Trip Report: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Milan to London via Amsterdam - Business Class (December 2023)

 Trip Report: KLM Dutch Airlines, 

Milan to London via Amsterdam Business Class 

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I wanted to travel from Milan to London and when I looked online, there were not a lot of direct options so looked for connecting options.  Each time I travel, I am also looking for the best options and looking at points redemption versus payment, and in this search I found I could redeem Delta Skymiles points to get an intra-European business class ticket on KLM from Milan Malpensa to London Heathrow via Amsterdam.  I booked the ticket through Delta using my Skymiles points and then contacted KLM to confirm the booking and obtain the KLM booking reference number.   Once I had the KLM booking number, it was somewhat easy to manage my booking through the KLM app as well as through customer service. 

My flight was from Milan to London Heathrow via Amsterdam.  The first flight was approximately 1h55min while the second flight was 1hr20min and with an originally layover of 1hr30min.  Both sectors were flown by Boeing 737 and both were in 'intra-European business class' which means that the seats are the same as the rest of the plane with extra legroom and the middle seat blocked off.  As part of business class, both sectors included complimentary meals.  The experience on both sectors were similar so I will combine all experiences into one review.                                                                                                                                                                                    Our flight was scheduled to depart Milan at 4:55pm.  We had both Business Class access as well as Sky Priority status so we were able to use that check-in as well as fast track security; although there were not many people in check-in line so either line would have been fine.  The business class lounge in Milan was through a third party and the lounge was small but decent and had complimentary soft drinks, water, alcoholic beverages, as well as a wide variety of snacks and small foods.  The drinks were plentiful and the snacks were decent enough to fill you up but not to overstuff.  There was also complimentary wifi.  During the layover in Amsterdam I was able to try out the renovated KLM Crown Club.  The club was massive with lots of seating but also lots of people.  The food was disappointing as it was minimal snacks and I expected better quality and quantity of food from a lounge in the airlines home airport (in face, the food on the plane was better than the food in the lounge).  The drinks were weak and not good either; overall it was a disappointing experience in the Crown Club in Amsterdam.

KLM has a departure time and a scheduled boarding time and for both flights, the flights were delayed and boarding time came and went without any communication.  Boarding is to be conducted by groups, with Business Class and Sky Priority in Group 3 but each time boarding was chaotic and many people were unsure which group was going when.  There was a lack of communication and order during the boarding and regarding any delays.                                                                                                                                                                                    Once onboard, both planes were laid out in a similar fashion as they were both Boeing 737-800.  Both were in a 3-3 configuration and as mentioned above we were in 'European Business Class' which meant that the seats were standard but there was extra legroom and the middle seat was blocked.  The major difference was that the Milan to Amsterdam sector was operated by a newer plane with newer seats while the Amsterdam to Heathrow sector was operated by an older plane with the old style seats.  The newer seats were more slimline and thus had less padding but were more efficiently designed.  The older planes had a bit bigger seats but the wear and tear had made them uncomfortable towards the end.  

Both seats were designed in a similar fashion with the updated ones having somewhat more modern features.  Both featured a tray table as well as pocket underneath, and neither had a monitor.  The older plane's tray table was a standard tray table while the newer plane had a bi-folded table.  The newer plane had a USB port on the back of each seat as well as plugs underneath the seat; the older plane only had plugs underneath the seats. The newer plane had a literature pocket on top as well as while the older plane did not have this.  Neither plane had wifi nor stream to your own device entertainment, which meant that you had to bring your own entertainment or occupy yourself.                                                                                                                                                                                            In Business Class, KLM offers a complimentary meal as well as complimentary drinks, including complimentary alcoholic drinks.  The meals come in prepared boxes and cannot be modified - ie no special meals can be ordered nor requested and there is only one option for the meal choice.   Prior to the meals, a warn nuts and a menu card was handed out explaining the meal box along with a berry burst drink, which apparently is very popular but after trying it, is an acquired taste.  Due to the short flight time, once airborne the meal boxes were served immediately.  The meal boxes contained a main meal which was vegetarian and included a veggie protein with a salad and another box containing dessert; warm bread and your choice of drink were served afterwards.  The quantity of the meal box was sufficient for the short-duration of the flight, and as I said earlier the quality of the food was better than expected.  I tend to not enjoy airplane food, as most of them are not good, but this food was actually good quality and taste and in fact the food in the plane was better than the food in the lounge.

