KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' new Boeing 787-9 business class revealed
By David Flynn, July 27 2015
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will begin flying its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in October 2015, featuring the airline's new World Business Class seats.
The seats lie fully-flat, with a 1-2-1 layout so that every passenger is one small step away from the aisle plus a large side storage area and 16 inch HD video screen.
It should come as little surprise that KLM has based its new business class seat on the same Zodiac Cirrus platform as sibling Air France...
... which in turn takes its cues from Cathay Pacific's version of the same seat.
Also read: Seven things you didn't know about Cathay Pacific's business class
KLM's implementation sees each seat covered in a different shade of the airline's warm base palette, with large pillows and blankets for when it's time to bed down.
"The design of the interior of the aircraft creates a typically KLM mood, layout and character onboard the Boeing 787-9" the airline says.
"The point of departure for the cabin interior was to maximise comfort and privacy for passengers, while maintaining KLM’s brand values."
30 of the World Business Class seats will be installed at the pointy end of the plane.
Also on offer: KLM's first inflight Internet service, which has recently been trialled on other aircraft in the fleet. KLM hasn't shared any photos of the economy seats, but says they recline 40% more than their current counterparts, and also feature an 11 inch HD touchscreen and USB power socket. So when will KLM's Boeing 787 Dreamliner take to the skies, and where will it fly? The inaugural is pencilled in for October 25 from Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi and onwards to Bahrain, although the roster shows subsequent runs starting November 2015 to Cairo and Xiamen, with Fukuoka, Rio de Janeiro and Chengdu in early 2016, followed by Tokyo and Shanghai mid-year. Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 501
I really hope for their 787s they announce a new livery, in my opinion it looks quite old and doesn't really look like a flag carrier.
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 732
I think it looks great, especially in this swooshy 787 variation that curves down towards the nose. The older planes look a bit tired, but the swooshy nose is all it really needs to look up-to-date and fab.
Then again maybe it's just I'm comparing these glossy renderings to genuine-article aircraft that have been in service for some years and lost their initial sheen.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Jan 2012
Total posts 258
This is the new livery... Already on E190, 737 and 777 aircraft (https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7674/17101214091_c72887b603_z.jpg).
KL has one of those liveries, a bit like SQ, that may need updating now and then, but is classic and should stay the same.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Disagree completely.
It's great having a carrier not in a eurowhite scheme, and with a cheatline to boot.
The tail is probably the weakpoint with both the crown and lettering
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Love the KLM colour. The blue is regal and iconic. Surprised it's not all orange, which would be horrid! Think Easyjet and Jetstar!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Assume it's another variation of the Sicma Aero seat (of Cathay fame)?
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 276
This looks terrible at first, but it grows on you the more you look at it!
Lufthansa - Miles & More
29 Jul 2014
Total posts 181
When did KLM drop there order form 23 to 10 787-9's.
Also quite like the look of the seat there could be a few more skyteam miles gained as there seats get better and better.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jan 2014
Total posts 340
My family just flew with Qatar Airways to Singapore. B787 out and returned on the A350.
they hated the B787 and loved the A350. I guess that extra inch does make a difference.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Jun 2015
Total posts 57
The extra inch makes all the difference in the world!
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 732
That's what she said?
Qantas
13 Jun 2015
Total posts 139
These Business Class Seats look like NZ B777-300ER business premiere seats except they have full leather interior. I do believe that the KLM B789 business class seats provides good ergonomics.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Sep 2012
Total posts 236
The NZ seats have a herringbone configuration (ie they face into the aisle) whereas these KLM seats (and the CX AF etc equivalents) face away from the aisle for increased privacy and a view of the window (unlike NZ, Virgin Atlantic etc).
So they're quite different.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
Total posts 691
Nice to see the 'retractable' armrests being used in the Business Class section photos, as well. The third photo shows the seat with it raised and the fourth pic has it retracted.
I still think that the livery looks both classy and classic, despite being an 'older' design. While the crown on the tail may look the 'weakpoint' (according to @moa999) but tampering with it may not be a good idea. Note the furor that broke out when IB recently dropped their iconic tail crown on their livery - all hell broke out universally in competing chat forums !
A very attractive looking proposition from KLM - one that might give LH and others in Europe pause to think.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
06 Feb 2014
Total posts 69
Looks very good. Appears very similar to the Cathay Pacific business class seat , which I have found to be the best. Flew Qantas Business class recently From DXB to MEL (A 380)_ and must confess I was disappointed with the overall experience. The 2/2/2 layout is just not good enough , the seats were hard despite the Duvet, the service was casual( try the service on SQ!), on the plus side the food and wine were excellent , the flight on EK was much better, although I think it is very difficult to beat SQ and CX .
26 Jul 2015
Total posts 79
Economy seats to recline 40% more, that ought to raise some hackels. Looking forward to all reading all the horrific stories about reclining in the near future.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
Interesting styling they applied to the Cirrus seat... It looks kinda "retro-futuristic" (i.e. what people in the past thought the future would look like). The geometry reminds me a bit of the first Star Trek's sets, or even a bit of 2001 A Space Odyssey.
17 Feb 2012
Total posts 121
Having travelled on KLM a few times, the seat is the least of their worries. The inflight business service is incredibly basic with no bells and whisltes. But then again baby steps...
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