Transfer in Amsterdam
By the time I step off the flight from Zürich, it’s 20h05. I’m standing in the D pier, and the onward flight to Trondheim is boarding from the B pier, which about 15 minutes away. I’m in a bit of a hurry, but not so much to forget taking a few photos along the way.
Boarding
By the time I arrive at the gate, the flight is already in the final stages of boarding. Which is good because it means the first bus has already left and the second one is not quite so crowded. We even get a complimentary tour of the airport as our driver makes a wrong turn and initially delivers us to the wrong plane.
The Cabin & Seat
We’re in a rush to depart on time, so I avoid taking pictures so as not to hold everything up. I’m seated on 2A, which is the first Economy Class row, right after the curtain. Honestly, it looks rather weird for there to be just the one row of Business Class. What’s more, KLM sells both seats on a row of two in Business Class on the Embraer. On today’s flight, three of the seats are taken up by three males who appear to be Norwegian athletes. And they’re huge – each one of them is built like a tank and the seats can cardly contain their bulk. I think I would seriously have resented being upgraded on this flight and having to sit next to one of them. I’m a lot more comfy in my seat next to a stranger who is a more average size.
The Service & Crew
The crew are the usual friendly KLM lot. In the cabin are two young ladies that are chatty and engaging with the passengers. The guy next to me looks as though he’s my age, maybe even a bit older. He asks for a beer, and the cabin crew gives him a stern look and asks, “are you sure you’re already old enough to drink?”. She says is with such a serious delivery that it takes the guy a moment to catch up before he starts laughing.
The flight time to Trondheim is two hours.
The Meal
KLM still offers a full drink service and a packaged sandwich. I love those sandwiches. The one with egg is my favourite. Today, though, it’s a cream cheese and dill filling, which is refreshing. With that, I have sparkling water.
Arrival in Trondheim
We land in Trondheim from the west, coming in over the snow caped mountains – which is quite unusual, as flights normally land from the sea. By the time we pull onto our stand, it’s just coming up to 23h00. We’re the last arrival of the day. Accordingly, the airport is deserted.
Conclusion
KLM offer a solid product. It may not be overly polished, but it’s consistent and the crews are reliably friendly. I’ve yet to encounter an unfriendly KLM crew. The Embraer is comfortable enough for a leg of two hours, but I definitely was ready to get off the plane by the time we landed in Trondheim.
Wow , Trondheim!——- i havent been to Norway since i was about 11. Slightly confused about the curtain—— were you seated in Business class?
No, in Economy on row 2, right behind the curtain.
Read it again,and no you werent in business class. I once travelled in a 1and a half row Biz class on an LH CRJ 700—— it seemed slightly silly being squashed in my own 2 seats by the bulkhead,and a tiny bit of curtain over the back of my seat. Interested to hear more of Trondheim.
This time I didn’t see muchvof the city. But I’m be going back again in a few weeks and I’ll be staying in the city.
Also slightly confused as to why you didnt connect into Business class?
Ah, good point. The ZRH to AMS leg I was upgraded. I’d booked Y.