A couple of years ago "The Queen of the Skies", Boeing 747, celebrated 50 years anniversart. Just a few dats later I was going to board a 747 for the first time, a dream come true. Sitting upstairs was a part of this dream. The KLM unfortunately don´t use the B747 anymore.
I did not have enough points/miles to book a round trip in business class with KLM. I had to choose between the outbound journey or inbound. I chose the return flight because it was a night flight and a better chance to get some decent sleep. Next question was which seat to choose. In the nose of the plane or upstairs? I prefer a single seat when travelling alone, so the 1A was chosen.
My strategy was to get a free or paid upgrade offer on the outbound journey. Free is almost impossible, but nothing can stop you dreaming! At check in I was offered an upgrade, though is was paid.
The cost was some hundred dollars, but in total my round trip to Chicago was the same as a normal flight ticket, and within my budget. Then I got the best of two worlds: Upstars in 747 to Chicago and a single seat on my way home.
Lounge
I never tested KLMs business concept before, and I was excited to test something other than Star Alliance. The flight from Amsterdam to Chicago was delayed, so I had the chance to visit the newly renovated KLM Crown Lounge before departure. This lounge was really nice, but busy at the time and almost impossible to find a free seat. The food was better han any other lounges I have tested.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, KLM have a lounge in cooperation with several other partners at O´Hare in Chicago. Not very big, and when I arrived it looked a bit dull. Luckily my first impression was wrong. It looks a bit dull, but the selection of food and drinks are way better than Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) at the same airport. KLM served two asian hot dishes and a soup, you got a hot dog at SAS.
Comfort and entertainment
Ready for boarding! A bit chaotic at the gate, but the boarding went smoothly, and I got to walk up the stairs for the first time! To be fair, I have been seated upstairs once before, on a Lufthansa A380, economy class, a few years ago.
Upstairs you get the feeling of a small aircraft with only 20 seats. A bit of a private jet feeling. Limited space in the overhead compartments, so the hand luggage has to be placed by the stairs. The KLM configuration is 2+2, which is ok, men with one con: You can not reach the isle without disturbing the man or woman sitting next to you, from the window seat.
The seats are pointed a bit towards the windows, and they are really comfortable, with huge space for your legs. The screen in front of you are big, but on the 747 the entertainment systen is dated! Low resolution, limited choice of movies, no english subtitles, and a bit disappointing. The whole cabin is getting old and dated, unfortunately.
Service level, food and beverages
On the other side, KLM is a lot better when it comes to the service level! You are served all the time, especially beverages. A welcome drink while boarding, drinks befor the food, during the meal and after. Before the meal you can choose between some nuts or cheese to the drinks.
The meal is a three course meal. My choice was a spicy potato soup, grilled chicken and passion fruit mousse for desert. The starter and the main course was excellent, but the desert was not my cup of tea. I like the desert to be a bit sweet, this was just bitter. In total this was a tasty and good meal.
Just before landing we were served a lunch. The choice was pzza or steak sandwich. I chose the last one. Very good sandwich with a salad. The desert was a hot chocolate fondant. I don´t fly business class very often, but comparing food and service, this was way better than SAS. SAS has better seats and entertainment system though.
The 747 toilets were normal toilets for an aircraft, not very big or nice. On one of them there was some brown water on the floor. Not good!
As mentioned I was supposed to fly B747 on KLM World Business Class back home. I was sitting in my 1A seat for over an hour before the flight was cancelled. This review is bases on one way.
Conclusion
As I got this tickets for a very low price using Flying Blue points/miles, this was a very nice experience. I was impressed by the service level and the quality of food from KLM. Comfort and entertainment was not good enough for a modern business class concept. No wi-fi offered as well, if you like to use this on long haul flights.
My trip was with a B747, I don´t know if the World Business Class is similar with the B777.
Bucket list: Fly 747? Check!
