@@liftoffandtravel Also, the little "Delfts Blue Houses" filled with typical dutch 'Jenever' (a kind of Gin) are given to intercontinental business-class travelers since the 1950's. Making it one of the longest running incentive presents in the world.
I like their colors on KLM- the blue would go well with my blue eyes😀 The items they use for the meals is creative and appealing- flatware, dishes and more. You are definitely in a happy zone on the flights- your body language shows it; good for you! safe travels.
@@jimbohr Merry Christmas to you 🎄🎁 always a little jealous of those with blue eyes. It's so appealing. There is something magical about KLM. Also thank you. I'm getting more confident with my reviews but it certainly helps when it's a good experience.
3:38 additional payment for seat selection can be avoided if you are a Frequent Flyer, at level 2 or 3 you have free seat selection And levels are not hard to "earn"
Nice - I think you were lucky to get a 777 over a 787 - I hate that the crew on most airlines control the windows on the 787. The new seat looks very good - and the catering looked fine. I haven't flown KLM for years but recall they were very good when I did. Just found your channel so have subscribed.
Thank you for subscribing! Definately 100% when I saw it online that morning I was surprised but was so impressed with the product. The window shades are so frustrating. As a reviewer I spent ages trying to unpolarise the video 😂 What's the 787 like?
@@liftoffandtravel i was hiking in Cocora Valley (coffee country) before going to Bogota. In Bogota, I found Simon Bolivar's home interesting and the history depicted in the Gold museum was incredible!
Blue is the color of sadness. Unless you ask google: “Most airlines leverage blue to create a feeling of safety, security, calm, order, strength, trust, and precision.”
@@Michplay depends on the shade. A dark blue can be seen as royal. Virgin trains was an example of that with red seats in economy. Dark blue for First. Yes totally onboard with the calming affect
Marie-Stella-Maris (The last is pronouced like it is written: just pronounce the two words ‘mar’ and ‘is’ as you would their English counterparts) is another Dutch brand, probably chosen due to their stance on water management- a subject close to to the heart of one of KLM’s former part-time pilots 😊
Really appreciate the information. I try my best to pronounce things but it's difficult when you aren't a local. I'm pleased to hear about the reasons for their choosing the products. You only have to look at Nestle to see how bad a company can be when it comes to water. Water should be something everyone has easy access to and not sourced from 10,000 miles away.
I once booked a flight to the UK and there we go snowed in and flights were cancelled. KLM was not at fault and yet they paid for my hotel. I won't easily forget such service.
Did you get a good hotel? Recently had some very tight connections and despite the heavy but beautiful snow still made the flights. Can't be annoyed at them when it's so pretty outside 😂 but the fear of missing flights is very real.
You do realise I hope that only the privileged few get to fly business class. As a child due to my father’s work we got to fly at least once a year what was then called First Class, ( my father worked for an international aviation company with a Captain rank) I remember that this pissed off quite a few of the other First Class passengers every time they saw my mum coming in with 3 children. The thing is we were conditioned by my father to be well behaved! Since I have to pay for my tickets ever since becoming an adult I have never flown anything but economy class.
KLM is definitely the best option out of Colombia to Europe and I fly them in C quite often. As you say the food out of Colombia isn’t as good as that on the return but still decent. Their partner Air France arguably has better food on the BOG-CDG daily flight but the timing of the flight, much later in the day, is less convenient. Another KLM option is to transfer in Panama rather than Bogota. Although that often is a more expensive option (partly I think as COPA are used as the connecting airline from Colombian airports) it is for me marginally the better option and avoids the layover in CTG. Mind you that take off from CTG’s rather short runway can be very impressive!
It's interesting with the routing, we are planing to visit Peru this year and while Lima used to have flights with British Airways unless you spend more you are often routed via Bogota. Besides flight times, how do you compare Air France to KLM? I was a little dissapointed last time from San Fran when they switched it for a newer layout on the 777-300 to an old 777-200. Still good but not the same experience. Got to love a good take of :)
@ Well, as I indicated the food is better in business in AF than KLM. For me Schiphol is far easier on the departure than Paris, but that may not be true if you are just in transit. Generally, out of Colombia AF tends to be more expensive by a few hundred dollars although I did snag a really good AF ‘C’ class fare a few months ago (AF were celebrating an anniversary in flying from Colombia). The A350 AF use out of Bogota (now the A340s have gone) is arguably a little better than KLMs 78-10s out of Bogota and Panama. The KLM Bogota flight is also a bit quirky flying that triangle AMS-BOG-CTG-AMS. But the timing of the AF flight is an issue. The incoming flight means that onward connections are often the last flight of the day and the outbound from Bogota is around midnight. It’s hard to enjoy the better food and booze that late in the day. For me KLM, one timing two avoiding CDG. If you are connecting onwards flying into Panama and then using COPA is much better than either using LAN or Avianca out of Bogota.
Thank yoh for watching 👀 I really did avoid flying because I thought there were so many better options. There were so many positives so I just hope your experience was as good as mine. Be sure to explore the lounge, yes it gets busy but there is so much variety and a sky deck if you like watching planes ✈️
I'm increasingly a fan of the unbundles business class fare. For example if you're flying out of MAN, the Aether lounge is 10x better than any airline lounge, the money saved on the unbundled fare is better spent in that direction, particularly if you don't need checked bags anyway.
