Review of KLM flight Amsterdam San Francisco in Economy

Airline KLM
Flight KL 605
Class Economy
Seat 45C
Aircraft Boeing 747-400
Flight time 10:55
Take-off 20 Oct 14, 09:50
Arrival at 20 Oct 14, 11:45
KL   #43 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 1049 reviews
jetsetpanda
By 11288
Published on 1st November 2014
Hello and welcome to the last AMS-SFO segment of my trip. Here is my schedule:

AF SFO-CDG in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8246.html
AF CDG-GOT in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8253.html
SK GOT-ARN in C - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8276.html
SK ARN-NCE in C - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8309.html
LH NCE-MUC in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8340.html
LH MUC-GOT in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8373.html
KL GOT-AMS in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8374.html
KL AMS-SFO in Y - you are here



AMS has the reputation for being one of the best airports in Europe and it's been some time since I last connected here. This time around, I found it to be extremely busy with people coming and going from all directions and somewhatt chaotic. AMS might have been the prototype of the ideal airport when the new terminal was inaugurated in 1967, but these days I find that other airports like MUC or ZRH provide a more user friendly and enjoyable experience.

After a quick passport check at Immigrations, I saw a KLM service center and decided to confirm that my DL account was really entered into my reservation. An agent at the beginning of the line was trying to direct people to the check in kiosks instead of having them go to the agents. I explained that I had an issue with a ticket reissue and a possible upgrade and she allowed me to go through the line and ask the agent at the podium. The second screening agent checked her computer and told me that my DL account was not in the reservation and tried to fix it but was unable to enter it for some reason. So I was lied to in GOT by the gate agent there. I told her that I will contact customer service and asked about a possible upgrade. She referred me to one of the agents at the service counter and when the smiling agent checked for me, the J cabin was sold out. I resigned to my fate and proceeded to the gate.

At the E gates which were used mainly by DL and KL, I decided to use the WC and there was a line with 3 out of 5 toilets working. The other two were being cleaned by an unhappy janitor who gave people a look that could kill if they dared to cross into her territory. What made matters worse was that the automatic flush did not flush at all, whether I stood up, jumped or danced in front of it so I got myself out of there quickly. So far this did not feel like a world class airport to me.

Two lines were forming at E22 where a security agent was screening passports and asking passengers about the purpose of their trips. Right behind was a counter with 3 agents and another one scanning the boarding passes as people entered into the security area. Carry on bags had to go through x-ray and once done you were at the actual gate. The area was very crowded with people standing around. There was a limited view of the ramp and our plane at the gate.




I positioned myself to the front and after a while an agent allowed some passengers in wheelchairs to board and a few minutes later she welcomed families with children and passengers in J to board first, followed by elite members and passengers in designated rows starting from the back of the plane. There was only 1 agent checking the boarding passes which I thought to be very inefficient and after a while she just announced that everyone was welcomed to board.

We boarded through door 4L, which was a rear door and a first for me entering an airplane. The purser and another FA were welcoming passengers outside the door and my seat was just next to the door. There was plenty of overheard bin space despite the flight being almost full. Once everyone boarded and the door closed, we taxied out and after take off the FA's started distributing earphones.


Average seat pitch.

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Earphones.

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Maybe it was my luck, but the FA serving my side was just as charming as a piece of brick. She was a robot who worked efficiently but without any smile or reply to thank you's. That was quite a contrast from her other co-workers working the cabin in front who seemed to enjoy dealing with the passengers. Don't get me wrong, she was not really rude or condescending, just the silent type. To her credit, I asked her for an extra set of earphones shortly before landing and she gave me one right away.

Beverages followed and this is where KL differentiates itself from most competitors. They actually serve roasted almonds to go with the drinks. A treat indeed.

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Moments later the purser distributes hot towels. A nice surprise.

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Carts loaded with drinks are ready to go. Alcohol is free with your meal on KL.

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Choices are chicken or pasta. I went for the chicken in mustard sauce.

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The chicken was not bad but it had a slightly bitter aftertaste unlike the mustard chicken from AF. I prefer the AF version better.