We landed in Heathrow late as we departed late and even though we had business class tags and sky priority tags, our luggage did not come out first but rather came out in the middle.  Overall, it was a mixed bag experience with KLM.  I haven't flown with KLM for over 20+ years so I was unsure as to what to expect.  Positives were the better-than-expected quality of food that was given and the average seat quality and pitch.  Negatives was the lack of wifi and/or entertainment provided, a lack of customer service nor attention even paid to business class passengers, lack of communication regarding delays, and finally confusion and lack of order regarding boarding.  

Trip Report: United Airlines, Amsterdam to Washington, Dulles (February 2017)

Trip Report: United Airlines, Amsterdam to Washington

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In the past, I have tried to avoid taking American carriers long-haul.  Their service, seat comfort, and overall experience fall short as compared to their international competitors.  The US carriers realized this and have started to invest in their international product, and have been providing discounted fares on their international routes.  For these two reasons, I decided to try United International from Amsterdam to Washington, DC.

United serves Amsterdam from its hub in Washington Dulles and flies the Boeing 767 on this route.  The plane contains Business Class, Economy Plus, and Economy sections.  Given it was an almost 9 hour flight, and I have previously experienced United economy to Punta Cana (review here: United Airlines - Punta Cana) and it was uncomfortable, I decided to purchase an economy plus seat.  In choosing the upgrade, there were two options available – the first was just the economy plus seat while the second was the economy plus seat, priority boarding, and access to the lounge.  There was a price difference between the two options, and in my opinion the higher price did not the extra options available.  For that reason, I choose just the economy plus option. 

The flight was scheduled to take off from Amsterdam at 12p and arrive into Dulles around 3p.  I was staying at the airport (review: Sheraton Amsterdam Airport) so I was able to quickly get to my checkin counter 2hours prior to departure.  When international flight included one free checked bag at 23kg, and when I got to the checkin counter there was no one there.  I was checked in, got my boarding pass and checked my luggage all within 5 minutes.  This gave me more opportunity to explore School airport.

I arrived at the boarding gate around 11am and the plane was already there (it had come from DC earlier that morning).  Even though I had purchased Economy Plus seating, I noticed I was in the last boarding group so I went to ask the agent if I could get into the earlier group – she replied that it didn’t matter as there were only 46 people on the entire flight! A plane that can hold more than 200 people is flying today with only 46 passengers.  Given the light load, we did not start boarding until 11:30am and we were done with boarding by 11:40am. 

There is one section of economy plus seats and one section of economy seats, and both are laid out in a 2-3-2 setting.  I had initially purchased the bulkhead seat, which is the first economy plus seat as that provides more room (although it’s restricted as no moveable armrest).  Given the light load, everyone in the plane could have an entire row to themselves, so I switched to an empty two seater for more room and comfort.  Overall, the economy plus seats provided very nice legroom.  The legroom was plenty so that you could easily stretch out, especially on the long-haul flights.  During the flight I went and tried out the economy seat – the legroom there was decent, but it would be tight for the longer flight and even tighter if the person in front of you reclined their seat. 

Each seat on the plane had its own PTV system, which was controlled both by touch and remote.  USB ports and headphone jacks were available next to the PTV and plugs were available beneath the seat.  The entertainment system was immediately available, which is a nice thing and I am not sure why some airlines only turn on the system once they reach airborne, and the movie selection was very good.  In fact, the movie selection was a lot better than I had expected – there was definitely enough there to keep you occupied for the flight duration.  The TV selection wasn’t as great, but still provided some nice episodes of selected TV shows. 

Given the light load, the flight attendants said it did not make sense to bring out the

service cart so they individually took orders and brought items.  Prior to departure, the attendant came around asking our drink order.  Once we reached cruising altitude, drinks and a snack mix were served while the main meal was being warmed.  Once warmed, the main meal was served.  The meal was decent but the portion was definitely smaller as compared to other airlines – both the size and quantity of food was compact; the flavors were alright (I’ve had better, but I have also had worse).  Ice cream for dessert was also served.  Tea, coffee, drinks, and water were offered when the meal trays were cleared.  After the service, the cabin lights were dimmed for people to relax for the flight.   

The attendants were visible in the aisles, and water, fruit, and small snacks were available into the galleys. One strange note: I asked if hot chocolate was available, and I got the following response “normally hot chocolate is only available for first class, but given the light load I will make an exception, but not this is not usually available”.  It was very offputting, and if it’s that much of an effort just say that hot chocolate is not available.  Given all the effort, I was expecting really good hot chocolate, but when it came it was the same hot chocolate that Southwest offers for free on every flight.  Prior to landing, a small snack and drinks were served.  Again, emphasis on small as the portion size on United are very small.  Because we left early, and we had strong winds behind us, we made it to DC almost 30 minutes ahead of schedule.  We quickly landed, taxied to the gate, and deplaned.  

