"House of KLM" - Crown Lounge redesign
May 11, 2019, 6:15 pm
#136
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Leeds ,Yorks UK
Programs: KLM Flying Blue Platinum for Life.. BA Gold , oh and some other shiny bits of plastic ...
Posts: 4,238
Not to put a downer on this .. but,lets have bets how long this overpriced restaurant experiment will last ...personally , i give it until September .. With so many other high quality options available at a lower price on the main concourse , why on earth would KLM continue to offer a ludicrous high price restaurant only open to a very very select amount of passengers ( C or elite passengers) .. this idea is doomed to fail ...
May 12, 2019, 1:18 pm
#137
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
Apart from the very steep prices, I wonder how many people who are waiting to board a flight really want a fancy gourmet meal, or have the time to partake of one.
I, for one, would much prefer something simple, fresh, tasty and healthy. And in an airline lounge that should come for free.
For a concept to emulate KLM need not look any further than the Privium lounges.
Johan
May 12, 2019, 3:09 pm
#138
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska MVP Gold.
Posts: 1,962
What a bunch of grumps in here. I'll try it this month for sure, and I for one love the idea of being able to get good food in the lounge rather than some race-to-the-bottom free option.
May 12, 2019, 6:19 pm
#139
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: FB Plat
Posts: 195
While this place clearly isn’t for everyone, I do think there will be people who take advantage of it. To put the price aspect in perspective, the chef who came up with the menu runs Rijks which has a star and it’s a great place. In terms of lounge food, this should be on par to the La Premiere lounge. Sure, it’s free there but the price of a F/P fare definitely isn’t.
Of course none of this matters if you’re someone for whom food is just something that gives you energy. If you’re someone who loves food and appreciates a more refined effort then this could be up your alley.
The way I see it, there are 3 types of people who are most likely to use this option and are probably account for the majority of those in the lounge. I could imagine this is KL’s logic as well.
1. Work trip where the ticket and accommodation is paid and has an expense account. Why not drop €50 to have a great meal before a flight if you have the time. Either it’s covered by work or it’s your own but if it’s the latter, you haven’t or won’t be having much costs on the trip.
2. Vacation in J (Paid). Odds are if you’re paying such prices for a flight then these kinds of prices for a meal wouldn’t offend you.
3. Vacation in J (Award). It’s vacation and you only paid taxes for the flight. Screw it, let’s start this trip out right.
Just my 2 cents. I’m with caliform, I’ll be giving it a go next time I can...although not for breakfast I’d imagine.
Of course none of this matters if you’re someone for whom food is just something that gives you energy. If you’re someone who loves food and appreciates a more refined effort then this could be up your alley.
The way I see it, there are 3 types of people who are most likely to use this option and are probably account for the majority of those in the lounge. I could imagine this is KL’s logic as well.
1. Work trip where the ticket and accommodation is paid and has an expense account. Why not drop €50 to have a great meal before a flight if you have the time. Either it’s covered by work or it’s your own but if it’s the latter, you haven’t or won’t be having much costs on the trip.
2. Vacation in J (Paid). Odds are if you’re paying such prices for a flight then these kinds of prices for a meal wouldn’t offend you.
3. Vacation in J (Award). It’s vacation and you only paid taxes for the flight. Screw it, let’s start this trip out right.
Just my 2 cents. I’m with caliform, I’ll be giving it a go next time I can...although not for breakfast I’d imagine.
May 12, 2019, 11:45 pm
#141
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: FB Plat
Posts: 195
Just to be clear, I’m not saying that if one doesn’t like the concept then they don’t like good food. I simply know that there are many out there who could care less so such an idea seems ridiculous to them. As for paying for food or drink in a lounge...I’d rather not either. That said, if I had time to kill and money to spare then I think it’ll be the best food you can find at Schiphol, at least for my tastes.
May 13, 2019, 2:19 am
#142
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska MVP Gold.
Posts: 1,962
I like the concept Delta has: free food and drink and the option to pay for better stuff. Right now I have to leave the lounge for that (or it's nonexistent). I'd rather have this.
