace…
It is a must when I pay this airport a visit.
I was ready the following morning to take my 9 hour treck over the North Atlantic onto Sint Maarten!
Getting air side at 05:30am meant I got through security easy enough, and I found my Airbus A330-200 (PH-AOD) parked at the gate, ready to go!
Boarding the Airbus A330, I took my seat in 21J. Ready for the journey.
Personally not a huge A330 fan, but I do like the 2-breast seating by the window. 3-breast is very awkward for getting out on a long haul flight!
We pushed back about 30 minutes behind schedule. However it was a short taxi to our runway. We only had 3 planes ahead of us and it wasn't long before we were rocketing out of a cloudy Amsterdam Schipol and above the clouds on the 9 hour journey to SXM.
About an hour into the flight as the Airbus A330 passed over the British Isles (UK, Isle of Man & Republic Ireland), the meal service began.
The meal service had two options; Tomato Pasta (vegetarian) and Beef Meatballs (meat) which was served alongside a tray consisting of a salad pot, a small box containing cheese and crackers with the final desert item being a carrot cake. I decided to have a can of Heineken beer alongside it.
As the plane flew along the North Atlantic heading a slight Southern route towards the South Caribbean. I decided to enjoy some of the movies and tv shows featured by the KLM system.
The Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" was one film I was extremely looking forward to enjoying, it didn't disappoint. I also caught up with KLM's chosen Family Guy and Undercover Boss USA. I also followed the IFE Map as we passed around the Atlantic.
Typically we had a few turbulent periods through the flight, where the A330 would begin to rock up and down, the wing flexing along with the plane, making for good footage!
I went to the rear galley to get my legs moving and to get a break from sitting, think I was back there talking to some of the crew for an hour or so.
I took a can of cola back to my seat as the crew decided to prepare for the duty free run, I wanted to get out of their way.
I also took with me some small sweet items they offer for people to take at their own will. I took one of each item, made them last the remaining entirety of flight.
A cornetto type ice cream and cup of water was later handed out.
About 2 hours from landing, whilst watching the Hotel Inspector, the pre-arrival lunch was distributed. It consisted on a margarita pizza, caramel desert, bean salad and a drink, I chose a lemonade.
In no time at all we were in our final hour of flight and we began our decent into the small Caribbean island, making some circles and cloud surfing as we lined up.
With no traffic in front of (well directly or close enough) we were on finals and we passed over the legendary Maho Beach and touched down at Princess Juliana Airport serving Sint Maarten.
We parked at the end of the airport and we had to make an open disembarkation onto buses.
The plane was to carry on to Curacao so the passengers flying on wards stayed on the plane.
I did get an A330 flight deck shot! Didn't miss a trick!
And on that note, was the end of my ride to Sint Maarten, and I had a wonderful time on the small island!
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Verdict
KLM
9.3/10
Cabin9.5
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi9.5
Meal/catering9.0
Amsterdam - AMS
10.0/10
Efficiency10.0
Access10.0
Services10.0
Cleanliness10.0
Saint Martin - SXM
8.0/10
Efficiency8.0
Access10.0
Services4.0
Cleanliness10.0
Conclusion
KLM- Another amazing long haul trip with the Dutch airline, absolutely loved it. Solid product for flights to/from Europe.
Amsterdam- Great airport, many shops which helped me get some last minute travel supplies. Many great viewing points across the air side gate area.
Sint Maarten- Great airport, loved Maho Beach. Airport staff were efficient as they could be as the airport is still reeling from the Hurricane damages from 2017. Not a lot available at the airport for facilities due to the same problems.
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Seemed like a pleasant flight for you indeed. Those Dutch Caribbean islands are a real gold mine to KLM. In case you travel through Amsterdam anytime soon, just mind you that the Panorama terrace is closed since 1 March for some months due to renovations to T1. Thanks for sharing your report!
Hey Jett, cool report! From one planespotter paradise to another! Looks like it was a good flight overall. I've been meaning to get to SXM foreeeever, but haven't had a chance. This makes me want to go soon! Hope to see a Maho Beach planespotting bonus on the return leg!
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Thanks for sharing!
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