Review: KLM Boeing 787-9 World Business Class

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has 2 types of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Unlike the Boeing 777 aircrafts of KLM, all these Dreamliners have a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration in World Business Class. In my opinion, this is a huge improvement for the KLM hard product in World Business Class. Myself, I flew KLM World Business Class before on both the upper deck and lower deck of the Boeing 747. I recently flew them on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Chicago to Amsterdam. Currently, KLM has 13 Boeing 787-9 aircrafts. In this review, I share my experience of this flight including my thoughts of the Air France-KLM lounge in Chicago.

Flight: KLM 612
Route: Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) – Amsterdam (AMS)
Date: Monday February 17, 2020
Depart: 4:40PM
Arrive: 7:20AM
Duration: 7h40min
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Class of service: World Business Class

How I Booked KLM World Business Class

I booked this flight for 29,000 miles during the Flying Blue Promo Rewards of November 2019. By choosing Brussels as my final destination, I paid just 26,500 miles and € 218.95 in taxes and fees (about $ 236.61 USD).

KLM World Business Class Check-In

The KLM check in counters at O’Hare International Airport are located in terminal 5, the newest terminal at the airport. As check In opened about 3 hours before departure, I arrived here at around 2pm. After I lined up in the separate lane for Sky Priority passengers, I gave my passport so that the agent could start the check in process. Both of my flights were printed on one boarding pass.

Air France-KLM Lounge Chicago-O’Hare

I went through security in no time as it wasn’t that busy in terminal 5 at 2pm. It is getting crowded here just before 6pm since most flights are leaving in the evening. Once I was airside, I proceeded to the Air France-KLM lounge which is located between Gates M7 and M8 on the left hand side. Apart from Air France-KLM and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers, the lounge is also accessible for Priority Pass holders.

The lounge is open from 8:15am till 12am daily, however Priority Pass access is restricted between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm. At the moment I entered, the lounge was quite crowded as one KLM flight and one Air France flight were about to leave in 2 hours. The seating area looked simple but organized and I liked the view on the planes.

The buffet offers a decent selection of food and beverages. Hoever, I noticed that there is plastic cutlery, omething I normally would not expect in an airport lounge. Luckily there was Taittinger champagne so I grabbed a glass and settled myself at the window to watch planes. A few moments later, I also saw the KLM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

When I noticed that the boarding process would start soon, I proceeded to gate M8. It took a while before boarding started and the flight was completely fully booked as yesterday’s flight was cancelled.

KLM Boeing 787-9 World Business Class Cabin

I boarded through the second door on the left of the plane and I was warmly welcomed by the crew. My flight was operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The World Business Class cabin consists of 30 seats, spread across 8 rows in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 configuration. Like in the Vietnam Airlines A350 business class cabin, these seats are manufactured by Zodiac. Unlike many new business cabins nowadays, the KLM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has overhead bins above the middle seats.

Apart from that, the cabin felt fresh due to the blue colors of the seats. The cabin filled quickly but luckily I still was able to make some pictures. The middle seats are facing to each other and are best for those who are traveling together while the window seats are best for solo travelers.

KLM Boeing 787-9 World Business Class Seat

I was seated in seat 5A which is a window seat with one missing window. Before I took my seat, a flight attendant offered to take my jacket. On my seat, I found a pillow and blanket while a solid pair of noise canceling headphones was waiting for me in the storage compartment that also had a mirror. I like the blue design of the seats as it the color is different from cabins of other airlines. The tray table is located on the left side of the seat. Just press the button to unfold it. Below the tray table is a storage compartment where I found some magazines.

On the right side of the seat is an armrest that you can lower and raise to increase the comfort. As in most reverse herringbone cabins, the in-flight entertainment screen flips out from the seat in front. The footwell was of a small size compared to reverse herringbone seats on a Boeing 777.

On my left side, I found the in-flight entertainment controler as well as the reading light and seat controls while the USB plugs and power outlets were located underneath my seat. I didn’t like the location of the seat controls since you can accidentally press a button.

KLM World Business Class Pre Departure Service

A few moment later, flight attendants came through he cabin to ask with passangers would like to drink before take off. I had the option between water, orange juice or champagne. I opted for a glass of champagne. Also the menus and amenity kits were distributed.

The kit was from Jantaminiau and was well stocked. I found a pair of socks that were designed with colors of the Dutch flag, an eye mask, a tooth brush with tooth paste, ear plugs, a pen, face moisturizer and lip balm.