Overall, it was an interesting flight with United.  While the entertainment selection and availability of USB ports exceeded my expectations, the food size was small, the service was decent but could be better, and I had to purchase seat comfort.  Given all this, would I choose to fly American carriers long-haul?  I am not sure; before I had avoided American carriers as much as possible.  Now, I would not seek them out but I would not avoid them.  If the price is right, and the flight time short, and the international carrier option is longer or not as feasible, then I would not avoid American carriers.

Trip Report: Thayls Train, Brussels to Amsterdam (February 2017)

Trip Report: Thayls Train, Brussels to Amsterdam
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Continuing my journey through Europe, I was travelling from Brussels to Amsterdam.  No flights operate between these two cities, so the only options are train, bus, or car.  I decided to try the train as train travel in Europe is very good and connected to the metro systems.

When I looked online, the train that operated between these cities was the French train Thayls.  Booking a ticket online directly through Thayls was very easy and convenient.  The website showed me the various trains throughout the day as well as the different classes the train operates.  The train operates Comfort 1 or Comfort 2 - Comfort 1 is more like Business Class (free food, added services) whereas Comfort 2 is economy class.  Within Comfort 1 there are semi-flexible or flexible fares, and within Comfort 2 there are economy and semi-flexible rates.  The difference in fares between classes generally depends on the time of day you leave.  I had booked the last train of the evening, and so the difference between Comfort 2 semi-flex and Comfort 1 semi-flex was 30euro.

I

 had booked the last train out which departed Brussels Midi Station at 9:52p and arrived into Amsterdam at 11:42p.  The scheduled time for the train was 1h50 minutes, so given this short time I decided to book the 'Comfort 2 - semi-flex'.  The fare included free wifi, free power ports, and a pre-assigned seat at a 4-seater.  I had chosen to print the tickets at home, or I could store them on my mobile device. 

The day of departure, I went to train station to inquire about getting on an earlier train.  Because of the type of ticket I had booked, the ‘semi-flex’, it was going to cost more than what I paid for the ticket to change.  Given this, I decided to keep my scheduled train.

I got to the train station about an hour prior to departure, but apparently that was too early as there was no information on the screen regarding which track the train would depart.  There are waiting rooms available, but there are no screens to monitor and you cannot really hear well.  About 9:15p, people started gathering around track 4 so it seemed that is where the train would depart.  Around 9:30p, the screen was updated to show the train departure and track number.  The train pulled up a bit afterwards and as soon as the passengers got off, we got on.

There were train attendants outside each door ensuring you were entering the right cabin. I was in the second cabin so I entered, placed my luggage on the luggage rack, and went to my seat.  The train was laid out with 2 seats on each side.  The seats were already in a pre-recline, and they were generally comfortable enough.  The legroom was a bit tight, especially is someone were to push back their seat.  There was storage above your seat – for a small carryon and/or jackets. There were two ports located in the middle of the seat in front, which provided power to your electronic devices.  

Free wifi was also provided – when I logged on, it said the wifi was complimentary for cars 1 and 2.  It was easy to log on and the wifi speed was good for chats (slow for videos – especially passing through certain areas).  We pushed off right on time at 9:52p; however there was no announcement that the train was leaving; it just left.  Right after we left the attendants came by to check tickets.   

There were not that many people on the train and the ride was generally smooth and comfortable.  The train made a couple of stops, and the announcements for each stop were made frequently as well as scrolled in the front of the train.  The train became very crowded at the Schipol Airport station, where many people got on taking the train into the city centre.   I don’t know if there were no seat assignments, or they just go on wherever they felt like it, but they just sat at any open seat.  We pulled into Amsterdam on time and get off the train.

Overall, it was a nice experience on the train.  It was easy to book, generally inexpensive, and a nice experience with both power ports and free wifi.  

Stay Report: Marriott Amsterdam (February 2017)

Stay Report: Marriott Amsterdam
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I was meeting a friend in Amsterdam, and through work they were staying at the Marriott Amsterdam hotel so decided to stay with them for one night.  The Marriott is located in the southern part of the city, near the Rijksmuseum.  The hotel is located within walking distance to many restaurants and bars, as well as to bus and tram lines.  Via the tram, it takes about 15-20 minutes to get to the main square and downtown.  Another convenience is that the airport-to-city bus stops across the street from the Marriott. 