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The meal was accompanied by a chopped salad.

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Contents of the box.

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Dessert - profiteroles in vanilla sauce drizzled with chocolate with crumbled speculoos in the bottom. DDD (delicious Dutch dessert) - ;)

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To end this meal I had black tea. Where is the chocolate? :P

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I watched a couple of documentaries and movies. The galley was provisioned with snacks for those who wanted something to nibble.

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Halfway through the flight, FA's rolled out the snack cart offering salty crisps or ice cream with water.




Leftover crisps were placed in the galley along with water cups.

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I took the opportunity to do some walking to stretch out. Here is the a view of the cabin.

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At about 1.5 hrs before arrival, the second meal service was about to begin. Carts were ready in the galley.

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It's pizza with pasta salad and fresh fruits. Not bad at all.




I was pleasantly surprised by KL catering in Y. I thought that it was better than what its competitors offered except for TK, which is the top when it comes to catering. Meal portions were good, quality was decent and there were plenty of snacks in between meals. The hot towels before each meal service was a nice touch.

We arrived late in SFO at 1219 instead of 1145.
See more

Verdict

KLM

7.5/10
Cabin7.5
Cabin crew7.0
Entertainment/wifi7.5
Meal/catering8.0

Amsterdam - AMS

7.1/10
Efficiency7.5
Access7.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.0

San Francisco - SFO

9.6/10
Efficiency8.5
Access10.0
Services10.0
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

I don't think that there is such thing as comfort in a Y seat except when you have an empty seat next to you. Having said that, I liked row 45 because it is next to the galley and offers some type of privacy.

I had a robotic crew serving my side, but she did her job quickly and efficiently. A smile and warmer attitude would have made the experience better. It wasn't bad, but it was not great either.

Catering was a surprise and I was pleased with the meals that I had on KL. Little touches like a hot towel, assortment of snacks in the galley and fresh fruits in the second meal are appreciated in Y.

Flight left 20 min. late and arrived more than 30 minutes later in SFO.

So in the end the miles on KL were credited to my DL account right after my trip automatically and DL credited me with the original miles for the outbound flights after I wrote to them relating my outbound experience.

Information on the route Amsterdam (AMS) San Francisco (SFO)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 4 avis concernant 1 compagnies sur la ligne Amsterdam (AMS) → San Francisco (SFO).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est KLM avec 7.4/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 10 heures et 53 minutes.

  More information

14 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 121458 by
    Caribel 113 Comments
    It seems this travel experience brought the Kung-Fu panda in you! Good thing you double checked the DL pesos account number was registered after the musical chairs saga in SFO. The agent in GOT did not lied to you, the agent took creative license with the facts;).

    The FA demeanor may be her way to feel empowered as a free woman to be the person she chooses to be. I always remember what a very compassionate doctor once told me:I don't mind if one person is a bitch-bitch. I mind if they are a pretend bitch.
    Thought apropo to share his wisdom.

    Finally, glad to read you obtained results by writing to DL pesos. Lo cortez no quita lo valiente. De los cobardes no se ha escrito nada. Arriba corazones, para atras ni para tomar impulso.
    • Comment 304464 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      Camaron que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente. I learned in the past that one has to be always vigilant about things and never rely blindly on what others tell you. I like to double check things because I don't want to be caught by surprise. When it comes to travel, I tend to be proactive, not reactive. ;)

      Gracias por compartir tus sabios refranes Caribel.
  • Comment 121469 by
    lagentsecret 12186 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this FR

    AMS is a mess ? far from the usual cliché ;)

    Moments later the purser distributes hot towels. A nice surprise.
    On this picture it's possible to see that you received a nice duvet too : what a (Dutch) treat !

    Alcohol is free with your meal on KL.
    Same with all European companies

    The meal is close to an US company's meal : salad and chicken or pasta (even in the same black plastic box)
    I really hate this black plastic box : it seems dirty to my eyes

    Not appetizing this chicken and these beans.

