Review: KLM Cityhopper Business Class Stavanger to Amsterdam (Embraer ERJ-175)
In this review, we will take a KLM Cityhopper business class flight from Stavanger to Amsterdam on an Embraer ERJ-175.
Short intra-European hop
My flight from Stavanger to Amsterdam would be the first of a total of 12 business class flights as part of the Air France error fare ‘deal’ which I booked for just 650 EUR and would take me to places as far away as Siberia and Azerbaijan.
The flight also marked my first time flying KLM in business class so you can imagine that I was enormously looking forward to the flight despite the fact that these short intra-European hops are often never much to write home about, not even in business class.
Boarding
When I left the excellent Stavanger business class lounge I did not have to walk long to reach the gate as the Embraer RJ-175 had parked right at the nearest jet bridge. The gate agent announced that boarding would commence soon, first calling forward all business class passengers as well as Sky Team elite members.
With business class being fully booked and a lot of passengers on this flight having elite status, it meant that some 25 to 30 people swarmed to the gate.
Unlike the other two alliances (Oneworld and Star Alliance), Sky Team airlines hand out priority boarding as a benefit to lowly silver members as well, which means that priority boarding crowds are usually quite a bit bigger when flying Sky Team airlines such as KLM, Delta or Air France.
Stavanger (SVG) to Amsterdam (AMS) on KLM
Flight KL1200 (booked as AF8306) – Embraer RJ-175 – Business class, seat 1A
Departure: 11.40am – Arrival: 1.20pm
Flight time: 1h40m – Distance: 456 miles
Costs: 800 EUR, as part of a ticket including 12 flights in business class
Embraer RJ-175 seating
Today’s flight would be operated by an Embraer RJ-175 on KLM’s so-called Cityhopper fleet, which operates regional flights on narrow-body jets and turboprops on behalf of the Dutch airline. I swiftly found my seat 1A and made myself comfortable.
Just like most other European airlines, KLM does not have “real” business class seats as to speak off on its entire narrow-body fleet. You just get the same seats as economy class and are given more premium meals and beverages.
On short-haul planes with 3-3 seating such as the Boeing 737, the middle seat will always remain blocked in business class giving you a bit more shoulder and elbow room. Unfortunately, KLM does not give the same benefit on its all-Embraer Cityhopper fleet, which consists of 2-2 seating. You really have the same seat and space here as in economy class.
As the flight was fully booked in business class and seemed equally filled to the brim down in economy, it meant that I had a seatmate as well next to me. I found the seats to be very cramped and not really pleasant at all. To put it in comparison: I found an Embraer-operated flight with LOT Polish Airlines in economy class a lot more spacious (pun not intended) in both seat pitch and shoulder room.
Getting ready for departure
KLM does not hand out any pre-departure beverages on intra-European flights in business class – which is a big minus as every other airline I would fly this trip (Air France, TAROM, Aeroflot and Azerbaijan Airlines) does give them.
It’s not the end of the world as I already had a couple of drinks in the lounge, but the wait until departure seemed to be endless today… the reason for the long wait became obvious soon as I overheard the crew talking about a yet unknown delay due to a storm in Amsterdam which forced the airport to close two or three out of the five runways.
Communication
Immediately this crew started to show what I think is always one of the stronger sides of KLM compared to other airlines: communication. Sure, KLM crews can be a hit-or-miss affair and I have encountered plenty of arrogant and uninterested KLM flight attendants before. But this crew was simply exceptional – especially in the way how they dealt with the delay.
To start, one of the friendly flight attendants informed the passengers about the delay and that we might be standing still for quite a while at the gate. After that, the captain spoke more in depth about the reason of the delay: due to some stormy winds at Amsterdam some runways were closed – and all intercontinental traffic had priority above intra-European flights to land.
