The return trip to LAS started in a drizzly AMS on KLM's 2nd 781, "Busy Lizzie" delivered back in 2019. I chose a seat nearer to the back of the full cabin, 9K, to get a different feel for the flight.
Lizzie was showing alot more wear, specifically to this silver colored plastic wrapping over the control panel and had a few large stains on the seat. Also, this side button is incredibly annoying when sleeping full recline. If you happen to breeze it, it'll start sitting you in an upright position.
I was greeted by a very friendly FA who again offered me the usual spread of PFBs. The crew worked quickly, was very pleasant, joked around with passengers and were generally happy to be there
The menu looked delicious and I had already spied the beef rendang as something I wanted. Based on my other trips, I was worried I would be out of luck as I was back of the cabin as they start orders front to back. Luckily, I got the choices I wanted and the FA was excited about the "delicious new menu" that many of them hadn't tried yet
We pushed back late but the Captain expected us to make up time in the air (which we did)
Cheese instead of nuts this time as a little snack. I didn't have a wine menu at my seat so the FA gave me hers to keep. Again a small touch but considerate.
Their Thai Red Curry soup is one of my favorites and has a huge lemongrass character to it. Well seasoned, warm and slightly spicy. The main course was very good. Packed full of flavor, well seasoned, spicy, light (presentation could be worked on :)). Since I didnt want to double down on cheese, I got the Bavarois which wasn't great…a textural thing.
Another example of considerate service was when I asked for a second cup of coffee. My FA asked me if I "liked coffee", I said yes, she winked and said she would bring me "good coffee" and proceeded to bring me an espresso. Consistently through the flight she'd bring me these and when I thanked her, she noted that "if you like coffee, you should be drinking good coffee"
I slept much less on this flight, only an hour or so and was a bit peckish midway through. My FA recommended the croquette and was excited when I wanted one, ensuring that I used the mustard. It was a perfect snack and surprisingly not heavy
About an hour before landing it was time to eat again. This course was a seemingly simple Caesar salad and spinach tartlet. Both were full of flavor, with the blistered tomatoes and rich cheeses really enhancing everything. The dessert was also great…light and tart
As someone in the food and beverage industry, simple and clean flavors are hard to do and no less on "airline food". I was really impressed with all of the food options I had on this flight and the crew was proud of it
Stunning views flying over southern Utah on approach
After landing, the line to transfer terminals in the small van was very long so I walked over to the Taxi line and gave a driver $10 to take me to the other terminal to which he happily obliged. Won $75 bucks on a Wheel of Fortune slot to round out a great trip
Thanks for this FR! Surprisingly the Caesar salad seems a pretty solid option for the second serving, would like to see more airlines adopt this “last but not least” philosophy.
See you soon!
I was honestly expecting a super basic salad and hadn't really cared for their other side salads. You cant really see it in the photo but the chicken was like a spiced + shredded chicken.
Looks like another great flight in J on a KL 781! Shame that there's so much wear showing in the cabin already considering how young these frames are. I guess the finishes in the cabin were selected more for aesthetics and not necessarily for quality and durability.
Aside from that everything looks fantastic once again. I'm once again impressed with the catering. I'd never thought of KL catering as particularly interesting before, but they've really upped their game--mind you it's been years since I've flown them. The tasting menu reminds me a bit of JetBlue Mint catering, which is always excellent. I also like that they have soup as part of the first course, which is a nice touch. Back when I still flew SkyTeam I loved Delta's soups in J. Now that I fly oneworld, it seems AA and BA feel soup is too fancy for J and usually only have it in F haha.
Sounds like you had a great cabin crew. Again, it's been a long time since I've flown KL but I remember the crews always being very friendly and reviews always seem to confirm as much.
Thanks for sharing!
The catering has steadily improved over the years on KLM. I wonder if they’ve updated their training as the crew seems much more chatty than in the past…or maybe it’s the Vegas route ?