    DDD ???
    Since when profiteroles are Dutch ? lol

    The galley was provisioned with snacks for those who wanted something to nibble.
    3 pictures for the snacks : it's easy to understand that it's great compared to US companies' standard ;)
    Or is it the Dutch Hospitality that reminds you nice memories ?
    Anyway I believe that AF is offering snacks/ice creams too.

    You are talking about pizza and the picture is showing something somewhat different !

    I'm glad that you like the Dutch gastronomy ;)

    The galley is usually noisy : it wasn't not too disturbing having a seat close ?

    Thanks for this routing and see you soon for another one with BA (you will be able to compare British gastronomy with Dutch's)


    • Comment 304468 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      AMS is a mess ? far from the usual cliché ;)
      - Life is full of surprises, isn't it?

      On this picture it's possible to see that you received a nice duvet too : what a (Dutch) treat !
      - An eye trick of course. That was the jacket of the passenger sitting in front. I prefer real fur to keep me warm. ;)

      Same with all European companies
      - Of course well all know that European carriers give free liquor with the meals, but my statement was for the benefit of those who rarely have experienced flying with an European or Asian carrier. Not everyone is as knowledgeable as you M. Professeur. :P

      Since when profiteroles are Dutch ? lol
      - A re-interpretation of a classic with a twist.

      I really hate this black plastic box : it seems dirty to my eyes
      - Others might find that it enhances the contents of the meal better. To each his own.

      Not appetizing this chicken and these beans.
      - It tasted OK except for the slightly bitter aftertaste. Must be the type of mustard used.

      3 pictures for the snacks : it's easy to understand that it's great compared to US companies' standard ;)
      Or is it the Dutch Hospitality that reminds you nice memories ?
      Anyway I believe that AF is offering snacks/ice creams too.
      - It's evident that anything is better than US companies' standards and I have mentioned on my AF report that ice creams and sandwiches are provided too. My French memories are more vivid than my Dutch ones.

      You are talking about pizza and the picture is showing something somewhat different !
      - I guess pizza can come in all shapes and sizes.

      I'm glad that you like the Dutch gastronomy ;)
      - Perhaps we should have split pea soup with Rijsttafel next time we get together. ;)

      The galley is usually noisy : it wasn't not too disturbing having a seat close ?
      - I did not bother me at all. As a matter of fact the FA's were quiet working there.

      Thanks for this routing and see you soon for another one with BA (you will be able to compare British gastronomy with Dutch's)
      - I will do my best to provide an objective and factual report. ;)

      Merci.
  • Comment 121478 by
    KL651 TEAM 4534 Comments
    Thanks for this FR.

    You got the worst KL crew you can get: professional and efficient but cold. I think it's still better than many other airlines where a bad crew member will also be disinterested and/or rude.

    I agree with you that the small touches as roasted almonds, hot towel, mid-flight snack AND snack bar throughout the flight are what makes KL Y class a pretty good one.
  • Comment 121484 by
    AirCanada881 1616 Comments
    Thank you for this final leg. It must have been cool to board behind the week, never got to experience that before.
    The catering looks decent for a Y product, the cardboard box in which the snacks are laid out is kind of cheap in my opinion, reminds me of ordering snacks at a baseball game lol.
    Looking forward to your next journey :)
  • Comment 121537 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Interesting routing you've worked out. Didn't expect to see you go home on KL. You're probably the 1st person I've ever seen write something negative about AMS. LOL. I agree that it can get pretty crowded, but in general, I find it to be a pleasant airport to connect in. KL is a pretty decent airline and I've had good crews with them--too bad you had a robotic crew. Looks like you had a great time in Europe. Thanks for sharing!
    • Comment 304509 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      I have transited through AMS in the past(more than 10 years ago) and I remember it being a pleasant place. Maybe it was just the connecting bank in the morning but this time I found it super crowded and chaotic. There were some construction by the entrance to the E gates and the WC incident combined just did not give me a positive impression.

      I always have a great time whenever I go, especially in good company. ;)

      Thanks.
  • Comment 122879 by
    Chibcha SILVER 540 Comments
    Sorry for not commenting before, I enjoyed reading every single piece of this series and the photos were awesome, you had an awesome trip!

    Gracias por compartir, saludos!

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