May 13, 2019, 2:53 am
#143
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 756
While this place clearly isn’t for everyone, I do think there will be people who take advantage of it. To put the price aspect in perspective, the chef who came up with the menu runs Rijks which has a star and it’s a great place. In terms of lounge food, this should be on par to the La Premiere lounge. Sure, it’s free there but the price of a F/P fare definitely isn’t.
Of course none of this matters if you’re someone for whom food is just something that gives you energy. If you’re someone who loves food and appreciates a more refined effort then this could be up your alley.
The way I see it, there are 3 types of people who are most likely to use this option and are probably account for the majority of those in the lounge. I could imagine this is KL’s logic as well.
1. Work trip where the ticket and accommodation is paid and has an expense account. Why not drop €50 to have a great meal before a flight if you have the time. Either it’s covered by work or it’s your own but if it’s the latter, you haven’t or won’t be having much costs on the trip.
2. Vacation in J (Paid). Odds are if you’re paying such prices for a flight then these kinds of prices for a meal wouldn’t offend you.
3. Vacation in J (Award). It’s vacation and you only paid taxes for the flight. Screw it, let’s start this trip out right.
Just my 2 cents. I’m with caliform, I’ll be giving it a go next time I can...although not for breakfast I’d imagine.
Of course none of this matters if you’re someone for whom food is just something that gives you energy. If you’re someone who loves food and appreciates a more refined effort then this could be up your alley.
The way I see it, there are 3 types of people who are most likely to use this option and are probably account for the majority of those in the lounge. I could imagine this is KL’s logic as well.
1. Work trip where the ticket and accommodation is paid and has an expense account. Why not drop €50 to have a great meal before a flight if you have the time. Either it’s covered by work or it’s your own but if it’s the latter, you haven’t or won’t be having much costs on the trip.
2. Vacation in J (Paid). Odds are if you’re paying such prices for a flight then these kinds of prices for a meal wouldn’t offend you.
3. Vacation in J (Award). It’s vacation and you only paid taxes for the flight. Screw it, let’s start this trip out right.
Just my 2 cents. I’m with caliform, I’ll be giving it a go next time I can...although not for breakfast I’d imagine.
The facts are that this restaurant is in the Non Schengen area. For dinner time, there are not that many SkyTeam flights leaving after 19:00. I am thinking Seoul, Jakarta, Denpassar, Santiago/Buenos Aires, Nairobi, Manila and Mexico. It's just a handful. So their 'dinner' service should come from these flights. Of course it's plausible that business travelers will be able to declare their travel receipts for a dinner of 50 euro + to their employer when they are already flying J with expansive menu card during the flight.
Like you say, it's La Premiere level while KL doesn't offer a P product. I dont think it makes sense.
I believe this set up could be much more beneficial when this restaurant would be in the Schengen lounge combined with a bit more accessible menu card. So I am thinking 15 euro for a starter, 20-25 euro for a main dish and 10 euro for a dessert, plus a 'day menu' for 30-35 euro.
Of course people want to pay extra, i believe the location and the pricelevel is not right.
But let's see, I hope i am wrong.
May 13, 2019, 5:08 am
#144
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,362
The way I see it, there are 3 types of people who are most likely to use this option and are probably account for the majority of those in the lounge. I could imagine this is KL’s logic as well.
1. Work trip where the ticket and accommodation is paid and has an expense account. Why not drop €50 to have a great meal before a flight if you have the time. Either it’s covered by work or it’s your own but if it’s the latter, you haven’t or won’t be having much costs on the trip.
2. Vacation in J (Paid). Odds are if you’re paying such prices for a flight then these kinds of prices for a meal wouldn’t offend you.
3. Vacation in J (Award). It’s vacation and you only paid taxes for the flight. Screw it, let’s start this trip out right.
Just my 2 cents. I’m with caliform, I’ll be giving it a go next time I can...although not for breakfast I’d imagine.
1. Work trip where the ticket and accommodation is paid and has an expense account. Why not drop €50 to have a great meal before a flight if you have the time. Either it’s covered by work or it’s your own but if it’s the latter, you haven’t or won’t be having much costs on the trip.
2. Vacation in J (Paid). Odds are if you’re paying such prices for a flight then these kinds of prices for a meal wouldn’t offend you.
3. Vacation in J (Award). It’s vacation and you only paid taxes for the flight. Screw it, let’s start this trip out right.