I guess we all hoped it would see a drop in the fares but the ones that included what was expected are now higher. I unfortunately yesterday didn't realise I'd done this with Qatar and as a result nearly suffered a 10 hour tired layover having not realised I'd picked a light fare. I guess in the world of ever increasing fares it will hopefully keep fares lower for those who are happy to just turn up and connect or wander round the airport instead.
@gunvaldsandhaland7757 going to go research the difference now you've mentioned it. We are flying the 787 on a fifth freedom route next year. In economy and Premium for a change.
When I’ve flown Business Light with KLM, I’ve been able to use the lounge in other cities except Amsterdam. It’s the Lounge 52 that required paid lounge access, which you can get for around €50 (half the difference between standard and light). But it’s little things like this that have made me stick to one alliance (OneWorld) for as much of my travel as possible. Unbundling lounges out of Business Class feels ‘cheap’ on the airline’s part.
That's good to know. To be honest at €50 I think I'd buy a sandwich, go for a walk and watch planes out of the window. Do you think lounge 52 is worth the price? I'm also surprised to see lounges more than €30 but I guess, inflation, price rises push everything higher. Also yes if we didn't live in Birmingham I'd happily fly One World more often. What's your favourite airline?
@@liftoffandtravel 52 worth the price? Most certainly not. And the walk-in rate is €65, not €50. As for KLM, I gave up flying them longhaul years ago. It used to be a good airline, but they've been heading downhill for a long time now. The pace picked up after covid, while prices went through the roof. In short, there are so many better options out there, I never have a problem avoiding KLM, with the exception of shorthaul flights to/from AMS. That's bad enough, because their shorthaul J Class sucks, but the flights are short enough to be survivable. To make things worse, it is KLM's misfortune that Schiphol is their hub, a badly mismanaged airport that's rapidly approaching third-world levels of congestion, delays and offers a security checkpoint clown show.
@@johanrebel I wonder what the summer will bring given the expected crowds 🤔 Given that this was my first long haul flight with KLM I can't compare it to before. When you say its gone down hill what exactly has changed?
8:16 There’s something special about KLM’s blue. When I try to explain it, I always say it’s a sky blue that’s as orange as blue can possibly be without being actual orange.
@@JulesStoop when you said that I started thinking about their one of livery which is half sky blue and orange. Those colours probably shouldn't go so well together but they really do 🧡🩵
@ On that plane it’s literally very close to orange 😅 It’s indeed unexpected, but for some reason it works. I reckon those colors have almost the same tonal value.
@@liftoffandtravel The blue (cyan) and orange (tangerine) are so called complementary colors (opposite one another in the color circle), these opposite colors always go well together. It was practically the first thing I learned in art school (painting/color studies, Design Academy Eindhoven). “In the traditional RYB color model, the complementary color pairs are red-green, yellow-purple, and BLUE-ORANGE.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colors Hope this helped! I Enjoyed your video very much :) PS My grandfather used to, pre WWII, work for KLM as a … radio operator (marconist in Dutch after Guglielmo Marconi the creator/inventor of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system). After the war, still for KLM, he worked on the ground with approximately 250 people under his wing (pun intended ;) out of Amstelveen where KLM still has its headquarters. My grandparents lived in Amstelveen (Emmakade) bordering the ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ (Amsterdam Forrest) after which Bosbaan (one of Schiphol’s main runways - approach - is named, Amsterdamse BOS, this translates as (Amsterdam) Forrest Runway. We could see (and one still could) planes fly by extremely low on approach 🛬 from my grandparents living room window, such a buzz when I was young - born ‘71 - so 747s DC9s and DC10s for the most part. Fond memories ☺️ PPS My PS’s are often more elaborate than the actual message :)
@@liftoffandtravel The blue (cyan) and orange (tangerine) are so called complementary colors (opposite one another in the color circle), these opposite colors always go well together. It was practically the first thing I learned in art school (painting/color studies, Design Academy Eindhoven). “In the traditional RYB color model, the complementary color pairs are red-green, yellow-purple, and BLUE-ORANGE.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colors Hope this helped! I Enjoyed your video very much :) PS My grandfather used to, pre WWII, work for KLM as a … radio operator (marconist in Dutch after Guglielmo Marconi the creator/inventor of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system). After the war, still for KLM, he worked on the ground with approximately 250 people under his wing (pun intended ;) out of Amstelveen where KLM still has its headquarters. My grandparents lived in Amstelveen (Emmakade) bordering the ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ (Amsterdam Forrest) after which Bosbaan (one of Schiphol’s main runways - approach - is named, Amsterdamse BOS, this translates as (Amsterdam) Forrest Runway. We could see (and one still could) planes fly by extremely low on approach 🛬 from my grandparents living room window, such a buzz when I was young - born ‘71 - so 747s DC9s and DC10s for the most part. Fond memories ☺️ PPS My PS’s are often more elaborate than the actual message :) On the special blue/orange livery in 2016 news.klm.com/orangepride-klms-unique-orange-aircraft-to-promote-the-netherlands/#
@@liftoffandtravel The blue (cyan) and orange (tangerine) are so called complementary colors (opposite one another in the color circle), these opposite colors always go well together. It was practically the first thing I learned in art school (painting/color studies, Design Academy Eindhoven). “In the traditional RYB color model, the complementary color pairs are red-green, yellow-purple, and BLUE-ORANGE.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colors Hope this helped! I Enjoyed your video very much :) PS My grandfather used to, pre WWII, work for KLM as a … radio operator (marconist in Dutch after Guglielmo Marconi the creator/inventor of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system). After the war, still for KLM, he worked on the ground with approximately 250 people under his wing (pun intended ;) out of Amstelveen where KLM still has its headquarters. My grandparents lived in Amstelveen (Emmakade) bordering the ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ (Amsterdam Forrest) after which Bosbaan (one of Schiphol’s main runways - approach - is named, Amsterdamse BOS, this translates as (Amsterdam) Forrest Runway. We could see (and one still could) planes fly by extremely low on approach 🛬 from my grandparents living room window, such a buzz when I was young - born ‘71 - so 747s DC9s and DC10s for the most part. Fond memories ☺️ PPS My PS’s are often more elaborate than the actual message :) On the special blue/orange livery in 2016 news.klm.com/orangepride-klms-unique-orange-aircraft-to-promote-the-netherlands/#
I've done the 777-300ER AMS-SIN-DPS many times and you need to de-plane in SIN where it is cleaned and a completely new crew comes on board. This crew does SIN-DPS-SIN where the plane is cleaned again and yet another different crew come on board. Always found the cabin crew excellent with KLM, and I have quite a collection if houses (which are filled with Genever). Was the table sturdy? The tables on the older 777-300ER are not that great, those on the same type of plane by Air France are much better
@@PadisherCreel yes the tray table was excellent. Still impressed with the amount of space. Curious to know when you deplane what do you do? Is it long enough to go to a lounge or is it a quick of and on?