Only when a fixed time slot for arrival would be given by AMS traffic control, would we be allowed to take off from Stavanger as otherwise we would be circling endlessly and unnecessary in a holding pattern. While the effectiveness of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport when dealing with inclement weather is something up for discussion (hint: they are lousy at it) the entire reason for the delay was of course perfectly understandable and logical. Why can’t other airlines be like this in communicating open and honestly about delays?
Great flight crew
The all-female team of flight attendants started to hand out bottled water to the passengers in business class as well as pouring cups of water for the people down in economy class. A greatly appreciated gesture, but why they don’t do this as standard in business class as pre-departure beverage service is really a mystery to me.
At that moment, also the pilots showed just how amazing they are when it comes to communication and true dedication to the job. One of the pilots came down from the flight deck and started to talk with each individual passenger who had a tight flight connection in Amsterdam to explain more in detail about the predicted arrival time and whether or not they should still be able to make their connecting flight.
To my big surprise, the pilot did this while kneeling down in the aisle to be on the same eye-level as the passengers. That’s almost Asian-style costumer service and dedication which you normally only see from flight attendants from airlines like Singapore Airlines or Garuda. Count me impressed by this.
Cockpit visit
While the pilot was talking to the passengers with short connections one of the flight attendants walked down the aisle to collect all the kids in the plane to take them up front for a cockpit visit. She was just fantastic how she dealt with the children, as was the other pilot who remained in the cockpit while his colleague informed the passengers.
After the kids went back to their seat, I decided to take a look in the cockpit myself, asking jokingly to the pilots if “those who still feel at times like a child” could also take a peek 😉
The relatively young pilots had a laugh about the line and immediately started to share stories about previous flights, telling a tale how once a father dragged his very reluctant son to the cockpit. The father asked the pilots if his son could have a look while it was clear that the father only did so because he was dead-set about seeing the cockpit himself as an aviation geek.
After talking for ten minutes I asked the pilots if I could make a picture for this trip report, to which they gladly obliged. They even ‘forced’ me to take a seat in one of the pilot chairs so one of them could snap a picture of me in the cockpit!
After ten minutes chatting with the pilots about all kinds of random stuff they got a message from air traffic control that in 10 minutes they would finally be allowed to depart Stavanger as a landing slot in Amsterdam was finally issued. I quickly went back to my seat and left them alone for their last preparations before departure.
Ready for take-off
It went fast from the moment the pilots were given the all-clear. To the joy of all passengers they told that we would depart within a few minutes and announced a flying time of one-and-a-half hours to Amsterdam. Soon we were already taxiing on the apron towards the runway.
As there were no other incoming or departing flights this time of the day, we could immediately take the skies. There were some great views over coastal Norway while ascending into the clouds. In the end, the departure was delayed by about a full hour.
KLM in-flight service
When the fasten seat belt sign blinked off, the friendly crew immediately jumped into action and distributed the menu cards. On short-haul KLM flights in business class there are no hot food options. Rather, you have the choice between three different sandwiches to stay true to Dutch lunch culture.
Cava
As I was in a bit of a party mood, I decided to opt for the cava as drink. For the sandwich I selected the beef pastrami. The sandwich, salad and dessert were all tasty and I think the food was beautifully presented. As I basically had two breakfasts (one in my hotel, one in the lounge) it was also definitely enough in quantity for me, although I can understand that some people used to other business class products might be disappointed not getting a full hot lunch.
I know it is somewhat of Dutch lunch culture to just eat a sandwich instead of a warm meal, and for a short flight of 1.5 hours it is for sure a decent enough option. If I compare the food on KLM to the two short-haul Air France flights I would fly later on during this trip, then the KLM soft product would not even come close in quality, quantity and other small meal details. While certainly not the worst in the industry, I wouldn’t rate the KLM food more than an average rating.
Some other minor thoughts
There were some other areas where I think KLM falls short. To start, I don’t really get the choice of sparkling wine. The Codornu Clasico retails for 5 EUR a bottle and can hardly be described as a premium choice of bubbly. To be fair, KLM does serve an acceptable champagne on long-haul flights (Nicolas Feuillatte) and I understand that the airline wants to offer a slightly less premium offering on short connecting flights.
