Review of KLM Cityhopper flight from London to Amsterdam in Economy

nothing like flying from city

 Hello frequent flyers!

I am presenting you this very short flight for weekend to my dear Amsterdam.

We decided to go to Netherlands just 2 weeks before the date and so a full return with KLM was too expensive, we chose Easyjet on the way back and KLM on the way out. The prices for the latter flight seem expensive but when you add up all the extra costs of easyjet and the cost of going to Gatwick or Stansted, KLM is actually cheaper. Living in Shoreditch in East London, flying from city airport is a real pleasure as it is very close.

KLM has a well designed app, user friendly and fast. I use the Air France app and fly more with them and the dutch app feels faster when using it.
I was quite impressed by the common data system between the two airlines, my flying blue member displayed all the latest and greatest info, same for past bookings etc. 

Flying blue Miles earned with this flight: 82
 Status earned: 5 XP

I also used the app to checkin, chose our seats, and download my boarding pass.

at london city airport

 Took the DLR train from Tower Gateway station to London City Airport in just 30 min. We were flying with just hand luggage bags so we didn't go to the checkin counter (even though the queue is very small) and wlaked upstairs directly. 

 You need to scan your boarding pass from your app and go to the security lanes (just two but fast enough) and you can access the duty free/food area. We spent just 5 min from the minute we stepped out of the DLR to the food hall: one of my fastest checkin experience!

The food and shop hall has just a few seats here and there and feels quite congested, it is always a better option to have a coffee in the corridor leading to the boarding gates.

There isn't that many announces made in the airport so you need to regularly check the FIDS which is what we did until we saw the flight would leave from the gate 2B. The boarding started soon after and as flying blue Skyteam Elite, we used the boarding priority lane.

Let's have a look at our Brazilian made bird today

on board the E190

Aircraft:Embraer ERJ190STD
Registration: PH-EZC
Engines: 2x GE CF34
Age: 10 Years
Layout: C20 W8 Y72
Observation: with new livery.

The AvGEEK bit
KLM operates 20 flights a day between London and Amsterdam, 9 amongst them from City Airport.
KLM City Hopper is the regional branch of KLM, like Hop is for Air France, and has a fleet of 17 E170s and 32 E190s.

Boarding is very fast at LCY - your boarding pass is checked again; you walked down the stairs and the plane is in front of you!

The seats were clean confortable and thick. The seats are reclineable with individual armrest.

The crew seemed nice as they were smiling at multiple occasions. After push back we had the regular announce by the captain the safety procedures explained manually by the crew in Dutch and English

We were taxiing for a short time until the end of runway 27 where the plane made a U turn and we immediately took off from there.


After take off and the seat belt switched off passed 10,000 feet, the crew very quickly started their on board service.
They gave to each of us a recyclable box with Amsterdam houses pattern containing a small sealed xup of water, savoury snacks and we were served an additional drink of our choice.

KLM doesn't offer any IFE nor self broadcasting enterntainment network.

There wasn't any magasine in the seat pockets in front of me on this flight.

The flight was very very short, and we started our descent just about 10 min after the crew finished the service.

The plane landed on the - remote - runway 36L so the taxiing time was very very long… Going back to the other end of the taxiway, crossed 36C, then taxiing along the concourses G, F, E, D, C and B where we finally arrived at gate B24

at amsterdam schipol airport

 We waited for a short time for the stairs to be positioned then debarked the aircraft..
To walk for a short time and going up the stairs of the terminal that had(?) a jetway..

 Despite its size Schipol airport is very well organised and so once you pass the passport controls, you quickly arrive in the area where the train station is where our friend was awaiting.