KLM Flying Dutchman - Seating and General Experience on KLM's new A330-300

I'm flying IAD-AMS on KLM in May and realized that this flight will be on one of the three new A330-300's KLM is getting this year. From what I saw it looks like the A330-300 might have just started on this route this week? But it looks like its been in use on the AMS-LOS (Lagos) for a few weeks?

Just wanted to ask if anyone has been on KLM's A330-300 and what the new plane is like? Also, I didnt see any seat maps (aside from the one on KLM.com) on seatguru or other similar sites. Anyone know anything about good/bad seats, or anything else about the features/comfort of the aircraft (power ports, etc.?) Just getting excited to see the new plane! Thanks!

You raise a good questions.

There is a thread on the new KLM A333 (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/klm-flying-dutchman/1135809-ot-klm-order-a330-300-a.html) but does not contain any personal experiences yet as the plane has been delivered fairly recently.

With respect to a good seat normally the first row after the EC rows tends to have more legroom. I cannot confirm if this is the case for the A333 as well but would seem likely.

Please do report back after your trip!

Gajan

Has anyone been on this yet? I'm booked on IAD-AMS in February, and it just says a330, but when you look at the seat map, it's obvious that it's a a333 not an a332. Any experiences or pics?

I believe in Y and C the seat is similar to the seats on the B77W.

I flew that one from ACC to AMS late October in C. I enjoyed the new business seats, still not full flat, but "flatter" than the older ones. In the old seats I always get the feeling I'm about to slide down, something I didn't have in the new chairs. Also nice big ptv screen.

Flew in Y to DAR via JRO in the back of the plane. I would say the legroom is not very good even for an average taller like me. The look is brilliant though - its always cool to sit in a new aircraft rather than in one waiting to be retired...

Flying back now and got row 15 for free (looks like a glitch due to different configuration on new 333 vs 332). It shall be comfort section, will find out soon.

The seat was confirmed for many times and refused for many times; so i selected again and again and finally got it. Shall be fixed soon i guess.

There was an article in a recent issue of cabin crew union VNC's magazine about the granting of requests for certain routes and schedules. CC complained that KL was denying too many requests. In their reply, KL gave two main reasons for not being able to please everyone:

- many partime CC try to avoid working during school vacations.
- too many CC try to avoid the A330.

Makes me wonder what's wrong with the aircraft from a CC perspective.

Johan

Makes me wonder what's wrong with the aircraft from a CC perspective.


As far as I know, it doesn't have a separate sleeping cabin for the cc

As far as I know, it doesn't have a separate sleeping cabin for the cc

The emergency exists closed by curtains only probably:D Not sure how crew seats transform into a bed.

But they have some reserved seats in J though (however, this may only be the case if J is not fully sold out).

Reserved seats in J 5ab on the 300 3ab on the 200 for cockpit crew rest...

Reserved seats in J 5ab on the 300 3ab on the 200 for cockpit crew rest...

AMS - AUA: I have booked 3A/3B & 3D without any problems!

We are not Crew! ;-)

Vluchtstatus Bevestigd.
Uitgevoerd door KLM .
Vluchtnummer KL0765.
Reisklasse World Business Class.
Vliegtuigtype Airbus A330-200

Dhr. xxx 03B World Business Class Stoel bevestigd .
Dhr. xxx 03D World Business Class Stoel bevestigd .
Mw. xxx 03A World Business Class Stoel bevestigd .

Anything I need to do?

It beats me why such a modern aircraft as the A330 does not have proper crew rest areas.

Or is it a case of KL having chosen not to install them on their planes?

Johan

Evert-
AUA is a 3 pilot operation, thus 3AB will be blocked for crew rest...perhaps just not yet in the system. It is the only seat set with the fixed curtain and extra air vents, so it WILL be used.
Johan-
From what i understand from pilot buddies is that is was a pissing contest over the 767 replacement. 767 had no bunks, thus...

It is the only seat set with . . . extra air ventsReally?

Do pilots need more air than mere mortals? Or is this a tacit admission that pax get less fresh air than they should?

From what i understand from pilot buddies is that is was a pissing contest over the 767 replacement. 767 had no bunks, thus...Well, I guess they won't need bunks if they spend their time holding pissing contests. Bedwetters excepted, of course.

Johan

I understand when the curtains make it quite stuffy when they are closed hence the extra vents.

I understand when the curtains make it quite stuffy when they are closed hence the extra vents.Ah . . . guess that makes sense.

Johan

Evert-
AUA is a 3 pilot operation, thus 3AB will be blocked for crew rest...perhaps just not yet in the system. It is the only seat set with the fixed curtain and extra air vents, so it WILL be used.

I flew on a 1 month old A330 AMS-BON a couple of days ago. I assumed it was a 200, but I guess it was a 300 from these posts.

I can confirm that 3AB was blocked off as crew rest. It's the only part of the J cabin where the fixed curtain has been installed - I'll take Betrouwbaar's word on it (hah) that there are extra vents too.

Overall I thought it was a nice plane, though I can't understand why KLM would install such out of date J seats when the market has gone to fully flat about a decade ago. That's obviously a wider question than the 330 itself.

Pete you sure it was a month old? The last -200 has the new(er) seats, as will the 2013 deliveries. The -300s have the new(er) seats as well. If 3ab was blocked and there were 2 business cabins, you were on a -200...the -300 has a single cabin rows 1-5....

I thought all A333 (and A332 from PH-AOM) are equipped with the seat found in the B77W?

I thought all A333 (and A332 from PH-AOM) are equipped with the seat found in the B77W?

Its kinda new seat, like that of SU i guess (not that flat like AF but an improvement vs older KL seats).

Pete you sure it was a month old? The last -200 has the new(er) seats, as will the 2013 deliveries. The -300s have the new(er) seats as well. If 3ab was blocked and there were 2 business cabins, you were on a -200...the -300 has a single cabin rows 1-5....

Interesting - I was just going on what the Steward told me. Has KLM done a refit of the 200 recently? Maybe that's what he was referring to when he said it was a month old.

Pete- no refits recently. Last -200 delivered I think was in Oct 2010, the one with the newer seats.