@@liftoffandtravel in SIN turnover is ca 90mins. We are allowed anywhere in the terminal but are advised to stay at the gate, as we need to go back through security. All hand luggage must be taken off the plane. The flight SINDPS has a full meal, but not as extravagant as AMSSIN. One of my favourite long haul flights, and of course business class is the only way for that distance
@@PadisherCreelSame here. I’ve also noticed they lock the doors on the SIN-DPS leg so they cannot be closed. The AMS-SIN leg they unlock it after takeoff which is lovely as it is a night flight.
@bpdbhp1632 after further research apparently it's only in Western culture but depends on the country. I agree it doesn't always mean sadness but colour makes a huge difference to perception.
KLM's new Jamco seats aren't wearing well, there are a lot of chipping off and tear on those 1 year old refurbished seats. Also, the doors close with a magnet, so you will feel it when the passenger behind you closes it, it's a pretty strong magnet! I actually prefer KLM's 787-9 seats, the footwells aren't constrained and it feels more open without the shelf above your knee when sleeping. Bogota is a charming city, I'm glad you got to explore it!!
@@jiangni2236 thank you. Really did enjoy Bogota. I love ❤️ South America as I have connections. How interesting. Although I can think of other airlines where leather in particular is wearing badly.
I was lucky enough to try this seat on my return flight from Seoul last June. I really liked it. How did you find Bogota? I've been thinking about visiting Colombia, but heard quite off-putting stories when it comes to muggings, phone snatching, etc.
I used the local bus system but I was staying just south of the airport and caught the bendy buses in to the city twice only during the day though. I felt pretty relaxed once I was in the tourist area but even in the safest city in the world I'm always aware of who is around me. I visited the gold museum, a cat cafe, Plaza de Bolivar and La Candelaria which is pretty. Probably worth a few days there. May be watch a video on RUclips first. Also if you don't like Empanadas it could be a struggle food wise.
When did you had your flight?? As I can see you show the old amenity kit. KLM has a new amenity kit for months now! Luckily you had a good crew. Normally they are not very professionell.
@@marten.travelling.11 I always out the date I travelled in the description but I appreciate most people me included don't read it 😂 This was back in July of 2024. I have to say the old one does look old. That's sad to hear about the crew. Even with the crew swap both were really good 😊
Blue isn’t a sad colour, utter nonsense! I love blue reminds me of sunny weather! If you want a sad colour think grey, it’s not just sad it’s boring. As for enthousiasme to fly KLM, clearly you hang out with snobs who just want Asian companies. KLM is known for its quality and good service. KLM is one of the oldest aviation companies in the world and the pride of our country the Netherlands. It got one of the best reviews iPod European countries.
@@irenehabes-quene2839 there are many many references online about it but everyone is entitled to their opinion. I didn't quite get what you meant by I hang out with snobs who want Asian companies? The point of my video is that KLM is an underdog that is so much better than the image they give on the world stage. Say the words Emirates and people dribble at the mouth but was genuinely pleased with the experience and will happily fly them again.
@ this is exactly my point, KLM is not an underdog but a top airline. It’s a grand old lady and Dutch people are proud of her history and reputation as the oldest airline in the world still operating under the same name. KLM has won a spot in aviation history. They merged with AirFrance 2 decades ago but still operate under their own name. We are not really amused when it’s referred to as a second rated airline. British airways doesn’t count as the oldest airline as its predecessor was BOAC ( the company that hired my dad ( pilot) before transferring him to their Kenyan sister organisation EAA before their independence) I grew up in a time when flying was relatively expensive that only few could afford. On the whole they were the upper class. Now that flying is accessible to so many more people you still get the distinction, in the classes that the wealthier people choose to fly. Some will only fly Emirates or Cathay Pacific if they have the choice because they say that the services are better. Perhaps if I ever go to Australia or Indonesia (my birth place) I might do the same if I can find a good deal on the tickets.
@@DicksonMaimouthIt looks more difficult than it is for non-Dutch speakers, but try to pronounce ‘s-Heer Arendskerke, or ‘s-Heer Hendrikskinderen or ‘s-Hertogenbosch, or Hendrik Ido Ambacht, or 2e Exloërmond, or Gasselternijveenschemond, or ‘s-Gravenhage (better known as The Hague, which is better to pronounce by foreigners). These are towns and cities in The Netherlands.
had terrible experiences with KLM. Huge flight delays, getting stranded in Amsterdam. Got told by the KLM passenger coordinator that they had no beds. He suggested we sleep on the terminal floor and left us stranded at Amsterdam Schipol airport. Did not get reimbursed for breakfast, had massive hassle to get reimbursement for the hotel cost (like, 330/night for a bloody capsule hotel. There is absolutely nothing glorious about flying KLM, and I am doing that only if I do not have any other choice.
I have to say unfortunately this isn't unique to KLM. Airlines will often throw the term an unexpected event around to avoid paying for anything. In honesty from their side their margins are not huge. Anyway as someone who's had a few issues in the past some are better than others in these situations but when it falls apart this badly there are only so many hotel rooms. Unfortunately it leaves a lasting impression though. We would probably feel the same if it happened to us.
@ Well, at the time of arrival the only staff left at Schiphol was the security staff. Everybody else had left. The next morning nobody actually cared, and I had a hard time getting reimbursed for the hotel cost. KLM did not pay for the breakfast. Apparently they don't give 2 sh*ts of a f*ck about passenger experience.
@@saskiahold1905 I've had similar issues. Where the only staff we the check in staff and I was told if I have an issue I have to call up which is odd. What if I didn't have a local sim card or it would cost me £100s? Its easy to say know the policies but even when you do may be the local staff don't. Again SAN Francisco, rebooked over night. Couldn't get a hotel because it was mid night and can't back date it. Called American and British Airways and both were pretty unhelpful. Was on the phone for 45 minutes and they kept saying call the other 😂📱
I really wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt given covid was tough but when they changed the plane I just wasn't very impressed by the mountain I was made to climb. They'd only allow me to change to the day before which didn't work for me. 😔
@@liftoffandtravelI think this is an English language thing. I don’t know any other language where ‘blue’ is associated with sadness. From a Dutch perspective the colour blue is associated with reliability.
@@jeanpierreviergever1417 I'm just surprised people don't know the film with the character who is blue and her name is sadness. So yes could be an English based language thing. What is her name in Dutch?
@ Had to look it up as I didn’t know Inside Out. The character is called ‘Verdriet’ which is a literal translation of ‘sadness’. It is not a staple in the Netherlands, at least, i had never heard of it. As said, blue in the Netherlands is more associated with reliability. It refers to use in clothing and corporate imaging. With blue in English I associate things like Blue Monday, feeling blue.. etc. ‘Being blue’ translated into Dutch is colloquial for being really drunk.
@jeanpierreviergever1417 spot on, either way an interesting lesson in different cultures. Also in demographics because typically our highest viewing numbers come from countries where the first language is English even when say we cover an airline in a country where this isn't the case. Wonderful to see so many Dutch viewers on this one 💙
Maybe you should do your homework before posting a video. The pronunciation of Cartagena is so wrong. Also, the language isn't German but Dutch. You could have looked that up as well. Not impressed with your video at all.
14:25 thats not German, it's Dutch, KLM is a Dutch airline :)
lol yeah.
He said: the language was set to German... So, yeah, that even happens on Dutch planes. Not hard to understand, I guess.
@@karstbroekhuisen2835 Nah it was set in Dutch, I speak German and Dutch cuz I'm Dutch and that was def. Dutch ;D
@karstbroekhuisen2835 no you can clearly see earlier in the video that it is set to Dutch.
Respect to the oldest airline in the world!
Did not know that and certainly an interesting fact 👍 thanks for sharing 💙🩵
@@liftoffandtravel Founded in 1919, it is the oldest still operating airline in the world. After Avianca from Colombia (2nd oldest)
@alexvandersmaal2223 that's a hell of a history. I think I vaguely remember a nice advert but it would be good to have a wall or display or something.
@@liftoffandtravel Also, the little "Delfts Blue Houses" filled with typical dutch 'Jenever' (a kind of Gin) are given to intercontinental business-class travelers since the 1950's. Making it one of the longest running incentive presents in the world.
@alexvandersmaal2223 that's incredible. However it's such a nice tradition I can see why it's stood the test of time ⌚
My favorite Airline klm each year i travel with klm .
Lovely cabin crews
Service is perfect ❤
@@shilakalloe9506 have you tried their partner Air France? Will Definately be back in their other cabins to see how they rate.
Obviously, the in-flight entertainment system was in Dutch, not in German.
I like their colors on KLM- the blue would go well with my blue eyes😀 The items they use for the meals is creative and appealing- flatware, dishes and more. You are definitely in a happy zone on the flights- your body language shows it; good for you! safe travels.
@@jimbohr Merry Christmas to you 🎄🎁 always a little jealous of those with blue eyes. It's so appealing.
There is something magical about KLM. Also thank you. I'm getting more confident with my reviews but it certainly helps when it's a good experience.
@@liftoffandtravel happy new year!!
And it's the colour of the sky. Makes sense, doesn't it?
3:38
additional payment for seat selection can be avoided if you are a Frequent Flyer, at level 2 or 3 you have free seat selection
And levels are not hard to "earn"
That's so true, currently really enjoying that. Just a shame I didn't have the status at that point.
Nice - I think you were lucky to get a 777 over a 787 - I hate that the crew on most airlines control the windows on the 787. The new seat looks very good - and the catering looked fine. I haven't flown KLM for years but recall they were very good when I did. Just found your channel so have subscribed.
Thank you for subscribing! Definately 100% when I saw it online that morning I was surprised but was so impressed with the product.
The window shades are so frustrating. As a reviewer I spent ages trying to unpolarise the video 😂
What's the 787 like?
lovely video as always!❤
@@coypat1300 cheers Coy 🥂 hope you had a good Christmas 🎄
I really enjoyed your review. I agree with you about Bogota - it's a really interesting city with incredible history and lots to see!
@@daviddewhurst4708 Thanks David, what inspired you to visit Bogota? Any gems we missed?
@@liftoffandtravel i was hiking in Cocora Valley (coffee country) before going to Bogota. In Bogota, I found Simon Bolivar's home interesting and the history depicted in the Gold museum was incredible!
@daviddewhurst4708 cheers David, noted for next time. How safe is it to hike?
Blue is the color of sadness. Unless you ask google:
“Most airlines leverage blue to create a feeling of safety, security, calm, order, strength, trust, and precision.”
@@Michplay depends on the shade. A dark blue can be seen as royal. Virgin trains was an example of that with red seats in economy. Dark blue for First.
Yes totally onboard with the calming affect
Marie-Stella-Maris (The last is pronouced like it is written: just pronounce the two words ‘mar’ and ‘is’ as you would their English counterparts) is another Dutch brand, probably chosen due to their stance on water management- a subject close to to the heart of one of KLM’s former part-time pilots 😊
Really appreciate the information. I try my best to pronounce things but it's difficult when you aren't a local.
I'm pleased to hear about the reasons for their choosing the products. You only have to look at Nestle to see how bad a company can be when it comes to water. Water should be something everyone has easy access to and not sourced from 10,000 miles away.
I once booked a flight to the UK and there we go snowed in and flights were cancelled. KLM was not at fault and yet they paid for my hotel. I won't easily forget such service.
Did you get a good hotel? Recently had some very tight connections and despite the heavy but beautiful snow still made the flights.
Can't be annoyed at them when it's so pretty outside 😂 but the fear of missing flights is very real.
You do realise I hope that only the privileged few get to fly business class. As a child due to my father’s work we got to fly at least once a year what was then called First Class, ( my father worked for an international aviation company with a Captain rank) I remember that this pissed off quite a few of the other First Class passengers every time they saw my mum coming in with 3 children. The thing is we were conditioned by my father to be well behaved! Since I have to pay for my tickets ever since becoming an adult I have never flown anything but economy class.
Not necessarily the most privileged people. A lot of regular people (me) just get this for work trips.
KLM is definitely the best option out of Colombia to Europe and I fly them in C quite often. As you say the food out of Colombia isn’t as good as that on the return but still decent. Their partner Air France arguably has better food on the BOG-CDG daily flight but the timing of the flight, much later in the day, is less convenient. Another KLM option is to transfer in Panama rather than Bogota. Although that often is a more expensive option (partly I think as COPA are used as the connecting airline from Colombian airports) it is for me marginally the better option and avoids the layover in CTG. Mind you that take off from CTG’s rather short runway can be very impressive!
It's interesting with the routing, we are planing to visit Peru this year and while Lima used to have flights with British Airways unless you spend more you are often routed via Bogota.
Besides flight times, how do you compare Air France to KLM? I was a little dissapointed last time from San Fran when they switched it for a newer layout on the 777-300 to an old 777-200.
Still good but not the same experience. Got to love a good take of :)
@ Well, as I indicated the food is better in business in AF than KLM. For me Schiphol is far easier on the departure than Paris, but that may not be true if you are just in transit. Generally, out of Colombia AF tends to be more expensive by a few hundred dollars although I did snag a really good AF ‘C’ class fare a few months ago (AF were celebrating an anniversary in flying from Colombia). The A350 AF use out of Bogota (now the A340s have gone) is arguably a little better than KLMs 78-10s out of Bogota and Panama. The KLM Bogota flight is also a bit quirky flying that triangle AMS-BOG-CTG-AMS. But the timing of the AF flight is an issue. The incoming flight means that onward connections are often the last flight of the day and the outbound from Bogota is around midnight. It’s hard to enjoy the better food and booze that late in the day. For me KLM, one timing two avoiding CDG. If you are connecting onwards flying into Panama and then using COPA is much better than either using LAN or Avianca out of Bogota.
Good review and insight. I'm due to fly KLM business class AMS to NRT in October. Pleased to hear the positive comments following your experience.
Thank yoh for watching 👀 I really did avoid flying because I thought there were so many better options.
There were so many positives so I just hope your experience was as good as mine.
Be sure to explore the lounge, yes it gets busy but there is so much variety and a sky deck if you like watching planes ✈️
I'm increasingly a fan of the unbundles business class fare. For example if you're flying out of MAN, the Aether lounge is 10x better than any airline lounge, the money saved on the unbundled fare is better spent in that direction, particularly if you don't need checked bags anyway.
I guess we all hoped it would see a drop in the fares but the ones that included what was expected are now higher.
I unfortunately yesterday didn't realise I'd done this with Qatar and as a result nearly suffered a 10 hour tired layover having not realised I'd picked a light fare.
I guess in the world of ever increasing fares it will hopefully keep fares lower for those who are happy to just turn up and connect or wander round the airport instead.
I Fly Whit KLM A Lot.Great Trip Report
Much appreciated. The equipment swap was quite the surprise. Have you flown the 787?
@@liftoffandtravel Yes But Not B787-10
@gunvaldsandhaland7757 going to go research the difference now you've mentioned it.
We are flying the 787 on a fifth freedom route next year. In economy and Premium for a change.
This is a really nice video. I enjoyed the structure of your video and your presentation style. Subscribing to check out more. Cheers!
Thank you that really means a lot. We changed things up this year so glad to hear you enjoyed it 👍
14:27 it appeared to be in German? What in the American Education system is going on rn?
When I’ve flown Business Light with KLM, I’ve been able to use the lounge in other cities except Amsterdam. It’s the Lounge 52 that required paid lounge access, which you can get for around €50 (half the difference between standard and light). But it’s little things like this that have made me stick to one alliance (OneWorld) for as much of my travel as possible. Unbundling lounges out of Business Class feels ‘cheap’ on the airline’s part.
That's good to know. To be honest at €50 I think I'd buy a sandwich, go for a walk and watch planes out of the window.
Do you think lounge 52 is worth the price? I'm also surprised to see lounges more than €30 but I guess, inflation, price rises push everything higher.
Also yes if we didn't live in Birmingham I'd happily fly One World more often. What's your favourite airline?
@@liftoffandtravel 52 worth the price? Most certainly not. And the walk-in rate is €65, not €50. As for KLM, I gave up flying them longhaul years ago. It used to be a good airline, but they've been heading downhill for a long time now. The pace picked up after covid, while prices went through the roof. In short, there are so many better options out there, I never have a problem avoiding KLM, with the exception of shorthaul flights to/from AMS. That's bad enough, because their shorthaul J Class sucks, but the flights are short enough to be survivable. To make things worse, it is KLM's misfortune that Schiphol is their hub, a badly mismanaged airport that's rapidly approaching third-world levels of congestion, delays and offers a security checkpoint clown show.
@@johanrebel I wonder what the summer will bring given the expected crowds 🤔
Given that this was my first long haul flight with KLM I can't compare it to before. When you say its gone down hill what exactly has changed?
8:16 There’s something special about KLM’s blue. When I try to explain it, I always say it’s a sky blue that’s as orange as blue can possibly be without being actual orange.
@@JulesStoop when you said that I started thinking about their one of livery which is half sky blue and orange.
Those colours probably shouldn't go so well together but they really do 🧡🩵
@ On that plane it’s literally very close to orange 😅 It’s indeed unexpected, but for some reason it works. I reckon those colors have almost the same tonal value.
@@liftoffandtravel The blue (cyan) and orange (tangerine) are so called complementary colors (opposite one another in the color circle), these opposite colors always go well together.
It was practically the first thing I learned in art school (painting/color studies, Design Academy Eindhoven).
“In the traditional RYB color model, the complementary color pairs are red-green, yellow-purple, and BLUE-ORANGE.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colors
Hope this helped! I Enjoyed your video very much :)
PS My grandfather used to, pre WWII, work for KLM as a … radio operator (marconist in Dutch after Guglielmo Marconi the creator/inventor of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system). After the war, still for KLM, he worked on the ground with approximately 250 people under his wing (pun intended ;) out of Amstelveen where KLM still has its headquarters. My grandparents lived in Amstelveen (Emmakade) bordering the ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ (Amsterdam Forrest) after which Bosbaan (one of Schiphol’s main runways - approach - is named, Amsterdamse BOS, this translates as (Amsterdam) Forrest Runway.
We could see (and one still could) planes fly by extremely low on approach 🛬 from my grandparents living room window, such a buzz when I was young - born ‘71 - so 747s DC9s and DC10s for the most part. Fond memories ☺️
PPS My PS’s are often more elaborate than the actual message :)
@@liftoffandtravel The blue (cyan) and orange (tangerine) are so called complementary colors (opposite one another in the color circle), these opposite colors always go well together.
It was practically the first thing I learned in art school (painting/color studies, Design Academy Eindhoven).
“In the traditional RYB color model, the complementary color pairs are red-green, yellow-purple, and BLUE-ORANGE.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colors
Hope this helped! I Enjoyed your video very much :)
PS My grandfather used to, pre WWII, work for KLM as a … radio operator (marconist in Dutch after Guglielmo Marconi the creator/inventor of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system). After the war, still for KLM, he worked on the ground with approximately 250 people under his wing (pun intended ;) out of Amstelveen where KLM still has its headquarters. My grandparents lived in Amstelveen (Emmakade) bordering the ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ (Amsterdam Forrest) after which Bosbaan (one of Schiphol’s main runways - approach - is named, Amsterdamse BOS, this translates as (Amsterdam) Forrest Runway.
