Hi,
Previously on Flight-Report dot com,
I am on a KLM flight from Muscat to Amsterdam with an intermediate stop in Doha.
Just a reminder of this five flights routing:
- Paris CDG - Dubai (Air France, Business, B777-300ER) CLICK-HERE
- Dubai - Muscat (Oman Air, B737-800) CLICK-HERE
- Muscat - Doha (KLM, World Business Class, A330-200) CLICK-HERE
- Doha - Amsterdam (KLM, World Business Class, A330-200) [YOU ARE HERE]
- Amsterdam – Paris CDG (KLM, Europe Business Class, B737-800)
[NEXT]
Passengers bound for Amsterdam stay onboard, it’s no surprise as DOH is still a bus airport and it would make it a very uncomfortable journey if we had disembark and board again.
Press available for passengers joining us here in Doha
Flight crew shift is AMS-DOH (1day) DOH-MCT-DOH (1day) DOH-AMS, but flight attendants shift is different, they are doing AMS-DOH-MCT (1day) MCT-DOH-AMS.
For duty reason Alcoholic beverages are not offered, their OJ is very good though.
I guess these are specialties from Netherlands? Flag looks very tacky imo.
Push and start slightly before STD, but with a lengthish 6h35mn flight time due to head wind, captain is expecting an on-time arrival at Schiphol tomorrow morning.
B787-8 Qatar Airways
Maintenance area with an A330
Nice view of Doha city center
Oh, an oshibori, I missed them!
Manama, Bahrain
Water distributed
Menu distributed along with a leaflet for Montblanc products???
Flight being late this is a one tray service for diner
Wine list
Everything is presented on one tray
Mixed nuts
Butter + salt/pepper
Salad with feta cheese, watermelon with mint offered with grissini stick
Distinctive tableware
Hot snack
Falafel and vegetable kibbeh
Amuse-bouche consisting of sliced peppered chicken accompanied by tabbouleh, muhammara and makdous
Vanilla panna cotta with passionfruit coulis
This light diner was surprising quite good and fresh.
Baghdad, Iraq
Then it’s time to sleep, and this is when things are starting to get worse,
Picture of the seat in the fully “sleep” position (taken while on the ground at DOH), as you can see the leg rest support is ridiculously low making it very painful for your legs, seatback inclination on the other hand is “acceptable” for a cradle seat.
It’s time to wake up for the breakfast service
Menu
One tray again but with a choice of 2 mains
Fresh fruit salad
Selection of cold cuts
Golden baked waffles, served with vanilla custard and raspberry coulis
Portuguese-style scrambled eggs offered with beef burger patty, rosti potatoes and ratatouille
IFE is not from the latest generation, screen resolution is low but selection and responsive rate are acceptable.
And the obliged KLM houses, please note that they are not filled with alcohol being it from a Muslim country.
After a long taxy we arrived at the gate, I guess we are one of the earliest arrival
Video:
The catering looks fine to me. I don't like when the service takes ages on this kind of red eye flight. You also had 2 good meals altogether which i think is pretty decent.
The seat however looks frightful :o
I can't even think about booking a flight in such cabin!
Thanks for this FR.
Awesome night city views!! It's so weird that the recline so good, but that they couldn't lift the legrest off the ground....it makes it nearly impossible to sleep. I didn't mind DLs's recliner J seats because at least the legrests went up pretty high so that you were truly cradled in the seat. This seat is not even a cradle IMO...it's a Blue cloth slide. The new seats are really going to make the experience in J so much better, especially since the crews are always so nice. Now KL just needs to do something about that catering...
They are still doing something offering sometimes delicious Batavian specialties ;)
I enjoyed reading this great report full of exquisite pictures. The meal shots are superbly captured.
A long time ago I flew SFO-AMS on KL J and was not impressed with the catering at all. Looking at your meals, I find the chinaware and presentation somewhat unpolished. The little box containing condiments is more appropriate in Y than J. I concur with you about the tasteless use of flags on the amuse bouches and worse, being presented on a napkin. If anything, it suggests a very casual delivery lacking any refinement. The clear container with the salad in the first service and the fruits on the second is a joke with portions looking minuscule.
What is most surprising is the presence of these old generation seats. They lack privacy and are not comfortable. KL is very late in the game in upgrading their seats.
The crew is a redeeming quality and in my limited experiences with KL, they seem to be efficient and friendly.
I had a flight with KLM on these seats, but thankfully it was for the short DPS-SIN flight. I am guessing it would be a tiring flight for the continuing passengers from SIN-AMS. It was just not very comfortable in the cabin with it lacking the privacy for a premium cabin.
Thanks for sharing this FR
The comments are in a soft way : were you so tired ? or do you need to regain some fans ;)
Great night aerial pictures : what is your tip ?
I concur (as usual!) with Jetsetpanda : the catering presentation is unpolished, not talking about the taste and the tiny portions
A flight to forget !
Portion were perfectly adequate and taste was good, but as I said the presentation should be reviewed because it doesn't feel premium at all.
I think we had a very good visibility and clean windows, it helps for night shots.
Thank you guys for your nice comments!
Thanks for this FR.
I guess the conclusion was to be expected: the main problem is the seat.
I'm pleasantly surprised by the meals, usually on late flights such as this one, airlines don't put too much effort.
However, I agree that the plastic black tray looks cheap, which is a shame because the pattern is nice and complements the tableware.
You're gonna be able to start a nice collection of KLM Houses!
I agree with you about these miniature flags. They really look cheap.
Great night pictures as usual :)
It is hard to remember that KLM's seat in J was much better than the Espace 127 seat introduced by AF back in '95. AF's present J seat may be lagging behind the competition, but that of KL is an incredible antique. At least, you knew what to expect !
The funny thing about the Delft Blue houses is that they were originally meant to bypass the prohibition of gifts to passengers, so they were disguised as a drink. And since they can't offer a drink ex-DOH, they offer what is essentially a gift. I am OK to exchange one sealed house with its original contents for two empty ones :)
Thanks for this FR !
Stunning report, love the night shot out of DOH stunning simply put.
I think your ratings are well deserved. Appauling that a company such as KLM is offering such ridiculous seats for a J product... :(
The catering looked ok, having tabouleh is always a refreshing experience :)
Thanks for this second leg.
I would blame the lack of alcohol on economy reasons rather than duty one ; sure the duty makes the cost, but KL could choose to pay for them and still serve alcohol, couldn't they ?
The platter isn't bad in consideration of a shortened service for night flight.
I actually imagined the seat worse than that ^^ The product is really outdated but well...4 awards, let's cope with it. We've all done that, haven't we ^^ ?
KL is more appreciated in Y class