KLM launched service between Amsterdam and Basel back in 1927. The service operated until the outbreak of war in 1939 and was reinstated in 1947 after the war ended. However, at some point the route was discontinued. In the nineties there was a brief period when the route was served by an Embraer Brasilia of KLM Exel, which eventually was dropped again. It wasn’t until 2011 that KLM resumed flying to Basel in earnest, originally with two daily services operated by CityJet and then the Fokker F 70 and F 100. Currently, the route is served three to four times a day and includes a nightstop service. The flights are operated by a mix of Embraer E 175, E 190, and occasionally also the E2. A considerable amount of the traffic KLM generates on the route is with Viking Cruises passengers flying to Basel to pick up a cruise down the Rhine to Rotterdam.

Getting to the Airport

Admittedly, this was not my best idea. Before heading to the airport, I have another visit with my ophthalmologist to check how much my loss of vision has deteriorated. Their offices are close to the airport anyway. What I hadn’t considered, was that I would be given eye drops to dilate the pupils and sedate the eyes for when the doc starts poking around in them. And now, I’m waiting at the tram stop in the shade, and even so the light is too bright for me to be able to open my eyes properly. It’s a miracle that I found the tram stop without getting run over.

Luckily, I manage to get off at the right stop, which is Kanenfeldplatz, where I transfer to a bus line 50 to the airport.

KLM Check-In

The airport is not exactly busy, but certainly busier than usual. I’ve already checked in on the app. When I did, I was offered to upgrade to Business Class. However, as long as KLM insist on selling the adjacent seat in the premium cabin of the Embraers, there’s not much point in making the upgrade.

The Swissport Aspire Lounge

Security is busy, but there are several lines open, so the queue is moving quickly. My first stop once I’m airside is the dutyfree. I need to buy a pair of sunglasses. I then head for the Swissport Aspire Lounge and then out onto the terrace and park myself under the shade of one of the huge parasols set up outside. I don’t stay outside for long, though. It’s just too bright, even with the sunglasses.

The inbound from Amsterdam is running twenty minutes behind schedule. I wait for the aircraft to land and taxi to its stand before I start packing up my belongings and make my way to the gate.

KLM Boarding

Boarding starts with a delay of ten minutes. Next to us, the Austrian Airlines flight to Vienna is also being readied for departure. Since Lufthansa decided they needed to get rid of the Embraers, they up-gauged to an A 319. I seriously question whether the market is actually big enough to warrant the considerably larger aircraft.

KLM Economy Class Cabin

I’m seated on 4F, the window seat on the first row in Economy Class. The flight today is completely sold out, except for one seat in the last row of Business Class.

The cabin is attractive and the seats are comfortable. In Business Class and the forward Economy Class cabin (the orange seats in the seat map when you check in online) seats have adjustable headrests and more pitch for some extra legroom. On each pair of seats there are two USB sockets. There’s also a mobile phone holder in the seat back, so passengers can conveniently watch their own entertainment on their devices.

At some point Mr 3F takes his seat in front of me and I do a double take. While I’m in shorts and a t-shirt, he’s wearing a pair of thick corduroy trousers, a knitted pullover and a thick white scarf. It’s 29 degrees Celsius outside!

KLM Service & Crew

Even though the flight is full, we finish boarding just a few minutes behind schedule – but it makes no difference because the captain informs us of a slot restriction that sees us waiting around here in Basel for another twenty minutes. Eventually, by the time we take off, we’re running thirty minutes late. With a flight time of seventy minutes, we’re not going to be able to make up for the delay.

The crew is the usual friendly lot that you usually get with KLM. There are two young ladies in the cabin, and they’re very serious in how they go about their duties on board.

KLM Economy Class Meal

Once the seatbelt sign is off, the crew start the service in the Business Class cabin. As soon as all the Wandels Boxes have been dished out, they bring out the Economy Class trolley from the rear galley. Today there’s an egg mayo sandwich with chives on offer. I have a Coke Zero to drink. It’s not the world’s most exotic meal, but it hits the spot nicely. KLM is now one of the few remaining carriers in Europe with complimentary food and snacks in the back of the bus.

Arrival in Amsterdam

As we approach Amsterdam, the weather deteriorates. It’s cloudy and the crew announces a temperature of only 15 degrees Celsius on the ground. Perhaps Mr 3F is on to something… Just before the cabin crew take their seats, they update all passengers about their connections, especially the tight ones.

We land on the runway next to what used to be the Fokker farm and quickly taxi to our stand at the B pier. I now have a little under two hours to make my connection.