My KLM 737-800 flight from Prague to Amsterdam in business class was uneventful. While the service was excellent, KLM offers a below-average business class product within Europe.
KLM 737-800 Business Class Review (PRG-AMS)
I booked my return ticket from Prague (PRG) to Los Angeles (LAX) via Amsterdam (AMS) for only 50,000 Flying Blue miles plus 325.51 USD in taxes.
Check-In + Security
I checked in online and was able to totally bypass the check-in line at Prague (which was strangely deserted anyway, even though I arrived at about 90 minutes before departure, which I would have thought would have been when others arrived too).
Prague has a dedicated “fast track security line for business class passengers and the screening was very smooth.
Lounge
KLM passengers use the airport’s “Business Class” lounge in Terminal 2 (Schengen area). I also stopped at the Erste Premier Lounge, a Priority Pass Lounge, and found the food was exactly the same.
> Read More: Prague Airport Business Lounge (PRG)
> Read More: Erste Premier Lounge Prague (PRG)
Boarding
Arriving at the gate, I found my flight was delayed by 30 minutes…in fact, boarding did not begin until our scheduled departure time at 6:30 pm.
KLM 1358
Prague (PRG) – Amsterdam (AMS)
Tuesday, April 1
Depart: 6:30 PM
Arrive: 8:05 PM
Duration: 1hr, 35min
Distance: 439 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 1A (Business Class)
Boarding was very efficient and by 7:00 pm we were in the air. The captain announced we would make up time and land in Amsterdam Schiphol on time.
Seat
The seats in the front of the aircraft are marketed as business class, with the middle seat in each row kept empty for added space and comfort. As is typical across Europe, the size of the business cabin is flexible and depends on demand—the curtain divider can be moved forward or back, with a maximum of six rows (24 seats). If the economy section extends into the front of the aircraft beyond row 7, those seats are instead sold as Economy Comfort and have two extra inches of legroom (33 inches instead of 31 inches).
These Recaro SL3710 seats are not ideal for long flights, but were no issue for the short hop to AMS and featured a six-way adjustable headrest and a USB-A port under the seat. The cabin had individual air vents in the overhead passenger service unit.
As of August 2025, KLM’s Boeing 737-800 fleet has an average age of approximately 18.5 years…and I think that shows most in how scratched the windows are. I enjoy looking out the window when I fly and always choose window seats when available, but my windows did not do me much good on this flight:
Wi-Fi + IFE
With no views out the window and no screens, I was thankful the flight had Wi-Fi available and connected to the free messaging pass.
Food + Drink
Dinner was served moments after takeoff, beginning with a “strawberry sunshine” smoothie (with strawberry and orange). I also had sparkling water with lemon (I appreciated that sparkling water was served in a 50 mL bottle).
Meals are now served with 100% disposable dishes, plates, and utensils, all found inside a fancy blue cardboard box with the KLM logo embossed in gold in the center. The box, designed for KLM by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, is full of intricate details.
Lifting up the box, I found a menu card on top which explained the contents of the box:
Main Course
Teriyaki soba noodle salad with soy beans, oriental vegetables, and plant-based teriyaki beef. Topped with spring onions.
Served with moon crackers, bread and butter, and a selection of macarons
The bread roll was warm, the rest of the meal cold.
Lifting up the plastic covers, I found a very attractive salad, though I’m not sure about “moon crackers” side dish and the macaron cookies were tasteless…
I like eating fresh food (that’s a relative term of course, when talking about airline food) and so the idea of a freshly-made salad on a short 439-mile flight is appealing. I’m not a fan of soba noodles, but this was a very acceptable dish. It seems KLM has a falafel dish in the rotation, which I would have greatly preferred.
> Read More: KLM’s “Deluxe Meal Box” In Intra-European Business Class
Lavatory
A dedicated business class lavatory is located in the front of the plane. It was clean, but had no additional amenities. I do love the Delft Blue Houses wallpaper!
Service
Excellent service onboard, with an attentive “mature” flight attendant working business class that clearly loved her job. She was quite chatty, which I find is much more common on KLM than on Air France, Lufthansa, or SAS.
CONCLUSION
Despite taking off 30 minutes late, we landed precisely on schedule at AMS and I was soon on my way to the Hyatt Place for my overnight in Amsterdam.
I do consider the overall product below average because of the boxed meal and older plane, but that’s not to say it was a bad flight…the flight was perfectly pleasant (though thankfully short).
No little house gin bottle?
Only in World Business Class.
Rats. I remember you collect them.
