Review of KLM flight Amsterdam → Barcelona in Economy

I can't say I expected to be writing this flight-report, since I have a recent review of the same airline in the same route. However, this flight was performed by one of the KLM B738 renewed in 2021. The notable changes consist of upgraded seats and the inclusion of inflight WiFi. 

I arrive at Schiphol airport at 7 in the morning, through the long-distance train station that is right underneath the terminal. It is the best single feature an airport can have, in my opinion. It offers some international high speed options and regular services to most of the country. All major cities are within 3 hours.

Another great feature are the reserved timeslots for security. They can be booked up to 3 days before a flight out of AMS, and they allow access to a more exclusive security queue, close to a fast lane, but free of charge. In addition, security controls in AMS are very modern and don't require placing electronics in a separate tray, allow (transparent) water bottles and wearing glasses. I, however, always seem to trigger a bag check, though everything is sorted within 5 minutes.

Afterwards, I head straight to my gate. I have an Economy Comfort seat, which allows for earlier boarding (Group 3). It is one of the few times I really need to bring my carry-on in the cabin with me, and I won't take any chances with a full flight.

Gate D84 is a good 15~20 minutes from security, at the far end of the left arm of the Y-shaped D pier. While these arms are simple corridors with access to some gates, the central part of the terminal has a vast array of shops, restaurants, drugstores, souvenirs, etc. There are also large waiting areas, with seating and chargers. Restrooms are also frequent, and they often have drinking water fountains outside. Today the fountains didn't work, so I used the tap water from the restrooms, which is the same water at the end of the day.

The elevated position of the Schengen floor in the D pier allows for some nice views of the apron, a great feature for fans of the Boeing 737 family, which is the most common view in this area, dedicated mostly to smaller aircraft. Here is PH-BGC, which I will fly to Barcelona today.

There is a waiting area dedicated to D84 under this floor. Depending on the destination of the flight, whether it's Schengen or not, this access will be closed and another one shall open in the lower floor (after passport control), under a different number. Since boarding time is close, the waiting area is full of people, so I did not take any photos. It is not as complete as D77, it has simple "airport seats" and I couldn't spot power outlets.

Boarding is started 10 minutes late. Travelers with special needs and families with small children board first, then Business class and Sky Priority passengers, and then it's my turn, securing my carry-on's access to the cabin.

My seat today is 05F, an Economy Comfort window seat on the starboard. I generally pick window seats on the side that will face opposite of the sun throughout the flight, and in a southbound trip in the morning, this is the correct side. Reserving a seat in advance in Economy Comfort costs around 20 €, in contrast to 10 € for standard seats.

The seat is very comfortable for a 2 hour flight, akin to short haul Business class but the middle seat is not blocked and there is no special inflight service. It features an adjustable headrest; it can be moved up and down, and the sides can be adjusted forwards and backwards. This was not present in Economy Comfort in the older cabin. Legroom is very comfortable, and it would be even better if I had less cabin baggage stowed under the seat in front. Recline is also good, though not really needed in such a short flight.

That seat offers an extendable and quite sturdy tray table, which can handle light work on a laptop. Also exclusive to the newer cabin, there is a device or cup holder above the tray table. There is also a storage pocket underneath, and a separate compartment for literature above the device holder.

Pushback is 18 minutes after the scheduled departure time. But I'm not complaining, since many other flights are being delayed far longer or even cancelled due to Storm Pia. After a short taxi, we take off from 27, the Kaagbaan.

Around the halfway point, a snack is served to all Economy passengers. It consists of a pre-packaged vegetarian sandwich and a drink of choice. There is a variety of hot and cold beverages, and I choose an apple juice.

The sandwich is tasty, although it's not very big. I'm a big fan of brown bread, and the generous egg salad stuffing is creamy and well seasoned. I didn't bother to ask for seconds since the flight was full and I had some work to do.

This aircraft is one of the ~50% of KLM 737s that offer inflight WiFi. It consists of 3 tiers: Free messaging, 8 € web surfing and 12 € streaming. Voice or video calls are not allowed in any tier. The passes can be purchased through the KLM Connect website, which also offers an inflight map with WiFi covered areas highlighted. Unlike other airlines (e.g. Vueling), it does not offer other flight information such as altitude or speed, despite the lack of information monitors.

I did not have the need to purchase any paid pass, as the messaging tier handled well real-time text messages through the WhatsApp and Discord apps. However, I did have to wait to land to load images and files.

As we fly into Spanish airspace, the clouds magically disappear and we are treated to some privileged views of the northeastern Catalan landscape:
The Pyrenees, Garrotxa volcanic area, Guilleries cliffs, Maresme coastline with Mediterranean system and the Vallès in the background (Montserrat and la Mola barely visible further back), Barcelona sea and airport, and the city itself with Collserola in the background.

Regarding the lavatories, I do not have any information on their state for this flight, however I have never had a bad experience in my multiple short-haul KLM flights, either at the beginning or the end of the day.

It seems we're fortunate enough to arrive before traffic at BCN intensifies, so we have a direct approach into 24R, the usual daytime landing runway. The descent is a bit bumpy, but touchdown is 5 minutes ahead of schedule, and we're at the gate just in time. I cannot complain at all, especially considering the difficulties at AMS caused by the storm.

The skies in Barcelona regularly become bright and sunny near the holiday season, which is the best welcome one can get when coming from the Netherlands. Terminal T1 has large glass walls that allow lots of natural light into the building, and great views of the airplanes. There are also many overpriced restaurants and shops that rip unsuspecting tourists off with gouged prices on Spanish food items.

The ground floor at T1 airside is for non-Schengen flights, while landside has the baggage collection area and Arrivals. Since I'm picked up by car, I go up the escalator to the first floor, Departures, where the express parking is located.

Alternative means of transport are detailed in the box below.