europe10

Our flight starts from Vancouver to Venice via Amsterdam. We will fly coach this July on KL0682 (YVR-AMS) on a MD-11 and then on KL1655 (AMS-VCE) on a B737-300. We will return mid August from Rome to Vancouver via Amsterdam. We will fly coach on KL3402 (FCO-AMS) on an Airbus A320-200 and then on KL0681 (AMS-YVR) on a MD-11. I am interested in anyone's experience with this open jaw flight. Has anyone done these routes and could you tell me your experiences with these routes with KLM?

Henry III

KL3402 is operated by Alitalia (AZ) so, if you're anywhere near the front of the plane and can understand Italian, you'll probably hear the pilot and co-pilot arguing about who can provide more thrust, or who can get it up more quickly, or some such Freudian double-entendre!

europe10

How about we take it in parts? Has anyone flown KLM from YVR to AMS return? Someone must have flown this! Talk to me.

Henry III

OK, so I guess my earlier post was a wee bit flippant; but your question is, at best, as open-jawed as your route.

I've never flown the YVR-AMS route but I have taken a KL l/h flight on an MD-11 (PTY-AMS): personally, I quite like the aircraft, and the service (in coach) was perfectly acceptable - significantly helped by having a decent stranger in the adjacent seat (actually, there were two of us in the 3 seats, half-way down the cabin).

Reasonable meals and (effectively) no limit on how much booze we had (although one FA did ask us not to giggle quite so loudly ).

One negative aspect you will experience, though, is on arrival/transfer at AMS: you will have to go through the bottleneck immigration/security control between the non-Schengen and Schengen sections of airside Schiphol; it can take up to an hour when it's busy!

Hope this a bit more helpful!

--Henry

europe10

Thank you. That was helpful.

Cupart

You're spot on there Henry III ^

Henry III

Cupart, would I be correct in assuming that, like me, you're not native to the place where you live? This would explain your readiness to accept 'inter-cultural' humour without taking undue umbrage!

However, as an aside, I think FT posters should be sensitive to others' perspectives, without necessarily being OTT PC! (Ta be shure , ta be shure! )

-- le Troisieme Henri

Cupart

My dear friend Henry III,

Only a true European would understand... A true citizen of the EU would never take offense as this is the way we are

Yes, not being native to the country in which I currently reside, makes me more aware of different inter-european cultural groups and working with all of Europe everyday I have learnt that you can pretty much go far without offending anyone (keep it sober though). Our cousins across the pond...now that's a different story but that's just the way things are!

D'art du cup

Concerto

I did AMS-YVR-AMS in February, but it was in Business which was very good indeed, one of my best flights. It was not on an MD-11, however, but on a A340 (I think). The longhaul economy product is ok, reasonable food, free drink, but like all these flights it depends a bit on who is there. Sometimes you a get a more indifferent crew than others.

I had no problem with long lines in AMS before passport control. When I arrived the bulk of US flights had already arrived, so there were not so many people.

Alice11

I've flown KLM (FCO)-AMS-YVR from time to time, in coach, but last time a few months ago so I can't report really up to date info.
Anyway, not a really bad experience, but the only very good thing was the fare (and perhaps the timing, leaving from Rome).

AMS-YVR flight was operated by MD11s. I may be mistaken, but I remember that the MD11 had 2 configurations, one with PTV and the other without.
Perhaps now they're all with PTV.

KL803

All MD11 should be upgraded to PTV by now, so OP will have a very good (probably ST's best) AVOD system on his/her flights. I like the aircraft too, it has a much better configuration than the 77W for example. My last trip on that bird is quite a while ago and in Business, but still, it's a nice bird, also in the back.
Regarding the KL/AZ codeshare, my last trip on AZ was one year ago, I remember having a quite nice breakfast with decent coffee.

europe10

Thanks to all for their opinions. More would be welcomed.

Henry III

Is your incorrect (for Europeans) spelling of offence a typographical error or a Freudian slip?

Cupart

Damn those auto correction/spelling checks...

europe10

Thanks to all for their opinions. More information would be welcomed about any sections of this route.