After a second glass of champagne, all passengers were on board. As yesterday’s flight was cancelled, almost all of the seats in business class were taken. We took off just before sunset.

About 30 minutes after take off, the basten seat belt signs turned off so I put my seat in a more comfortable position. Then a flight attendant came to ask me what I wanted to drink before dinner. Based on previous experiences with KLM, I opted for the Flying Dutchman cocktail. This was served with some nuts. I actually wanted to have some cheese but due to importation rules, the amount of cheese on board was very limited. The flight attended informed me that I could enjoy a cheese plate as dessert.

KLM World Business Class In Flight Dining Service

While I enjoyed my cocktail, the flight attendant came to my seat to discuss dinner options. This was done in an informal way which I always like with KLM. Then my table was made. I was served some olive oil with butter and a salad. What I really like about KLM are those typical Dutch things like those clogs for salt & pepper. For appetiser, I opted for the lobster bisque. Later the I also was served some bread. For drink, I decided to switched to a Maison Barboulot Pinot Noir 2018.

The lobster bisque tasted not bad but I didn’t really like the salad. For the main course, I could choose among three options. I went for the tortellini with pesto sauce that was served with baby spinach, lava beans, roasted tomatoes and walnuts. The other two options were chicken and beef. The food was below average in my opinion, but couldn’t complain. The presentation looked nice, especially with the Delftware design. However, unlike with most other airlines, KLM serves everything on a plate in business class.

After my plate was cleared, the dessert was served. Like I mentioned above, I wanted to taste some cheese during this flight so I opted for the cheese plate. I asked for a refill of my red wine but the flight attendant informed me that I also could change to a delicious Taylor’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2013. The cheese plate consisted of different types of cheese like Cambozola Blue, Dubliner, and Camembert. This was served with grapes, crackers and jam. Other options for the dessert were a chocolate and fruit petit fours and macaron.

I really liked the cheeses. After I decided to take another glass of port, I also got offered a chocolate in the shape of a house. Again those typical Dutch things on a flight! I also got offered a bottle of still water.

KLM Boeing 787-9 World Business Class Turndown Service

After dinner, I went to the lavatory. KLM has a two lavatories on their Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and these are both located in the front of the cabin. The interior is nicely designed with the Dutch houses.

Once I came back to my seat, I decided to go sleep for a couple of hours before having breakfast. You can put the seat in full flat bed mode. Apart from he narrow footwell, the seat is comfortable to sleep on. I also checked out the in-flight entertainment. The screen is of a large size and I found a large selection on films, series and music.

KLM Boeing 787-9 World Business Class Breakfast

I woke up about 1,5 hours before landing and noticed that it was soon time for Breakfast. There was just one option to choose from: continental breakfast. This consisted of coconut chia oatmeal with fresh berries, smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, boiled egg and ja. Additionally I was offered warm croissants and rolls. For drink, I went for a cappuccino and orange juice.

After the breakfast serves, the crew came through the cabin with the popular dutch houses. On every flight in World Business Class, KLM is doing this and I wished more airlines would do the same. By the way, every year they release a new house. As this was my 5th time in World Business Class, I also would get my 5th house and this time I choose for number 100 since it was KLM’s 100th anniversary last year.

About 30 minutes before landing, the fasten seatbelt sign turned on again. We landed in Amsterdam around 7am which was just before sunrise. I thanked the crew for the enjoyable flight and left the plane through the first door.

KLM Boeing 787-9 World Business Class Bottom Line

I really enjoyed my experience with KLM in World Business Class on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. It’s nice to see that the airline has its own lounge in Chicago. While the lounge is nothin special, I liked spending my time there watching airplanes while enjoying a glass of Taittinger champagne. KLM has a decent hard product on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. I would say that is is a huge improvement compared to the twin seats on the Boeing 747 and Boeing 777. Reverse herringbone seats are giving much more space and privacy. Although the footwell is quite narrow.

The service in KLM World Business Class is always really informal which I like. The food is still below average compared to other European airlines and it is definitely something KLM can work on. Apart from this, I had a fantastic flight. I also really like these little Dutch houses you can collect. I certainly can recommend KLM World Business Class, especially for the discount during the Promo Rewards every month. It’s definitely worth to pay the extra taxes and fees to get a great value out of your miles!

What is your experience with KLM World Business Class on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner? Have you flown them already or are you planning to make a flight with them? Let me know your questions and thoughts in the comments below!