Departure experience
Check-in was done on the KLM webpage and I could download the boarding pass to my mobile phone. With only hand luggage I could go straight to the security control at the airport.
KLM uses terminal 2 at Stockholm Arlanda airport, the smaller of the two international terminals. KLM business class passengers and Skyteam Elite Plus members can use the fast track channel through security. The number of passengers at security at terminal 2 varies considerably during the day. In the morning and the early evening the fast track channel comes very handy. At other times the security control is virtually empty and the fast track channel is pointless.
There is just one lounge in the terminal called Menzies Aurora Lounge. A decent hot and cold buffet was available in the evening with chicken, salmon, Swedish meatballs, different salads and vegetables and bread rolls. Beer and wine on tap were also available and a reasonable selection of spirits. For a third-party lounge the Aurora lounge is not bad at all.
The flight
Stockholm-Amsterdam
KLM flight KL 1118
Departure: 19.50
Arrival: 21.55
Business Class
Boeing 737-800
Seat 01F
The Sky Priority boarding process usually works quite well at most airports, including in Stockholm, with clear and simple signage. There was a dedicated priority line at the gate which I joined. As the flight was nearly completely full one of the gate agents checked the hand luggage of all passengers.
When boarding started the passengers in the Sky Priority lane were invited to board first and when this line was empty general boarding started.
First impression
I had pre-booked 01F for the flight, a window seat on the first row. This meant all hand luggage had to be placed in the overhead bins. The cabin design was familiar from many previous flights in the signature KLM blue colour.
No pre-departure drinks were offered and no newspapers either on this flight. We departed punctually with an expected flight time of one hour and 35 minutes.
Seat and cabin
The flight was operated by a Boeing 737-800 with the standard European configuration with a six seats abreast in a 3-3 configuration but with a 2-2 configuration in business class with the middle seats blocked. On some aircrafts there is also a cocktail table above the middle seat.
There were only two rows assigned to business class and we were only three passengers.
Food and drinks
Until about a year ago a hot meal was served between Stockholm and Amsterdam. Now the threshold for a hot meal on intra-European flights has been raised to a flight time of two hours and above and the Stockholm flights have been reduced to cold meal. A bit of a shame as the hot meals served in business class were quite good.
There is still a menu though, which is a nice touch.
This is the menu for the evening flight from Stockholm to Amsterdam.
And here is the drink list.
Interestingly there was only supposed to be one main course to Amsterdam, the Mesclun salad with grilled sesame salmon. However when the purser passed through the cabin she offered me two choices. Either the salmon or chicken skewers. Probably the chicken skewers were offered on the previous flight to Stockholm and they had some meals left in the galley. A nice touch nevertheless.
I asked for the salmon anyway. There was a very small Greek-style salad for starter and a small almond and apricot mousse for dessert. The meal was fine and quite tasty but far smaller than the hot meal which used to be served on the same route.
Bread rolls were offered from a basket followed by drinks. With salmon for main course I asked for a bottle of white wine. In KLM business class the wines served onboard are different from the ones served in economy class, even on intra-European flights. They had two white wines on offer and I went for the Chardonnay, Corette 2012.
Later during the flight coffee and tea were offered. I also asked for a gin & tonic. They serve a Dutch gin onboard, Damrak. A nice change from the standard Gordons and Bombay Sapphire.
The service
The purser took care of the service in business class. After she had served us in front of the curtain she continued to economy class to assist her colleagues there. Since we were only three passengers in business class while economy class was almost completely full it was fair. She did keep an eye on us at the front through and it was easy to press the call button if we needed something.
Overall the service was very friendly and attentive and it was a nice touch to be offered a choice of main course, even though there was not supposed to have been a choice.
Arrival experience
We landed nearly 15 minutes early at Amsterdam Schiphol airport and fortunately we landed on a runway close to the terminal complex with a short taxi to the gate.
Final impression
Friendly and attentive service from the cabin crew but it is a bit sad to see the previous hot meal between Stockholm and Amsterdam has now been reduced to a cold meal.
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