Dutch carrier and SkyTeam alliance member KLM has commenced what many will see as a long overdue replacement of the Business class seats on its long-haul Boeing 777 aircraft, which for over a decade have featured a 2-2-2 configuration.
That dated layout is now happily being replaced with an all-aisle-access 1-2-1 seating product, more befitting of expectations in the 2020s (or arguably, the 2010s!). The airline is even adding closing privacy doors at each seat, the latest trend in this cabin.
It’s good news for Singapore travellers, with not only the carrier’s 13-hour Amsterdam flights set to receive the new seats over the next year, but also the airline’s popular “fifth freedom” hop between Singapore and Bali, which can be great value in Business Class, especially if you can score a paid upgrade on the day.
New KLM 777 Business Class
KLM’s new Business Class seats on the Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft are a modified version of the carrier’s existing Jamco America Venture seat product, already installed on its Boeing 787-10s.
These are arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration, allowing all passengers direct aisle access, and the major difference between these seats and those on the 787-10 is the addition of the sliding privacy door.
The seat retains its dark fabric, offset by lighter panel surrounds including the airline’s trademark blue.
Primary features include:
- Direct aisle access for all Business Class passengers.
- A lightweight sliding door that can be easily opened and closed, offering more privacy when working, relaxing, or sleeping.
- More personal seat adjustment options and user-friendly functionality, including an adjustable lower-back support and a ‘relax’ setting with a subtle back-massage feature.
- The seat reclines fully flat to form a 198cm-long bed.
- Multiple charging sockets, including AC multi, USB-A and USB-C, that are easily accessible and clearly visible.
- A wireless charging pad for each passenger.
- A lockable side compartment, which also has a built-in vanity mirror.
- Open shelves below the IFE screen for storing personal items like a laptop or tablet.
- A recessed drinks holder, so that passengers can safely leave a water bottle (or a stronger tipple!) on their tabletop, even during turbulence.
Other than the bed length, exact seat dimensions have not been provided, but KLM is saying the product is wider than its predecessor.
The sliding privacy door does not fully enclose the seat like the Qsuite, for example, since it does not extend all the way to the floor, but should provide a more cosy experience, especially while sleeping.
Moving the charging ports from the back to the front of the seat is a logical move, and it’s great to see both USB-A and USB-C charging options in easy reach.
There’s also the inclusion of the latest trend – wireless charging pads. These can be used to recharge a variety of portable devices, but most typically your smartphone, with the pad in easy reach at the side table ahead of the storage compartment.
Touchscreen IFE is via an 18.5in HD display, which can also be controlled via a remote if you prefer.
The storage compartment at head height has now gained a closing door compared to the same seat on the Boeing 787-10, incorporating a vanity mirror.
The compartment is large enough to accommodate your headset and a bottle of water, plus a small personal device or the amenity kit.
As with most 1-2-1 Business Class seat arrangements, a privacy divider is installed between the middle seat pair if you are not travelling with the person seated next to you, allowing you to enclose your own space without being overlooked.
Each seat features an adjustable armrest at the aisle side, which completely recesses to provide more space, especially useful in bed mode.
Journalist Gordon Smith was on board a media flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town with the new product installed, and uploaded some details to his Twitter account.
Business Class seats on KLM’s Singapore – Bali route can often be booked cheaply, either as confirmed tickets or by upgrading with cash at the check-in desk, so it will be great to be able to do so in these new seats in due course.
What’s it replacing?
It goes without saying that these seats are a significant improvement on the current 2-2-2 product by B/E Aerospace (now Collins Aerospace), first introduced over 10 years ago.
We took the older seats on a Bali – Singapore flight a few years back, and in fairness they aren’t bad for couples, but don’t offer much in the way of privacy.
One of the popular perks in Business Class on KLM, including on the shorter Singapore – Bali flights, is that each passenger is offered a complimentary ‘Delft Blue house’, a small bottle of Dutch gin (actually called ‘Genever’).
This is a longstanding KLM tradition since the 1950s and it’s great to see it lives on, as it will of course in the new Business Class cabins too.
Every Delft House depicts a real Dutch building, and each year in October KLM celebrates its birthday by adding a new one to the collection. There are now 103 types to collect.
Seat selection fees in Business Class
Both Air France and KLM, part of the same airline group, have followed British Airways in Europe and started charging Business Class passengers for advance seat selection, something we don’t currently see in Asia.
One-way seat selection fees are:
- EUR30 between Singapore and Bali
- EUR85 between Singapore and Amsterdam
Seat selection fees in Business Class are not payable by Flying Blue Silver, Gold and Platinum members, or those booking the airline’s more expensive ‘Business Flex’ fares.
Once online check-in opens 30 hours prior to departure, there are no seat selection costs for any Business Class passengers, but of course you’ll have to choose from what’s left.
Also note that KLM’s ‘Business Light’ fares don’t include lounge access unless you’re a SkyTeam Elite Plus member, and only come with one 32kg checked bag instead of two.
