Review of KLM flight Lima → Amsterdam in Business

Let's continue this trip with the return flights with KLM.

LIM (LIM)

This time it was even worse to access the airport, it took more that 01H45 from Miraflores. The last 10KM took the most part of the journey: 01H15! 

The KLM desks were pretty empty:

I could have used the self service desks but not this time :)

I quickly checked in and got my lounge invitation:

The FIDS was not actualized as its left part was still showing early afternoon flights and it was around 0600P at the time of the picture.

The LATAM desks are a bit messy:

And the arrival part of the terminal a zoo:

For me, it's upstairs:

Lots of people seating along the walls:

Here as well, the word mess is appropriate: the security for both national and domestic flights is mixed but if you go national, you need to use the right lanes, international, the ones on your left. Pretty confusing.

To add fun to the thing, you may have remembered that for domestic flights you can take water with you. Not for international. Meaning lots of passengers had liquids or water in their bag :)

If you followed this all, now you should know that left is international and right domestic :)

It took a solid 30' to pass through it but I had more than enough time. Next stop is emigration.

The very friendly agent had a hard time in locating the "entrada" stamp in my passport. Upon arrival the, at that time, not so friendly agent, stamped my passport on its second page, in the middle of other pretty old stamps. As my passport is solid stamped until page 22 it takes her a while to look for that entrance stamp. After a minute or so, I offer her some help, she smiles and hands my passport over. I show her the stamp and she asked if I wanted to have the "salida" stamp on top of it or if I want to have a nice stamp at the end of my passport. I take the second option. I really like stamps in passports.

A short duty free shopping for the kids: 

Airside it is pretty quiet:

For the spotting it is another story as there is a hallway between the inside and the outside windows.

Evening FIDS:

Interjet A320:

Avior 737-400:

Air Plus UltraA340-300:

I then head to the lounge:

salon hanaq - lim international

Friendly welcome, the lounge is spread over two floors:

The lower part being closed, let's go upstairs:

There are three buffets zone offering more or less the same snacking food:

Cheese breads, sandwiches and potatoes:

Sauces for the potatoes and cakes:

Chicken ceviche:

More sandwiches, tuna or red hot pepper dips and fruit salad:

More salads on the left part:

Sadly the whole cutlery is in plastic. Not that environment friendly :(

Sweets:

Orange and apples juices plus chicha morada, a red corn juice, very local but not really my thing :)

For alcoholic drinks, no self serve here. You need to go to the bar and get your BP stamped. Two free drinks and no more. Not business friendly :(

A global view of the lounge:

There is also a business corner:

I took a bit of everything just to taste:

Apart from the potatoes, all the rest was sub-par, no taste, very industrial. I also took some fried corns that I really like. Those were good though.

I'll get two martinis as "free" drinks :)

Two stamps, no more drinks ^^

My nice exit stamp from Peru.

the flight

I used my two hours in the lounge to work, the wifi was fast enough and then headed to the gate. The flight was slightly delayed as the turnaround for the 777 is only scheduled to be 01H50. Should the inbound flight comes in a bit late, the return is late also. But as the flight time is counted very large, the arrival delay is either non existent or minimal.

The airport is pretty quiet:

Boarding is done is a very orderly way and I'll be first to board the plane, just after special assistance. 

Warm welcome at the door, left turn for me.

Same cabin as on the outbound, always 36 seats on both 772 or 773:

Some more views of the seat:

Still the same small feet box:

Seat controls:

Handset:

Safety card:

Champagne, OJ or beer as welcome drinks:

Amenities kit:

Inside:

The headset is below average, not really sound noise cancelling:

The IFE is already available:

A flight time of around 11:25 is expected.
The menus are handed out: 

Breakfast:

The business class isn't full, I was fortunate enough to score one of the empty 6 seats.

We took of at around 0945P and the service starts with a pipping hot hot towel:

I took a flying dutchman cocktail to start, together with nuts (no choice, as the cheese is only served outbound)

Trolley service:

This is the starter:

Together with the cutlery:

Where to start: the bread is stale and not good at all. I have been offered olive oil but I wanted butter that wasn't available on the trolley. Seems that butter is no longer an option on dinner return flights.

The starter was scallops with a quinoa salad and a kind of mayonnaise sauce. The scallops were the smallest I had ever seen, the quinoa salad was good but there wasn't any dressing with it.

Why on hell people always but the drink stirred with the big part down? The big part comes up! :)

The main was supposed to be chicken let, we got chicken fillet, not exactly the same. Also not a real hit.

I took some cheese with the crumble and a baileys:

The cheese was so so, but the dessert was the highlight of the meal.

The service took, as almost usual with KLM, ways to long: exactly 3 hours. For 30 passengers and without an a la carte and dish plating service, this is by far too much.

I then extended my seat to bed mode and used the empty seat duvet as mattress and the pillow as second pillow :)

Time to close the eyes:

Just before passing out for the night, chocolates are distributed:

During the flight I paid a quick visit to the galley, here the door 12:

Here the business class galley:

Amenities specifics to business class lavatories:

Y Class snack bar:

And some samples from the J class bar:

We are awaken 02H15 prior to landing which is far too early, specially when there is only 30 passengers…

Service starts with orange juice and a hot towel: 

I took the papaya crepes:

It wasn't actually papaya but mango. Even better, I prefer by far mango. They were very good but the portion is on the small side.
The cheese was just ok, the croissant was also ok.

After this breakfast there is still a solid one hour flight time. Again that shows how the service starts too early.

Delft houses distribution at the far end of the flight with my 33rd house : 

We landed on the polderbaan:

A long long taxi later :)

And heading for a long 5H layover.

A queen of the skies seating in AMS:

And my plane, PH-BQP: