Review of KLM Cityhopper flight from Bordeaux to Amsterdam in Economy

After a few days in Bordeaux I'm geading back to Stuttgart, my hometown. The return journey is on KLM as well and once again I'll have two Embraer 190 on my return leg.

May journey was about to start in a bad way. As I was approaching hall A as most of KLM flights start from there, airport staff at the entrance told me that the airport was beeing evacuated. Probably a luggage left behind… So I decided to continue my way towards hall B, home of Air France and HOP to at least print my boarding pass on the checkin machines. My flight is departing from Gate 22 this time, which means… the right hall: hall B. Security was a breeze shortly before noon. No one. However weird control as I had to remove my tablet from its hard case to pass control. It the first time in almost 100 trips that I had to do so… including 5-10 security controls in Boardeaux!
Air side hall was empty today. A flight to Paris Orly was about to leave and nothing now for some time.

I decided therefore to head straight to the lounge. Air France has its own Patio there.

Air France "le patio" lounge

That lounge has been renewed 2-3 years ago and the design is now nice in the look of other Air France lounges like in Paris CDG. It remains very small, often too small for all the flights operated with a lot of frequent travelllers in there. Today was the first time I had an almost empty lounge.

That central table is a nice addition.

Today's offer during lunch. They are some sandwichs (with carots, advocado, lettuce, tuna…), salty "petits fours" and the usual sweet cakes or chips/crisps.

Rest of the breakfast. The coffee machine delivers only black coffees. If you want a capuccino, you can add creamer in it or… use the pre-mixed goblet as you find on Hop flights.

Usual soft drinks in 25cl cans

The second side of the lounge. There is a third side as well with good working stations but this was the only one occupied today so I haven't taken any picture of it.

A nice comfy place when empty.

WTF!!! So when finally you find an empty lounge to have some rest they find the way to make noise and start cleaning at that time?!?

View from the lounge. I love Volotea colours.

Boarding started 20min late.

On the other side the aircraft for CDG was approaching.

Focus on the door

The only view of my aircraft possible.

It's usual here to take a pic of the door… you'll get much more than one!

Our GE and a HOp in the backgroud at the hall A. AF is using that terminal pretty offen for small modules or for KLM.

Back to the door ;)

inside the aircraft

I headed directly to my seat 8F. It is already after the front section with seats with higher pitch. However the space is sufficient.

KLM Cityhopper seats.

Floor is clean even after a short turnaround.

We are on the 1st of August and the new magazine is already on board. Well done KLM!

We are pretty quickly all on board. They are only a few remaining empty seats.

Push back in front of a huge number of easyjets.

Passing behind Volotea and less common… Ural Airlines

There is a Q400 Flybe I'd like to take. SInce airberlin bankruptcy I have not been anymore in such an aircraft.

Take off roll start in front of the Sabena infrastructures. They are several Etihad or Avianca aircrafts there.

Take off above the Landes forest.

U-turn to the right and we pass the airport again. Boardeaux ios behind.

Boardeaux and its airport

The Dordogne (left) and the Garonne (right) come together north of Boardeaux.

Short review of KLM fleet. They are still 10 B747 and I will try to catch one of them in the next months to CHicago.

Service is coming. You never really know in advance what you get on a KLM Cityhopper flight. This time we have a sadnwich. I prefer and I normally like KLM taste for them. We have this time a cream of cheese and vegetables. I have a Heineken with taht (special "livery" for the 100 years of KLM) and a glas of water.

Nice touch. Intersting to see that KLM flies to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico or Recife, Brazil ;)

Inside my sandwich

The flight passed fast: 1h20. Approchaing Schipol a KLM B737 is heading probably to UK/Ireland.

Close to AMS

We are 30 minutes late. A flight attendant passing through told me that I will catch my connection to Stuttgart but I should hurry up once at the airport. Nevertheless we parked at a remote gate in front of this rare HOP aircraft here.

I took a straight way to my next flight but took my time anyway. I arrived at time of departure and about 50% of the cabin still had to board… :)