Introduction

I finish my classes at 15h35 and then immediately make my way to the station to catch the 15h54 train to Zürich Airport. It’s another gorgeous, warm day here in Switzerland, as if to put a point on the fact that where I’m heading it’s likely going to be considerably colder.

Airside

Getting airside takes a very long time today. There are a lot of travellers and Zürich Airport’s old fashioned security screening doesn’t really help matters.

By the time I’m airside, it’s 16h45 and boarding will start at 17h05. I briefly step outside onto the terrace to look around, before heading back in to make my way to the gate at the end of the A pier.

Boarding

Boarding is a bit of a mess. Or rather, the two inexperienced DNATA gate agents are making a mess of it. Every time somebody approaches the gate who is not in boarding group 1, the young male gate agents takes on this patronizing attitude and start barking instructions at people, even though they likely are not deaf and simply don’t know or don’t care about their boarding zone.

The Cabin & Seat

Today’s flight is operated by a Boeing B 737-800 in the new Boeing Sky Interior cabin. This means that, unlike the older B 737 cabins, these seats are in leather and feature adjustable headrest. The aircraft is also equipped with larger overhead bin, the type that drop open instead of opening upwards. Perhaps most noticeable is that the seat pitch on row 1 is significantly diminished in comparison to the old cabin layout. It’s still comfortable, though.

The Service & Crew

It’s just gone 17h30, our departure time, when the snarky gate agent steps onboard to announce that “we have four offloads”. However, after about twenty minutes, two more passengers arrive and shortly after, he comes back to confirm only two offloads.

By this time, it’s 17h58 and we’re running thirty minutes late. The crew arm the slides, and that’s when the cockpit informs us we’ve missed our slot and should expect to remain on the ground for another thirty minutes.

While we wait, the crew pass through the cabin with strawberry smoothies. The crew on this flight is quite senior, with two guys serving the Business Class cabin. They’re friendly and engaging – making sure to listen and calm passengers concerned about their onward connections in Amsterdam.

Eventually, we take off with a delay of over an hour. The flight time is announced as seventy minutes.

The Meal

The meal has changed since my last trip on KLM. Which is a shame, brcause I was rather looking forward to the potato salad they served on my recent trips. Still this meal isn’t bad either. It’s a kind of Asian fusion dish with edamame, soba noodles and strips of beef. With that, they serve small Japanese soy crackers. The bread rolls are served warm.

Transfer in Amsterdam

We land in Amsterdam at 19h50. Here too, the weather is lovely and our approach into Amsterdam takes us along the coastline. We touch down on runway 06 and taxi to our stand on the D pier. By the time we disembark, it’s 20h05 and boarding for my onward connection from the B pier has just started.