Just my 2 cents. I’m with caliform, I’ll be giving it a go next time I can...although not for breakfast I’d imagine.
You also have to ask yourself: are there many people who would want to go to the airport a couple of hours earlier just to have a paid meal in the KL lounge, and often at rather odd times for a meal at that (as there aren't that many early to mid-afternoon long-haul KL flights either, which is the timing that would make sense for a lunch at lunch hours).
People with lengthy connections are, I would have thought, more likely to go for a meal there but that is a relatively small crowd, I would have thought.
Generally speaking, I would have thought that airport dining would tend to be on the utilitarian/convenient/grab-a-bite side rather than the take-your-time-for-a-gourmet-experience side. I think it is worth comparing with Heathrow T5, which has a bigger footfall in terms of wealthy clientele than AMS has. Look at Gordon Ramsay's offering at T5 ("Plane Food"): it is a menu which is clearly designed for fast consumption and at more moderate prices: Ł14 for breakfast; mains mostly under Ł20; small plates around Ł11/Ł12 and an "express" menu at Ł25/Ł28 (2/3 courses) and it also includes a take away "picnic menu". It seems to me that it is rather telling that he did not attempt to reproduce s scaled-down imitation of "Petrus" or "Restaurant Gordon Ramsay" at Heathrow. A well-made with quality ingredients but at reasonable prices Bistrot-style offering seems to me to make a heck of a lot more business in an airport environment sense than the "Blue" restaurant offering.
May 13, 2019, 7:00 am
#145
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,909
I don’t like this concept, not because I am opposed to it (not at all) but because it always comes at the price of downgrading the free offer (airlines always promise that it won’t be the case, but they lie).
May 13, 2019, 9:07 am
#146
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska MVP Gold.
Posts: 1,962
I don't really feel like Delta's offering has gotten worse - if anything, it has gotten better. And I also don't think KL's can get much worse. 
May 13, 2019, 2:04 pm
#147
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
I'm a (paid) J holiday crowd of one. Your comments are spot on.
I can look forward to one or (usually) two full meals on board. Quality usually fair, quantity more than ample. The first meal is generally served within an hour or so of departure, so why on earth would I want to spend a substantial amount of money to board on a full stomach? The light bites, soups etc. on offer in the Privium Lounges are more than sufficient to tidy me over on those occasions that I spend a couple of hours at the airport.
Johan
I can look forward to one or (usually) two full meals on board. Quality usually fair, quantity more than ample. The first meal is generally served within an hour or so of departure, so why on earth would I want to spend a substantial amount of money to board on a full stomach? The light bites, soups etc. on offer in the Privium Lounges are more than sufficient to tidy me over on those occasions that I spend a couple of hours at the airport.
Johan
May 14, 2019, 12:52 am
#148
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum | Flying Blue Petroleum | Hilton Gold | Marriott Gold | Shangri-La Jade
Posts: 306
Nope, because there's no such thing. For all I know he's using Rainbow Trout, but then he should call it that. It's either salmon or trout, it can't be both.
What's wrong with "gravad trout"? It might even correctly describe the dish.
The easiest way for people to understand would be to use plain English: dry-cured salmon/trout/whatever.
In any case, I wouldn't fork out €17 for gravad anything, unless I was 100% sure the fish was not farmed.
Johan
What's wrong with "gravad trout"? It might even correctly describe the dish.
The easiest way for people to understand would be to use plain English: dry-cured salmon/trout/whatever.
In any case, I wouldn't fork out €17 for gravad anything, unless I was 100% sure the fish was not farmed.
Johan
May 14, 2019, 9:02 am
#149
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska MVP Gold.
Posts: 1,962
I personally pretty much avoid KLM's on-board food in J now so perhaps that is what makes me unique. Terrible tasting, unhealthy stuff. Would much rather eat on the ground.
May 14, 2019, 12:41 pm
#150
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,626
And the introduction of an expensive in-lounge restaurant comes at a time when even airlines such as United, not necessarily famous for their generous lounge offerings, open Polaris lounges for business class travellers with free a la carte dining and fancy cocktails. It would rather be appropriate for KLM to upgrade their free food than to introduce an expensive restaurant.