There are some great cavas out there (I recently very much enjoyed the Vilarnau Brut Reserva in the Diamong Lounge at Brussels Airport to name one), but this one? I did not find it very good at all.
Of course, price doesn’t say everything about quality, but is it so hard to put a bit of effort in actually finding some wines which at least have a good reputation or are otherwise interesting choices? On other KLM flights I would take on this trip I would also be equally disappointed by the wines which were offered on intra-European flights.
If you would compare the wines to the ones Air France selected for its short-haul flights the KLM selection does not even come close to the ones on board of their partner airline. On a positive note, I did like the glassware used by KLM!
Landing in Amsterdam
When the flight attendants came by for another drink round I decided to ditch the cava for a beer. The flight went by very fast and before I knew it, the captain announced we were starting our descent into Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
To the loud cheers of all passengers the captain announced that all connecting passengers were likely to make their flights if they would step up their pace a bit and hurry to their connecting gates. He said as well that KLM would hold their flights for a few minutes longer if necessary. Massive kudos again for the pilots and the entire crew of today’s flight – as they were all superb.
Of all countries on Earth, the Netherlands is perhaps one of my favourites to fly into. Sure, on the ground it has probably the most boring, flat scenery imaginable – but from the air it just looks so picture perfect, almost like it is designed in a computer simulation.
It’s testimony how mankind can beat the elements (in this case mainly the incoming sea) and create an amazingly functional country with excellent infrastructure and the most productive agricultural sector in the world.
There is one thing which is even worse to hear than “brace for impact!” on landing: your pilot saying “we successfully landed at the Polderbaan”. Frequent AMS-flyers will instantly know what I mean, but for those unaware of it: the Polderbaan is Schiphol airport’s infamous runway which is not really located at the airport itself but somewhere halfway to Paris. That means that after landing you can enjoy a relaxing ride through the Dutch polder for 45 minutes or so until you finally arrive on the airport apron.
It is absolutely not something you want to hear when you already racked up a delay of an hour and being in a hurry. As I needed to catch my train to the south of the Netherlands in order to make it in time for the big carnival parade, it was certainly not something I wanted to hear.
Disembarking
When we finally arrived at the gate, I thanked the team of flight attendants and the pilots from the bottom of my heart for their fantastic service. To my horror, we had quite a distant gate which meant I had to run half a marathon through the long Schiphol concourses until I finally reached the arrivals hall where the airport’s train station is located.
With seconds to spare, I made it onto the train I needed to catch – being utterly exhausted from the run through the airport (alcohol and running is never a good combination!).
In short
Let’s start with the positive. KLM’s communication was flawless on board and everyone of the crew went the extra mile to inform, help and entertain passengers. I always say that airlines resemble a bit of their national character. Swiss is efficient, on Air France you can expect good food, and KLM?
Well, the food is rather average for international business class standards – but then again I did for sure also see worse in the industry so it’s not all bad either. The seat sucks – but then again that is pretty much the standard on most intra-European flights no matter which carrier you fly. But when it comes to service and general communication, KLM is industry leading – which I think is a bit related to the direct style of communication of the Dutch.
Even though I think KLM crews can be a bit of a hit-and-miss (as the direct style of communicating can easily turn into arrogance or disinterest) this crew was fantastic in all aspects of service. They were all-smiles throughout the flight and pro-actively offered refills or came by for a short chat to inquire if there was anything they could do, which is basically all that you can ask for on such a short flight.
The bottom line basically turns down to what your expectancy is. If you want a proper business class seat and great food on intra-European flights, then perhaps only Turkish and Aeroflot will deliver on this front. Of course, most people fly short-haul business class as a feeder flight before their connecting long-haul flight, in which case such a short hop in business is included in your ticket.