I got two the next day from AMS-LAX! 😉
On the plus side also, 3-3 seating instead of 2-2…
True, although I had the whole row to myself.
For a flight that length, I find 1×1-1×1 Eurobus almostcas good as 2-2 US F.The problem is the 2-2 in both cabins on the Embrarers, though I believe AF is aboutbto make then 1x-x1 in Eurobus.
I have came to the conclusion that paying for business class intra Europe or for domestic inside a EU country has only one benefit: you are among the first to leave the plane which if you have to board a bus means absolutely nothing. And let me emphasize the word “leave” because buying business class does not mean you will be one of the first to board the plane. At least in my experience, most of my intra Europe flights from AMS, FCO and CDG use buses to take you to the plane so although you are the first to board the bus, you could be among the last to board the plane if you happen to be on the wrong side of the bus when the doors open. That just happened to me at FCO where I booked 4 business class tickets for my family to get to the plane and the doors of the bus opened to the other side and we had a flock of passengers jamming at the door and by the time we got to our seats most of the overhead bins were taken.
The other thing that bothers me is that although you have an empty seat in the middle, the seats are the same as in economy, passengers are free to use the front cabin bathroom and at least on domestic flights in Italy, everyone gets the same cookie and same beverage. The main reason I bought business class was to be allowed to bring a carry on onboard but literally the entire plane brought carry ons on board and nobody cared.
I think what you’ve said here is somewhat airline specific. most major European carriers certainly have a curtain separating the cabins, and pax aren’t allowed to pass between cabins. As for the bus; ZRH has dedicated business class busses.
Personally, I like to spring for business class on intra-Europe flights. I think KL, as mentioned, is notably below average, as is LO, UX, and probably LH. Meanwhile, AF, A3, OS, IB, LX are known for serving great food and drink in flight. Far better than anything served within North America. Honestly, one of my favorite flying experiences are very short hops, like LHR-CDG/BRU/LUX on BA with a hectically fast hot meal and a few glasses of champagne all served in about 30 minutes.
Plus you get lounge access (where available) in Europe on a business class ticket…
Aegean also use separate business class buses at Greek airports.
For some passengers/situations, the lounge access and enormous baggage allowance will be worth more than the price premium over Y. The calculation is obviously different for those who can get into the lounges and check a bag in with a shiny card- in fact, that’s why I am generally more willing to pay for C on Iberia than on my usual carriers where I tend to be able to leverage some status.
I think the flight sounded great, especially with the “mature” flight attendant. I’ve flown KLM a couple of times in the past year and both flights were great. The planes are clean, the food is good, etc. and their inflt crews are very professional. I flew from Split to AMS with a broken wrist (and various scratches etc on my face) last September. The F/A was amazing and kept checking on me to see I was okay. Sometimes it’s not the amenities or the aircraft, but the people. I am a big fan of Lufthansa but KLM is right behind them.
Of the big European airlines, KLM is awful. What’s worse is the difference between KLM and Air France, despite the two airlines being the same company. At least Air France is still elegant and has champagne and drinkable wines. KLM has the worst wines. And their lounges in Amsterdam are worse than Air France too.
I think the KLM lounges at AMS are horrible and anyone who disagrees is either completely clueless or fixated on certain design elements, as admittedly the spaces aren’t ugly by any means- but the F&B is diabolical and you just cannot have an open buffet in a room where mice are constantly getting spotted roaming.
Actually looks pretty decent!
@matt you’ve got to ditch the jeans for some lululemon pants. So much comfier
If you think that’s below average, you should’ve tried the wine. One of the worst whites I have ever tasted (and I have tasted a lot of poor wines in my time) was brought to me on a KLM business class journey to FCO. It was absolutely vile.
AF/KLM are part of the same group but Air France actually manages to deliver decent to very good catering on an intra-European business class flight. KLM on the other hand thinks that asian crackers constitutes catering. It’s an absolute insult to the intelligence of anybody actually buying that business class ticket and builds negative brand equity on a scale that whoever is in charge at KLM should be fired immediately.
When you look at the cost of those tickets they can’t add 10-20 Euros more on your ticket price to provide real food? Any Sandwich vendor at AMS sells better food than what KLM serves on board in business.
Given the size of KLM v.s the population of the Netherlands, they depend on good transfer traffic and their crews know that. On board service is invariably good even if the current food offering is way below acceptable.
The 738s are now beginning to be antiques but their new A21Ns are a different proposition, much better seating and of course, much quieter.
Food + Drink
(I appreciated that sparkling water was served in a 50 mL bottle).
Should be a 50CL bottle, which is 500 ML