From the outside, the hotel itself looks old and more like a converted apartment building.  Inside, however, the hotel has been refurbished so it looks nice and modern.  The main entrance to the hotel is on the side street, while the main street has the entrance to the hotel via the bar/restaurant.  From the main entrance, you enter into the lobby with the check-in desks and concierge on your right, lounge straight ahead, and elevators and restaurant to your left.

My friend had arrived early (around 7am) and had requested an early room but it was not

ready; it seemed to be consistent with the hotel that rooms were generally not ready until close to the stated check-in time of 12p.  I was staying in another hotel so my friend came and joined me while the room was being ready.  Around 10:30a we got a message stating that the room was ready.

The room was located right next to the elevators and throughout the night noise could be heard from the hallway.  Also, it was very cold in Amsterdam but the heat in the room didn’t seem to work properly as the room never seemed to get warm – even though the heat was set to the max.  The room itself was spacious a big, more akin to American-size rooms versus European sizes.

As you entered into the room, on the right side were shelves and the closet while on the left was the bathroom.  There was a small closed closet along with open shelves and a space to put your luggage.  In the closed section was the safe.  The bathroom was spacious and contained a sink, a toilet, and a rain shower.  The only problem was the lack of the barrier between the shower and the bathroom – there was no barrier to the water went everywhere.  Bathroom amenities included toiletries, robes as well as slippers.

As you went further in the room, on the right hand side was a chest with drawers on the

bottom and a TV on top.  Next to that was a desk and next to the desk was the window which looked outside.  Even though we had requested two beds, the hotel only had a king-size bed room available so on the other side of the room was the king-size bed with a nightstand on either side.  The bed was comfortable and spacious enough for two people to sleep comfortably.  Updates to the hotel included USB ports on other side of the bed – a nice addition.  There was also some nice Dutch touches to the room, including an art piece of traditional Dutch shoes on the wall. 

Amenities to the hotel included free wifi, a gym, a lounge, restaurant/bar, and concierge.  Due to the limited time, I was only able to use the free wifi and the concierge.  The wifi was free, with decent speeds that were fast enough to stream youtube videos.  We used the concierge to ask for advice as well as to store luggage – the advice was decent and the hotel was able to store luggage for almost the entire day.

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Marriott.  It was a full-service hotel and felt like it with spacious rooms and convenient access.  However, the costs for the room was a lot higher than the surrounding hotels, so I am not sure I saw the value given the higher price.

Stay Report: Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel (February 2017)

Stay Report: Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel
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For our last night in Amsterdam, we decided to stay near the airport as both of us had flights early in the morning the next day.  We had a choice between either staying in the city and  getting up early to leave for the airport, or stay near the airport and get some additional sleep - we choose the later.  Our plan was to leave our luggage in our hotel located in the city, go sightseeing, and then head to the airport hotel that night.

There are many hotels near Amsterdam Schipol airport - many are near the airport but there are three that are connected to the airport: the Hilton, the Sheraton, and the Mercure.  According to the reviews, the Sheraton is the one that is most centrally connected to the terminal (2-3 minute walk); the Mercure is located after security in the transit area (so has a lot of restrictions); and the Hilton is located a bit further from the terminal (5-10 minute).  Based on the reviews and information, we decided to book the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport hotel.

We had taken the bus directly from the city center to the airport.  The bus drops you off at Plaza Park 2 and from there you enter into the departures area.  You can see the Sheraton from Plaza Park 2, but the entrance is through the departures zone.  From the departures zone, you take a travellator that connects you to a bridge.  The bridge ultimate leads to a parking garage, but in the middle of the bridge is the entrance to the Sheraton.

You enter into the lobby area which has a nice open atrium with lots of windows and makes the place look very big.  As soon as you enter the lobby, on your left is the ‘business center’ with computer access (which is extremely slow) and some couches.  Further ahead in the lobby are the check-in desks.  Check-in was smooth and quick and we received our key to the room.  We were on the 6^th floor and the elevators were located opposite to the check-in desk.  In between the elevators and the check-in desk was the fitness center as well as the SPG check-in desk.  We took the elevators to our room.

The 6^th floor is an SPG floor which meant that one side had access to the SPG lounge while the other side did not.  Both sides had access to refreshment area which included free coffee.   We went to our room which was overlooking the atrium.

