In honor of the inaugural flight of the wide-body aircraft, which recently began operating on the route to Israel, we were invited to cover the business class on the only wide-body plane that operates a route from Israel to Amsterdam.
On the flight, we were exposed to the fact that the Dutch were one of only four airlines flying from our young country, and that they had been here since before the declaration of independence. But a very long time has passed since then - the turboprop planes are no longer with us, the flights are faster and more comfortable and the experience is different.
Upgrading the flight experience to a wide-body aircraft allows passengers to enjoy quality service throughout the flight in all classes, and this route is used by many business people, who will now be able to enjoy business class with a bed that opens to 180 degrees (which does not exist on narrow-body aircraft), and with connection to more than 300 KLM destinations all over the world.
Hoy, Amsterdam, Photo: Haim Tuito and Yossi Jeroufi
As soon as we entered the ward, a pampering comfort kit with body and soul care products from the prestigious "Rituals" was waiting for us on the seat. With the push of a button, the seats open to a flat bed two meters long. Because of the structure of 2-2-2 seats, while sleeping, those who sit by the window and want to get up from their seat will have to skip over the seat next to them.
There are also 16-inch personal touchscreens with a wide range of programs to choose from, the option to charge your phone or laptop via USB, noise-filtering headphones, and more.
Business Class on KLM flight // Photo: Courtesy of KLM
Upon takeoff, the flight crew served passengers a menu of their choice, which included a hot meal in blue-and-white porcelain, and a set of saltwater and peppercorn in the form of Dutch shoes.
Between meals, refreshments and alcoholic and soft drinks were served. We were particularly enthusiastic about the fine Dutch gin, served in a miniature-shaped bottle of a famous house in Holland, which has become a sought-after collector's item.
The meal served on the flight // Photo: Aliza Menachem
Showers and sleeping cabins
When we landed they took us to Crown Lounge. Already going up to the lounge, we admired the walls decorated with thousands of miniatures of Dutch houses (we asked how many of them there were and got an answer - about 5,000 miniatures in the huge lounge space, which covers about 7,000 square meters). The lounge seats more than 1,500 passengers and is divided into different areas according to flight destinations. Although lounge food is usually boring, and expectations for a culinary experience on Dutch soil were not sky-high - we were surprised to find a large selection of drinks and foodstuffs.
In addition, there are more than 20 cabins with individual showers and 20 sleeping cabins suitable for those with long connection time. For those who want to escape the hustle and bustle, there's a cinema room where <>D movies are screened.
The reporter was a guest of KLM
The miniatures served on the flight, photo: courtesy of KLM
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