The two gate agents responsible for boarding my flight AMS-ARN yesterday somehow managed to follow procedures. Not only was the Priority Boarding sign placed in the right location and thus visible to all, but an announcement was made inviting Europe Select and Elite pax to board first. Amazing! It can actually be done!

The boarding card of the first gentleman who stepped up to the gate was rejected. After consulting a list, the gate agent asked him "Would you like to sit in First Class?" I'm not sure how high his expectations were, but have no doubt that they were met or exceeded.

I was next, and my boarding card was rejected too. I was not asked whether I would like to sit in First Class, but instead told that my new seat was also an aisle seat. Indeed it was, and I even had an unoccupied middle seat next to me.

Europe Select is and remains a joke, but the purser was friendly and efficient, there was a choice of three newspapers (De Telegraaf, The Guardian and The International Herald Tribune. I can remember the days when KL would also offer newspapers from the country of destination, even in Y class), and the catering was not all that bad. The meal consisted of a starter (three slices of some kind of dead fish with a salad) and a hot pastry (cheese or chicken curry). Drinks were served, followed by coffee, tea and liqueurs, and finally ice cream (H�agen Dazs, vanilla or strawberry). Quite acceptable, really.

johan

Although they boarded it en masse, the purser on my AMS-TLV flight the other day was remarkably proactive in finding people better seating arrangements once on board. A woman who got stuck in a window seat next to a very overweight couple was rescued and given a bulkhead seat, and another woman was moved from a regular middle to an exit row middle seat so a couple could sit together. It was all done very politely and efficiently.

Boarding at JFK for JFK-AMS got a good grade for effort, too. The GA tried hard to do WBC/elite/exitrow/infants/disabled preboarding, but half the pax (on an almost full 74M) rushed the gate. After repeated pleas for people to step back if they didn't fit into one of the above categories, the head GA started kicking people to the end of the queue if they didn't qualify for preboarding, and then if they were in a row that hadn't yet been called. What was amazing was how upset some pax were at being sent to the back ("But we were in line first! KLM is terrible! Next time we take British Airways!"). I personally hope those folks _do_ take BA next time.

We'll see how TLV-AMS goes in the morning...

I had two great flights this weekend, BCN-AMS and AMS-BCN. Both completely full (thanks to the 99� click-and-go, I assume), both had priority lines that were orderly, and both on time.

The trip was capped at each end by a friendly welcome to an uncrowded lounge.

... is going on? I think I'm going to go with the theory that all remaining evil in the world was recently sucked to Washington DC.

My TLV-AMS-EWR went smoothly today, too. The same FA who was so good as purser on AMS-TLV the other day was on TLV-AMS again this morning, and recognized me as having come for a rather brief stay. She was again very helpful--this time moving a sleeping old woman out of my precious exit row seat when I boarded.

Well my flight today (in ES) was fine, too. I've been traveling to and from Helsinki a lot lately, and I chose for Finnair a couple of times. I have to say it is a wonderful airline where you get the "Business Class treatment" in Y:

- Generous seat pitch
- Newspaper (yes even Dutch newspapers!)
- Full hot meal
- Boose & Beer
- FAs who actually smile

Also, their aircraft look immaculate. This is how an airline should be IMO. ^

just did AMS-HEL on AY in Y a couple of weeks ago. Have flown AMS-HEL on both KL and AY fairly recently - there's a huge difference in service, and AY do charge a premium. Many Finnish pax apparently have hard time believing KL won't give you newspapers or alcohol during the flt.

If you fly AMS-HEL, you might want to consider KF (www.blue1.fi) now that they're in *. A colleague managed to get 6 free rounds of drinks in Y during this flt recently - we're talking about saving money big-time...

okko

Talking about Finnair; If I fly AY HEL-CDG on AF codeshare, can I then get FD-miles?

Funny thing johan rebel, I got upgraded AMS-ARN today and was served the exact same thing! The fish I didn't like so much though..

Well I usually fly KL in ES so I don't have any problems getting drinks.

heehee, lucky you! In any case, if you ever have to fly in Y, then choose one of the Finnish options for the alcohol - given that on my latest AMS-HEL flt I sat next to a guy from Finnair HQ who got so drunk it was embarrassing...

okko

Yeah I sometimes take the 8h15 AY flight out of HEL to AMS and really, the smell of that boose can turn my stomach upside down!

First Class? KLM?

LoL - I agree, much more like Premium Economy !!