As you entered into the room, on your left was the entrance to the bathroom and on the right were the closets.  The closets contained an iron, an ironing board and a safe.  Even though the bathroom was pretty big, with a nice tub and long sink, the shower were pretty small comparatively.  The bathroom also contained nice Sheraton toiletries.  Further ahead in the room, on the left hand side were the two beds which were situated near each other.  Next to each bed was a nightstand.  The beds themselves were very comfortable and provided a really nice sleep.

Across from the bed was a chest with drawers on the bottom and the TV on top.  The chest also contained a fridge and the minibar. Between the bed and the window was a chair.  Overall the room size was very generous, and felt more like an American-size room versus the smaller European-size room.

The hotel had two restaurants, one on the bottom floor and one next to the lobby.  There was also a fitness center, which again was very large and provided a lot of nice equipment.  As an SPG member, free wifi was included but it was generally slow and always asked for the login.

Overall, it was a nice stay at the hotel.  The location was very good as the hotel is connected to the departure zone through a walkway, so it’s a 2-3 minute walk from the hotel to the departure zone.   The room size and bathroom size were also nice.  Negatives included slow in-room access and slow internet access in the business center.

Stay Report: Ibis Styles Amsterdam Amstel (February 2017)

Stay Report: Ibis Styles Amsterdam Amstel
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I was going to meet my friend in Amsterdam, but I was arriving at night and they weren't arriving until the next morning so I needed to find a hotel near the Marriott.  Hotels are generally expensive in Amsterdam so I was looking for one that was not that expensive but still pretty decent.  I decided to try the Ibis Styles Amsterdam Amstel.  The hotel is located in Amstel area which is south of the city center and is located near a tram stop and near restaurants and services.  The hotel’s outside fits nicely with the neighborhood décor – it does not look like a hotel from the outside.  You walk up a couple of steps and enter into the lobby.  The hotel fits into the ‘Amsterdam’ décor so it is very narrow.  Given the limited space, the lobby was not that big.

Check-in was pretty quick and I was given an overview of the hotel, as well as additional perks being a LeClub member.  All Ibis Styles include free breakfast, and this was served in the basement level.  Free wifi was also included.  Additional perks included a free drink and 10% off my meal at the bar in the hotel located across the canal from the hotel.  The hotel did not seem to have a bar, so it had partnered with the hotel across the canal to allow its patrons to use their bar.  This was a very nice gesture, but as I was only here for the night I did not take advantage of it.

The layout of the hotel was very unique.   To get to the elevators, there was a door next to the check-in desk that led to the 1^st floor rooms.  You walked passed those rooms into a square pattern to get to the elevator.  The elevators are next to the stairs, which divide the house in the middle.  The interesting thing about the elevators is that there is no connection between the two sides except through the elevator.

The elevator itself is extremely tiny and narrow, and barely fit me and my stuff.  I was told my room was on the 4^th floor, and that I would take the elevator to the 3^rd floor and then walk up steps to get to my room.  When I got to the 3^rd floor I realized that the 4^th floor was basically the attic and the steps to get up there were extremely small, narrow, and winding.  It was very difficult to get both myself and my stuff up the stairs.

As the room was the entire attic, it was big.  It had three single beds, all right next to each other, so I am assuming it was a family room.  As you opened the door, on left hand side was a nook where the desk was.  Straight ahead were the three single beds.  Two of the single beds were pushed next to each other and the third bed was next to them.   On both sides of the combined single beds were nightstands and each bed had a tiny lamp above it.   The beds themselves were not very comfortable as the padding was light and the comforter small.  It was decent for one night, but would not be comfortable for a longer stay.

To the right of the entrance was the bathroom.  The bathroom contained a sink, a toilet, and a stand-up shower.  The shower was very tiny and compact and was difficult to move around without hitting the shower.  Towels were provided along with bathroom amenities, including soap, shampoo, and shower gel.  I had brought my own toiletries so was not able to try the ones provided.  Right next to the bathroom was another nook which housed the closet and a mirror.  It was very dark on that side and it seemed like wasted space.

Amenities of the hotel which I tried included the free wifi and the free breakfast.  The nice thing about Accorhotels is the free and fast wifi.  You can connect as many devices as you want, and the speed is fast enough to stream videos.   The free breakfast was also very convenient as it provided enough food for a decent meal.  Overall, it was an average stay at the Ibis Styles.  It was my second time staying at the Ibis Styles, and the first experience was much better.  The room layout and location was not customer friendly, but the additional services – including the free wifi, the free breakfast, and the free welcome drink – were nice touches.