My 11-hour KLM flight from Amsterdam to Los Angeles on the 787-10 in World Business Class was smooth, comfortable, but a little warm…

KLM 787-10 Business Class Review (AMS-LAX)

I’ve reviewed the KLM A330, 777, and 787-9 in business class and also the 787-10 in economy class, but this was my first time flying the 787-10 in business class.

I arrived at the KLM Crown Lounge quite early to get my work done for the day, just in case the internet did not function on my flight. While the lounge gets crowded, I quite like it.

Boarding began at 9:05, 45 minutes before departure.

KLM 601
Amsterdam (AMS) – Los Angeles (LAX)
Wednesday, April 2
Depart: 9:50 AM
Arrive: 11:50 PM
Duration: 11hr, 00min
Distance: 5,578 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10
Seat: 4K (Business Class)

I entered via door 2L and proceeded through the galley and turned left to my seat in 4K.

Seat

The KLM 787-10 business class cabin features 38 Jamco America Venture seats arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration. These Japanese-made seats are 10-15% lighter than traditional reverse herringbone seats.

Seat pitch is generous and seats convert into a fully lie-flat bed (75 inches long). There’s a side storage compartment, seat controls on the armrest, two USB-A ports (one on the side and one under the screen), and a universal power outlet.

My left armrest could be raised (for use when seated) and lowered (to give more space for sleeping).

Interestingly, I noticed the seat looked a bit tattered…at least cosmetically. The paint was chipped on the armrest and under the monitor and the (faux) leather shell around the seat was discolored. There was also noticeable dirt and grime. Everything functioned, but it really looked like an old product, even though my aircraft, PH-BKG, was only delivered five years ago.

Bedding on KLM is comparatively average, with a large pillow and soft duvet-style blanket. There is no day blanket or mattress pad.

I tried to sleep after lunch but the cabin was warm and there were no personal air vents. I did manage a few hours of sleep, but I would have loved to sleep eight hours…a cool cabin and a plush mattress pad would have helped.

The retrofitted 777 World Business Class cabins offer suites with closing doors; the 787-10 do not have this extra feature.

Food + Drink

The 11-hour journey to California included lunch after takeoff, a midflight snack, and a meal before landing. Menus were waiting on each seat and KLM continues to print menus for each flight (you’ll notice on the backside of the menu lists your flight number and flight date).

Pre-departure beverages were offered before takeoff, including beer, sparkling wine, orange juice, and “Royal Blue Legend,” the KLM signature cocktail with lemon, ginger, and spirulina…which I had to try.

Lunch

Lunch began after takeoff, with a refreshing amuse bouche (I don’t even know what it was, but the green thing was topped in a toasted walnut and was very nice) and a drink (I enjoyed “The Very High Fashioned” cocktail, a riff on an Old Fashioned).

I had chili shrimps with pickled watermelon and beetroot mousse and fresh watercress for my appetizer…a great collection of flavors. I was served with a small green salad and bread with Dutch butter. I switched to a Boschendal Boschen Blane 2023 (white wine from South Africa).

For my main course, I chose salmon à la Flamande with Hollandaise sauce, served with white asparagus, scrambled eggs, and potatoes. The salmon filet was very small, but it was a good choice.

For dessert, cheese (blue cheese and Beemster Royaal Fenugreek cheese) with crackers, grapes, and a raisin salad with pine nuts, followed by a tart raspberry mousse topped with sunflower seeds, topped with passion fruit crumble.

Mid-Flight Snack

About halfway through the flight, passengers were offered a vegetarian croquette sandwich with mustard (I tried that) or a mini club sandwich. Both were served with cherry cheesecake ice cream, which I skipped.

A self-serve station was also set up in the lavatory with Dutch snacks:

Pre-Arrival Meal

105 minutes before landing, a Caesar salad with pulled chicken, egg, tomatoes, Reypenaar cheese, and pine nuts was offered along with a side of pumpkin ravioli in cream artichoke sauce. A very nice pre-arrival meal, though the pasta was served wrapped in aluminum foil…that could have easily been removed.

IFE + Wi-Fi

The internet worked well on the flight (the flight pass was €22) and it turned out to be a very productive flight when it became clear I could not sleep.

I also managed one movie on the flight, an old Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, and Morgan Freeman film called Seven. A little jarring, to say the least…

The KLM IFE library includes music, movies, TV shows, games, and a moving flight map.

Lavatories

KLM’s 787-10 has two lavatories in the front of the cabin reserved for business class passengers (and also for crew use). As always on KLM, I appreciate the tulip flower and the Delft Blue House wallpaper. Soap products were from Marie-Stella-Maris.

Amenity Kit

The amenity kit also had products from Marie-Stella-Maris (face cream and lip balm) and also included socks, a pen, earplugs, and a dental kit (with tootpaste tablets instead of a tube of toothpaste).

Delft Blue Houses

As we approached LAX, the purser came around with Delft Blue Houses, the signature “souvenir” of KLM World Business Class. I was hoping for house 98, which was the parental home of Anthony Fokker in Haarlem (Fokker went on to become one of the world’s greatest aircraft builder in the late 1920’s with factories in the Netherlands and the USA) and I got it!

Then the lady in front of me did not want a house, so I asked if I could have hers and got a second one, 89.

Service

The crew was very seasoned/mature (as always on KLM, it seems) and also very lovely. Very attentive service with a smile and I appreciated so much that flight attendants roamed the cabin throughout the flight, not just during the formal meal services.

CONCLUSION

It was a beautiful morning (yes, still morning) when we landed at LAX 11 hours later and we flew right over downtown LA and the iconic In-N-Out next to LAX.

KLM offers a very average business class, which is to say a very solid business class. I enjoyed good service, great food, and a comfortable seat on the flight, though the lack of air vent and warm cabin made sleeping difficult. I like the 787-10 and look forward to flying KLM again.