Otherwise I wouldn’t think it’s worth it to pay the premium to fly business class on an intra-European flight with KLM given that the seat is the same as in economy class and the food is only marginally better – although this is something which counts for most European carriers.
Trip report index
This review is part of the ‘Siberian Shuffle – A Crazy Winter Trip Around Eurasia‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. Review: Wizz Air Bucharest to Oslo Sandefjord Torp (Airbus A321)
2. A Day in the Norwegian Capital of Oslo
3. Review: Norwegian Railways Night Train Oslo-Stavanger in a Private Sleeper
4. Review: Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Stavanger
5. Stavanger – A Great Norwegian City Trip Surprise
6. Review: North Sea Lounge Stavanger Airport
7. Review: KLM Cityhopper Business Class (Embraer RJ-175) Stavanger to Amsterdam (current chapter)
8. Guide to the Carnival Celebrations in the Netherlands
9. Review: KLM Crown Lounge (Schengen) Amsterdam Airport
10. Review: Air France Business Class Amsterdam to Paris (Airbus A319)
11. Review: ‘Salon Paris’ Business Class Lounge Paris CDG Terminal 2C
12. Review: Aeroflot Business Class Paris to Moscow (Airbus A320)
13. Review: Aeroflot Domestic Business Class Lounge Moscow Sheremetyevo
14. Review: Aeroflot Domestic Business Class Moscow to Irkutsk (Boeing 737-800)
15. Review: Matreshka Hotel, Irkutsk
16. Irkutsk Trip Report: Exploring the ‘Paris of Siberia’ in Winter
17. Review: Mayak Hotel, Listvyanka (Lake Baikal)
18. A Winter Trip to the Frozen Wonderland of Lake Baikal
19. Review: Ibis Irkutsk Center Hotel, Irkutsk
20. Review: Domestic Business Class Lounge Irkutsk Airport
21. Review: Aeroflot Domestic Business Class Irkutsk to Moscow (Boeing 737-800)
22. Review: Pushkin Hotel, Moscow
23. A 24 Hour Stopover in the Russian Capital of Moscow
24. Review: ‘Moscow’ and ‘Jazz’ Business Lounges Moscow Sheremetyevo Terminal D
25. Review: Aeroflot Business Class Moscow to Paris (Airbus A320)
26. Review: TAROM Business Class Paris to Bucharest (Airbus A318)
27. Review: TAROM Business Lounge Bucharest Otopeni Airport
28. Review: Air France Business Class Bucharest to Paris (Airbus A320)
29. A Short Overnight Stopover in Paris
30. Review: Sheltair Business Lounge Paris CDG Terminal 2D
31. Review: Azerbaijan Airlines Business Class Paris to Baku (Airbus A320)
32. Review: Old City Hotel and Apartments, Baku, Azerbaijan
33. Destination Baku: An Intriguing Mix Between Old and New
34. Guide: Train Travel in Azerbaijan
35. Sheki: Azerbaijan’s Most Lovely Town and Springboard to the Caucasus
36. Must Be the Ganja! A Visit to the City of Ganja in Azerbaijan
37. Review: Shah Palace Hotel, Baku, Azerbaijan
38. Review: Azerbaijan Airlines Business Lounge Baku Airport
39. Review: Azerbaijan Airlines Business Class Baku to Paris (Airbus A320)
40. Review: Air France Business Lounge Paris CDG Terminal 2F
41. Review: KLM Business Class Paris to Amsterdam (Boeing 737)
42. Review: KLM Business Class Amsterdam to Bergen (Boeing 737)
43. Blissful Bergen – Is It Really Norway’s Most Beautiful City?
44. Review: Bergen to Oslo on a Norwegian Intercity Train (Bergensbanen Railway)
45. The Flamsbana Railway – From the Myrdal Mountains to the Fjord at Flam
46. Review: SAS Economy Class Oslo to Brussels (Boeing 737-600)
47. Review: Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport Pier B Non-Schengen
48. Review: TAROM Economy Class Brussels to Bucharest (Boeing 737-800)
