I arrived at Helsinki Vantaa International Airport at approximately 5:30 AM for my 7:00 AM flight. Check-in was quick and easy and I was able to drop off a bag and obtain my boarding pass in under 10 minutes. Security was also easy and I was seated in the lounge in less than 20 minutes. This is a new record for me and I was super impressed with how easy and convenient flying from Helsinki was.
Helsinki is a small airport and there is only one contract lounge, the Aspire Lounge, for all the major airlines outside of the oneworld alliance. The lounge is a contract lounge for Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, etc., and it’s also a Priority Pass partner lounge. The lounge is small and the amenities are lacking but it’s a decent place to rest and relax for a quick minute before your flight.
KLM Boeing 737 Business Class Review
Flight: KL1164
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Helsinki (HEL) to Amsteradm (AMS)
Depart: 6:56 AM on Friday
Arrive: 8:46 AM same day (1 mn late)
Duration: 2hrs 50mns
Seat: 3F European Business Class
I left the lounge at approximately 6:30 AM, and made my way over to gate 26, where my bird was waiting. Boarding started a few minutes later with zones 1 and 2 through door 1L.
On this 3-year-old Boeing 737-800, business class is arranged in a 3-3 “European Business Class” configuration with the middle seats blocked. I hate that European carriers sell these economy class seats as business class, but it is what it is. On this flight, I was seated in seat 3F, a window seat on the right side of the plane.
According to SeatGuru, these business class seats measure 17 inches in width and provide 33 inches in pitch. These numbers aren’t great but they do provide about 3 inches more in pitch than the regular economy class seats further back. These seats feature adjustable headrests, USB ports, air vents and personal reading lamps for each passenger. No personal entertainment is provided but device holders are conveniently built into the seatback to secure your own personal entertainment devices such as phones and tablets.
WiFi was provided on this flight. A full-flight pass can be purchased for 8 Euros and messaging (WhatsApp, iMessage, etc.) is provided free of charge. No other amenities including blankets or pillows were provided on this flight.
No pre-departure beverages were provided. Once all the passengers boarded the aircraft, we pushed back from the gate for a 30-minute deicing bath. We then made our way to the runway for our 2-hour flight to Amsterdam.
As we hit our cruising altitude, the seatbelt signs were turned off and the purser came by with a bottle of water and a hot towel. He then came by with a drink service and a boxed breakfast. No description of the box was provided but I later found a printed menu inside the box. I must admit, the box looked very pretty but the breakfast items inside were very lacking.
Inside, the breakfast box consisted of a chocolate croissant, bread roll with dried fruit, two thin slices of dried fig bread, cheese crackers and a small serving of plain mixed nuts. The purser then came by with a warm cinnamon roll. The presentation was on-point but man, this was such a disappointing breakfast. On a two-hour flight, I really expected something a bit more substantial. This was the only meal provided on this flight and there were no other snacks provided prior to landing.
Service-wise, the purser on this flight was just okay. He wasn’t rude or anything, but he wasn’t personable nor did he do anything that went above and beyond. He didn’t greet anyone, refer to anyone by their names and service items stayed on our tables for a very long time. He wasn’t really proactive in taking care of the passengers. He had to be asked for things and he didn’t really walk the cabin much to check on the passengers.
KLM Boeing 737 Business Class Bottom Line
Overall, I was slightly disappointed with this flight and I’m not even referring to the seats. Catering and service are two of the most important aspects of any business class experience and KLM failed to deliver on this flight. The service provided was mediocre at best. I give them credit for the presentation of the breakfast box but the contents inside were very lacking.
What are your thoughts? Have you flown KLM Business class recently? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!
The other related posts are:
- oneworld Lounge LAX
- Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class, Los Angeles to Paris
- KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Los Angeles to Amsterdam
- VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
- Santa Claus Holiday Village
- Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
- KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
- KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
- KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles
- Condor A330-900neo Premium Economy, Frankfurt to San Fransico
