KLM gradually appears to be getting the situation with the Embraer E2’s engines under control. Where previously they regularly deployed a leased in German Airways aircraft on the Basel route, recently they’ve been sending the E2s more frequently.

KLM Crown Lounge in Amsterdam

I wasn’t planning on posting about this flight, but when there was an scheduled aircraft change and the regular Embraer 190 was swapped for the larger E 195-E2, I figured that I might as well. This report starts in the KLM Crown Lounge of the Schengen area. It’s 15h30 and for a change the lounge is just pleasantly busy and not bursting at the seams. They’re still using the cardboard plates and plywood cutlery, though, and I’m a bit concerned that they may be here to stay.

After I nearly missed my flight on my last trip with KLM, I think I better be at the gate early, just in case. Besides, you never know what you might be missing if you stay cooped up in the lounge.

KLM Business Class Boarding

The flight is boarding from gate B18, which means the aircraft is on a remote stand. And this time, the flight really is slightly delayed by twenty minutes. As I pass the gate, it prints the boarding pass for my new seat assignment on 1F. I then head downstairs to the waiting bus.

Once we arrive on stand, I wait for all other passengers to board so I can take a few pictures of the aircraft without standing in people’s way. As a passenger I prefer the A 220 over the E2, but I will admit that both are rather pretty.

KLM Business Class Service & Crew

By the time I‘m done taking photos, all the bins in the forward cabin are full. I inquire with the cabin crew if they prefer to put my suitcase in the hold and they tell me there’s still plenty of space in the back. So, I stow my stuff somewhere near row seven and come back to the front to take my seat. That’s when the crew realise that I’m Mr 1F. “Why didn’t you say?”, one of them inquires, and immediately she starts playing Tetris in the overhead bins in the forward cabin, while her colleague goes to fetch my luggage. Eventually they tell me that everything is now safely stored in the bins of the Business Class compartment.

KLM Business Class Cabin & Seat

The flight is completely sold out. Next to me on 1D is some old guy sleeping with his eyeshades on. He reeks of a whiskey distillery, but at least he’s not snoring. The Business Class cabin is only the first two rows, with eight passengers in total.

KLM Business Class Meal – Afternoon Lunch

As though they hadn’t already proved it with the way they handled the luggage issue, this crew is determined to give all passengers the full KLM experience. The meal service begins with them handing out (yet again) shots of dragon fruit, banana, and apple juice. A short while later they return with the menus for this afternoon’s flight.

Today’s offering is a main of Singapore style curried noodles with shrimps and red cabbage. It’s rather a nice meal. The shrimps have been properly cleaned and prepared and have a nice zesty flavour of ginger and lime. I think the one thing I really just don’t get about the short-haul meal offering is the small container on the side which, in this case, contains the rice crackers. They’re not haute cuisine, and I doubt anyone would miss them. The meal is served with warm bread rolls, which I forgot to take a photo of. However, you can see part of the roll in the bottom left corner of the following photo.

Arrival in Basel

Today must be my lucky day, because ATC is vectoring us for an approach from the South for a runway 33 arrival, which means we’re coming in low over the beautiful city of Basel, which you only get to fully enjoy if you’re seated on the starboard side of the aircraft.

We fly past the Gempen plateau with the villages of Gempen and Hochwald before the hilly terrain gives way to the flatter Rhine valley. In the picture below you can even see the Basler Münster, which was completed in 1290. The cathedral sits on a promontory overlooking the Rhine where it changes direction from flowing downstream in a westerly direction and does a sharp turn to head in a northerly direction.

I arrive Basel just a few minutes behind schedule. It’s much warmer here, with the temperature in the mid-thirties. The ramp is mostly empty with a lone minty green Condor Airbus A 320 NEO parked next to us. Fifteen minutes after landing, I’m already sitting on the bus on my way home.

Conclusion

The KLM Embraer 195-E2 provides a pleasant passenger experience. The aircraft hasn’t got a wider fuselage than its predecessor. Even so, the redesigned cabin somehow makes it feel a lot more spacious. The impression of sitting in a larger aircraft is probably also encouraged by the large engines, which look more as though they belong on a B 737 or an A 320 than a small regional aircraft. Other than that, the service and catering on KLM was dependable and predicable. While I generally think that’s a good thing, I do think it’s high time KLM changed its catering concept. The macarons are getting a bit long in the tooth, especially if you’re travelling with KLM regularly.