21 October KL1444 Aberdeen – Amsterdam
KL1729 Amsterdam – Brussels
29 October KL1726 Brussels – Amsterdam
KL1445 Amsterdam – Aberdeen
I was travelling to Brussels to teach aircraft maintenance to Brussels Airways engineers. This was the first time I’d flown KLM.
KL1444 was by B737. I noted that most of the wing root skin attachment fasteners were badly corroded and that the outer window panel was crazed and fogged by some sort of contaminant. It did not make me feel particularly happy about KLM’s maintenance standards! The In-flight snack consisted of a small plastic cup of fruit juice and a packet containing something resembling dried rabbit Poo! (I’ve not tasted dried Rabbit poo, but the snack must be a pretty close match).
KL1729 was by Fokker 50. I noted on entering that all the covers on the airstair step lights were broken. On start up there was a distinct smell of avtur contamination in the cabin conditioning air supply, this cleared after take off when the mass flow increased.
KL1726 was by Fokker 50 – No obvious faults on this aircraft.
KL1445 was by B737. This time the top of the arm rest between the seats was missing exposing the arm rest operating mechanism. The plastic cover from the flight attendant call button was missing and half the lights in the Toilet engaged indicator were faulty. The dried rabbit poo was again offered, but I declined!
None of the faults I have mentioned were life threatening, but as an aircraft engineer I was decidedly unimpressed by what I saw. Next time I’ll go via Heathrow with BA!
By: T5 - 1st December 2007 at 12:14
Have you flown them recently though?
With 38 flights on AA this year under my belt, on all types and in all classes, sadly I know what I’m talking about pretty consistently… 🙁
Standards across all airlines, most notably those in the USA have dropped considerably in recent years.
You can see from my recent report that my three flights with them were also pretty bad. I can’t see myself using them again.
By: Mark L - 29th November 2007 at 13:07
I’ve flown American Airlines business class for more years than I’d care to remember…i’ve always found the service and the food and beverages reasonable… and the aircraft interior and exterior to be fairly pristine
Have you flown them recently though?
With 38 flights on AA this year under my belt, on all types and in all classes, sadly I know what I’m talking about pretty consistently… 🙁
Standards across all airlines, most notably those in the USA have dropped considerably in recent years.
By: frankvw - 29th November 2007 at 10:39
I flew quite a bit with KLM last year (US West coast, Chicago, Carribean, as well as various european flights), and, as much as I found their planes fine, the food was just dreadful !
What was served on the Cityhopper flights (Orange juice + some sort of pastry) was still edible, but the hot meals in coach wereso spicy that you couldn’t even tell what you ate.
I had the opportunity to fly once in business with them, and the food was much better in that one case.
In any case, I flew transatlantic with Delta last month, and I think I’ll stick with them. At least I won’t have to dread the dinner anymore 😉
By: keithmac - 29th November 2007 at 09:35
Clearly a lot of KLM Fans out there, perhaps they are better on long haul – I can’t comment as I’ve never flown with them.
I’ve also flown the Aberdeen – Brussels route with BMI in an Embraer 135, it was much better, nice tidy aircraft with no visible defects, more red wine than I cared to drink and a young lady flight attendant with the whitest teeth I’ve ever seen!
My daughter recently flew Eastern Airways, Aberdeen – East Midlands, she said it was onee of the best flights ever, anyone like to comment on Eastern?
By: Riding Air - 29th November 2007 at 08:50
Got to agree with T5, I’ve just flown HUY – AMS – LAX with KLM, planes clean and tidy, on time both ways, service, food and entertainment superb and best of all free beer all the way!!!
Overall far superior to VS that i flew in May.
By: steve rowell - 29th November 2007 at 03:58
Don’t ever fly American Airlines then, if you think KLM’s interior maintenance is bad you’d have a heart attack on AA!!!
I’ve flown American Airlines business class for more years than I’d care to remember…i’ve always found the service and the food and beverages reasonable… and the aircraft interior and exterior to be fairly pristine
By: T5 - 28th November 2007 at 20:41
I have flown KLM four times in all; Seoul to Amsterdam (B744M), Amsterdam to London (B738), London to Amsterdam (B734) and Amsterdam to Seoul (B744M), and like many other forum members, found them to be brilliant. Fair enough, the interior of the 737-400 and the 747-400s was not great, but the quality of service, the entertainment and the meals more than made up for that.
I will almost certainly use the airline again in the future.
By: B77W - 28th November 2007 at 19:15
Not so much a trip report, but more a rant…;)
By: tenthije - 28th November 2007 at 17:15
Perhaps it is as well that KLM have got some new aircraft on order!
Correct, although imminent retirement should of course be no excuse for sloppy maintenance. Even if it is merely cosmetic and does not make the plane any less safe.
PH-BDA … B737-306 … to retire 01SEP08
PH-BDC … B737-306 … to retire 04AUG08
PH-BDD … B737-306 … to retire 29SEP08
PH-BDE … B737-306 … to retire 02JUN08
PH-BDG … B737-306 … to retire 04FEB08
PH-BDI …. B737-306 … to retire 19MAY08
PH-BDK … B737-306 … to retire 03MAR08
PH-BDR … B737-406 … to retire 29DEC08
For the other classics (7 x 300, 12 x 400) no retirement date has been set.
By: PMN - 28th November 2007 at 16:38
Most airlines these days don’t bother to feed you much on short haul hops
Indeed they don’t, but look at it this way. Even rabbit poo is more than you get on SAS and bmi these days. I remember those wonderful hot sausage and cheese sandwiches bmi used to serve on the morning flight to LHR from LBA. Sausage and cheese shouldn’t work, but it did. Wonderfully, especially at 06:30am! Now, sadly, you get nothing. Ah well!
Paul
By: keithmac - 28th November 2007 at 16:21
Most airlines these days don’t bother to feed you much on short haul hops, so my expectations were not much anyway, however the in-flight snack was positively awful! Back in the good old days when I flew the Inverness-London route with good old Dan Air, the seafood platters were truly excellent, how the world has changed!
If American Airlines is worse than KLM, I’ll avoid flying with them. When I see things on an aeroplane, which are obvious and easily fixed, but haven’t been, I seriously question the companys maintenance standards. A crazed outer window pane means that it is structurally weakened, this removes the redundancy given by having inner and outer panes – windows are primary structure, so I’m not talking cosmetics!
Perhaps it is as well that KLM have got some new aircraft on order!
By: PMN - 28th November 2007 at 13:54
It sounds as though you were quite unlucky with your experience of KLM. I fly quite regularly with them on their F70s, F100s, B734s and B738s and usually find them to be excellent. I also think the food now is much better than it was a couple of years ago but the most common route I fly with them is LBA-AMS-LIS. Maybe the food service is different on the route you took?
Paul
By: Mark L - 28th November 2007 at 00:02
Don’t ever fly American Airlines then, if you think KLM’s interior maintenance is bad you’d have a heart attack on AA!!!
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November 27, 2007 at 10:20 pm