CHECK-IN

As I was transferring in Amsterdam from a flight from Havana, I was already checked in and my luggage-through-checked to London. The plane landed in Amsterdam Schiphol on schedule at 0830 and I entered the terminal at 0910, with one hour 20 minutes until my connecting flight to London at 1030. However, upon arriving at the gate, I found it was delayed until 1145 because of fog at Heathrow. To kill time, I had breakfast at one of the pleasant cafes in Schiphol’s single terminal.

BOARDING

Boarding started at 1115, with priority given to business class and Sky Priority passengers. I joined the economy class queue early on and was crossing the airbridge after having my documents checked at 1120. I was in my seat 19A by 1128.

THE SEAT

This B737-800 is configured with 32 rows, with the front five assigned to business class. Seats are arranged 3-3 with the middle one kept free in business. The product is firm yet comfortable, and upholstered in smart royal blue fabric. There are fold-down tray tables on the back of each seat that are wide and solid enough to work on a laptop. Exit rows in the middle of the plane are 15 and 16.

WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE?

Sitting nearer the front means you will disembark sooner, as well as get food and drink quicker. For a flight as short as this you probably won’t need to bother about paying extra to book a particular seat.

THE FLIGHT

Take off was a little later than anticipated and there were further delays over London as we were held in a holding pattern. I was so tired, though, I slept through it all. There was a snack service midway through the flight with tea, coffee, water and cake handed out.

ARRIVAL

We touched down at 1305 (1205 local time) after a flight of about one hour (it should have been 45 mins). There was a few minutes’ taxi to our stand and disembarkation via an airbridge but the e-gates at immigration and luggage reclaim were quick. I was landslide by 1230.

VERDICT

The delay to this flight was not KLM’s fault but it was pretty miserable to have to endure at this late stage in a long journey. Other than that, it was a perfectly good short-haul service with professional crew.

FACT FILE:

SEAT CONFIGURATION 3-3 (A-B-C, D-E-F)

SEAT PITCH 30in/76.2cm

SEAT WIDTH 17in/43.2cm

SEAT RECLINE 3.5in/8.8cm

PRICE Internet rates for a return economy class flight from London to Havana started from £622 in December.

CONTACT klm.com