We could see (and one still could) planes fly by extremely low on approach 🛬 from my grandparents living room window, such a buzz when I was young - born ‘71 - so 747s DC9s and DC10s for the most part. Fond memories ☺️
PPS My PS’s are often more elaborate than the actual message :)
On the special blue/orange livery in 2016 news.klm.com/orangepride-klms-unique-orange-aircraft-to-promote-the-netherlands/#
@@liftoffandtravel The blue (cyan) and orange (tangerine) are so called complementary colors (opposite one another in the color circle), these opposite colors always go well together.
It was practically the first thing I learned in art school (painting/color studies, Design Academy Eindhoven).
“In the traditional RYB color model, the complementary color pairs are red-green, yellow-purple, and BLUE-ORANGE.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colors
Hope this helped! I Enjoyed your video very much :)
PS My grandfather used to, pre WWII, work for KLM as a … radio operator (marconist in Dutch after Guglielmo Marconi the creator/inventor of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system). After the war, still for KLM, he worked on the ground with approximately 250 people under his wing (pun intended ;) out of Amstelveen where KLM still has its headquarters. My grandparents lived in Amstelveen (Emmakade) bordering the ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ (Amsterdam Forrest) after which Bosbaan (one of Schiphol’s main runways - approach - is named, Amsterdamse BOS, this translates as (Amsterdam) Forrest Runway.
We could see (and one still could) planes fly by extremely low on approach 🛬 from my grandparents living room window, such a buzz when I was young - born ‘71 - so 747s DC9s and DC10s for the most part. Fond memories ☺️
PPS My PS’s are often more elaborate than the actual message :)
On the special blue/orange livery in 2016 news.klm.com/orangepride-klms-unique-orange-aircraft-to-promote-the-netherlands/#
I've done the 777-300ER AMS-SIN-DPS many times and you need to de-plane in SIN where it is cleaned and a completely new crew comes on board. This crew does SIN-DPS-SIN where the plane is cleaned again and yet another different crew come on board.
Always found the cabin crew excellent with KLM, and I have quite a collection if houses (which are filled with Genever).
Was the table sturdy? The tables on the older 777-300ER are not that great, those on the same type of plane by Air France are much better
@@PadisherCreel yes the tray table was excellent. Still impressed with the amount of space.
Curious to know when you deplane what do you do? Is it long enough to go to a lounge or is it a quick of and on?
@@liftoffandtravel in SIN turnover is ca 90mins. We are allowed anywhere in the terminal but are advised to stay at the gate, as we need to go back through security. All hand luggage must be taken off the plane.
The flight SINDPS has a full meal, but not as extravagant as AMSSIN.
One of my favourite long haul flights, and of course business class is the only way for that distance
@@PadisherCreelSame here. I’ve also noticed they lock the doors on the SIN-DPS leg so they cannot be closed. The AMS-SIN leg they unlock it after takeoff which is lovely as it is a night flight.
Since when is blue the color of sadness?
@@bpdbhp1632 theres a discussion further down about this. In English there is a saying "Are you feeling blue?"
@liftoffandtravel still doesnt really make it the color of sadness. Thats grey.
@bpdbhp1632 after further research apparently it's only in Western culture but depends on the country. I agree it doesn't always mean sadness but colour makes a huge difference to perception.
KLM's new Jamco seats aren't wearing well, there are a lot of chipping off and tear on those 1 year old refurbished seats. Also, the doors close with a magnet, so you will feel it when the passenger behind you closes it, it's a pretty strong magnet! I actually prefer KLM's 787-9 seats, the footwells aren't constrained and it feels more open without the shelf above your knee when sleeping. Bogota is a charming city, I'm glad you got to explore it!!
@@jiangni2236 thank you. Really did enjoy Bogota. I love ❤️ South America as I have connections.
How interesting. Although I can think of other airlines where leather in particular is wearing badly.
klm business is ok..did my self
@@dannyvdmoo have you flown other similar airlines? How does KLM compare?
@@liftoffandtravel YES I DID... FOR ME KLM VERY ok
I was lucky enough to try this seat on my return flight from Seoul last June. I really liked it. How did you find Bogota? I've been thinking about visiting Colombia, but heard quite off-putting stories when it comes to muggings, phone snatching, etc.
I used the local bus system but I was staying just south of the airport and caught the bendy buses in to the city twice only during the day though.
I felt pretty relaxed once I was in the tourist area but even in the safest city in the world I'm always aware of who is around me.
I visited the gold museum, a cat cafe, Plaza de Bolivar and La Candelaria which is pretty.
Probably worth a few days there. May be watch a video on RUclips first.
Also if you don't like Empanadas it could be a struggle food wise.
When did you had your flight?? As I can see you show the old amenity kit. KLM has a new amenity kit for months now!
Luckily you had a good crew. Normally they are not very professionell.
@@marten.travelling.11 I always out the date I travelled in the description but I appreciate most people me included don't read it 😂
This was back in July of 2024. I have to say the old one does look old.
That's sad to hear about the crew. Even with the crew swap both were really good 😊
Blue isn’t a sad colour, utter nonsense! I love blue reminds me of sunny weather! If you want a sad colour think grey, it’s not just sad it’s boring. As for enthousiasme to fly KLM, clearly you hang out with snobs who just want Asian companies. KLM is known for its quality and good service.
KLM is one of the oldest aviation companies in the world and the pride of our country the Netherlands. It got one of the best reviews iPod European countries.
@@irenehabes-quene2839 there are many many references online about it but everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I didn't quite get what you meant by I hang out with snobs who want Asian companies?
The point of my video is that KLM is an underdog that is so much better than the image they give on the world stage. Say the words Emirates and people dribble at the mouth but was genuinely pleased with the experience and will happily fly them again.
@ this is exactly my point, KLM is not an underdog but a top airline. It’s a grand old lady and Dutch people are proud of her history and reputation as the oldest airline in the world still operating under the same name. KLM has won a spot in aviation history. They merged with AirFrance 2 decades ago but still operate under their own name. We are not really amused when it’s referred to as a second rated airline. British airways doesn’t count as the oldest airline as its predecessor was BOAC ( the company that hired my dad ( pilot) before transferring him to their Kenyan sister organisation EAA before their independence)
I grew up in a time when flying was relatively expensive that only few could afford. On the whole they were the upper class. Now that flying is accessible to so many more people you still get the distinction, in the classes that the wealthier people choose to fly. Some will only fly Emirates or Cathay Pacific if they have the choice because they say that the services are better. Perhaps if I ever go to Australia or Indonesia (my birth place) I might do the same if I can find a good deal on the tickets.
the house is full of Gin btw
@@Diafragmates I wonder how long it will keep for?
CartaGeena? 😂😂😂
@@cornbisque back at you 😊 try pronouncing Worcester 😉
@@liftoffandtravel or Gloucester 😂
@DicksonMaimouth 😂 I raise the game to trying to say the Welsh destination 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch'
@@liftoffandtravel Haha! You win!
@@DicksonMaimouthIt looks more difficult than it is for non-Dutch speakers, but try to pronounce ‘s-Heer Arendskerke, or ‘s-Heer Hendrikskinderen or ‘s-Hertogenbosch, or Hendrik Ido Ambacht, or 2e Exloërmond, or Gasselternijveenschemond, or ‘s-Gravenhage (better known as The Hague, which is better to pronounce by foreigners). These are towns and cities in The Netherlands.
had terrible experiences with KLM. Huge flight delays, getting stranded in Amsterdam. Got told by the KLM passenger coordinator that they had no beds. He suggested we sleep on the terminal floor and left us stranded at Amsterdam Schipol airport. Did not get reimbursed for breakfast, had massive hassle to get reimbursement for the hotel cost (like, 330/night for a bloody capsule hotel. There is absolutely nothing glorious about flying KLM, and I am doing that only if I do not have any other choice.
I have to say unfortunately this isn't unique to KLM. Airlines will often throw the term an unexpected event around to avoid paying for anything.
In honesty from their side their margins are not huge.
Anyway as someone who's had a few issues in the past some are better than others in these situations but when it falls apart this badly there are only so many hotel rooms.
Unfortunately it leaves a lasting impression though. We would probably feel the same if it happened to us.
That is not allowed in the Netherlands. You should have read up on the policies and ask to speak to a supervisor.
@ Well, at the time of arrival the only staff left at Schiphol was the security staff. Everybody else had left. The next morning nobody actually cared, and I had a hard time getting reimbursed for the hotel cost. KLM did not pay for the breakfast. Apparently they don't give 2 sh*ts of a f*ck about passenger experience.
@@saskiahold1905 I've had similar issues. Where the only staff we the check in staff and I was told if I have an issue I have to call up which is odd. What if I didn't have a local sim card or it would cost me £100s?
Its easy to say know the policies but even when you do may be the local staff don't.
Again SAN Francisco, rebooked over night. Couldn't get a hotel because it was mid night and can't back date it. Called American and British Airways and both were pretty unhelpful. Was on the phone for 45 minutes and they kept saying call the other 😂📱
Does a review, knows nothing about the company.
@louneissen1603 luckily I know plenty about the seat 💺👍 thanks for watching
My gosh... how posh is this....
It's also extremely blue but a great product
MUSIC NOT NEEDED
Avianca is a shitty airline I rather fly with KLM of LATAM
I really wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt given covid was tough but when they changed the plane I just wasn't very impressed by the mountain I was made to climb. They'd only allow me to change to the day before which didn't work for me. 😔
'Associated with sadness'. I never ever heard more bullshit.
@@pietjepuk8653 many many many references on the Internet but if that's your opinion then OK then 👍
@@liftoffandtravelI think this is an English language thing. I don’t know any other language where ‘blue’ is associated with sadness. From a Dutch perspective the colour blue is associated with reliability.
@@jeanpierreviergever1417 I'm just surprised people don't know the film with the character who is blue and her name is sadness.
So yes could be an English based language thing. What is her name in Dutch?
@ Had to look it up as I didn’t know Inside Out. The character is called ‘Verdriet’ which is a literal translation of ‘sadness’. It is not a staple in the Netherlands, at least, i had never heard of it. As said, blue in the Netherlands is more associated with reliability. It refers to use in clothing and corporate imaging. With blue in English I associate things like Blue Monday, feeling blue.. etc. ‘Being blue’ translated into Dutch is colloquial for being really drunk.
@jeanpierreviergever1417 spot on, either way an interesting lesson in different cultures.
Also in demographics because typically our highest viewing numbers come from countries where the first language is English even when say we cover an airline in a country where this isn't the case.
Wonderful to see so many Dutch viewers on this one 💙
Maybe you should do your homework before posting a video. The pronunciation of Cartagena is so wrong. Also, the language isn't German but Dutch. You could have looked that up as well. Not impressed with your video at all.
@@katenl8976 sure, thanks for watching