Premium Economy
KLM is also retrofitting its Boeing 777 fleet with a Premium Economy cabin called “Premium Comfort”, first introduced on the carrier’s Boeing 787-10s in August 2022.
This features 26 Collins Aerospace MiQ seats in a 2-4-2 configuration on the 777-300ER, directly behind the Business Class cabin.
The seats include a personal device holder, a winged head rest, a leg rest and a foot rest.
Other principal details include:
- Seat width: 18.5in
- Seat pitch: 38in
- Seat recline: 8in
- IFE: 13.3in HD touchscreen
- Power: AC, USB-A and USB-C outlets
KLM’s Premium Comfort fares come with a more generous baggage allowance of 2 x 23kg checked bags per passenger, plus priority boarding.
On board, passengers receive the same bedding provided in Business Class, noise-cancelling headphones and get a dedicated menu with a wider range of alcoholic beverages to choose from.
This one could prove to be an even cheaper upgrade on the Singapore – Bali route, if all you’re looking for is a bit more space to stretch out.
Indeed KLM will soon become the only carrier operating a Premium Economy cabin between Singapore and Bali, with Singapore Airlines flying only two-class aircraft on this route.
Here’s how the total seat configuration looks on the airline’s refitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, compared to the older layout:
Old Config
(Collins)
- 34 Business Class
- 374 Economy Class
- 408 Total
New Config
(Jamco)
- 35 Business Class
- 26 Premium Economy
- 322 Economy Class
- 383 Total
Overall 25 seats have been lost, but the airline should be able to achieve increased revenue with one additional seat in the Business Class cabin and 26 new Premium Economy seats.
One-year refit plan
The first aircraft to be refitted with the new seats, PH-BVA, is easy to spot from the terminal since it wears the carrier’s ‘Orange Pride’ livery. The jet has yet to operate to Singapore since its refit, but was regularly seen on the Amsterdam – Singapore – Bali route in the past.
In any event, Singapore travellers won’t have too long to wait to experience these new seats on KLM flights to and from Bali or Amsterdam, with the airline promising that all 31 of its Boeing 777s will be refitted by June 2024, a year from now.
KLM’s entire Boeing 777-300 and 200 fleet will be fitted with the new World Business Class seats. This fleet will also be fitted with the latest Premium Comfort cabin. The full revamp will be completed during the course of the coming year.
KLM
That seems like a very ambitious timescale, and in our experience airlines often overpromise and under-deliver with these refit programmes, so don’t be surprised to see some slippage here.
Once the refit is complete, 80% of KLM’s long-haul aircraft will have direct aisle access seats in Business Class, with only 11 Airbus A330s still flying with the old B/E Aerospace seats, unlikely to be refitted as they approach the end of their service life.
KLM Singapore schedule
KLM operates up to 14 weekly departures from Singapore Changi Airport; seven to Amsterdam and five to Bali, the latter increasing to seven from late October this year.
These flights use the airline’s Boeing 777-200ER or Boeing 777-300ER, all of which are being progressively refitted with this new Business Class product.
Here’s how the airline’s schedule looks on these flights.
Singapore Amsterdam
Now – 28th October 2023
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
KL836/838 777 |
||||||||
| SIN 00:40 |
AMS 08:00 |
||||||||
|
KL835/837 777 |
||||||||
| AMS 20:50 |
SIN 15:30* |
||||||||
* Next day
Singapore Amsterdam
29th October 2023 – 30th March 2024
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
KL836 777 |
||||||||
| SIN 01:40 |
AMS 08:30 |
||||||||
|
KL835 777 |
||||||||
| AMS 21:10 |
SIN 16:25* |
||||||||
* Next day
Singapore Bali
Now – 28th October 2023
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
KL835 777 |
||||||||
| SIN 16:50 |
DPS 19:25 |
||||||||
|
KL836 777 |
||||||||
| DPS 20:35 |
SIN 23:10 |
||||||||
Singapore Bali
29th October 2023 – 30th March 2024
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
KL835 777 |
||||||||
| SIN 17:45 |
DPS 20:30 |
||||||||
|
KL836 777 |
||||||||
| DPS 21:40 |
SIN 00:10* |
||||||||
* Next day
Award flights on KLM between Singapore and Bali using KLM Flying Blue miles cost 22,000 miles each way, plus taxes and fees of up to around S$60.
Award flights on KLM between Singapore and Amsterdam using KLM Flying Blue miles cost from 50,000 miles each way, but are often much more than that due to the programme’s dynamic pricing model, plus taxes and fees of up to around S$290.
Summary
KLM’s new Business Class seats coming to its Boeing 777-200ER and -300ER fleet aren’t the most exciting product in the world, but they do represent a significant upgrade to the current 2-2-2 configuration, which lack privacy especially for solo travellers.
Upgrades to the existing Jamco product seen on the carrier’s Boeing 787-10s now include a closing privacy door, drinks holder and lockable storage compartment included in the design.
With a rapid rollout of the new seats promised across the airline’s entire Boeing 777 fleet by June 2024, Singapore travellers can look forward to this upgraded product in Business Class on flights not only to and from Amsterdam, but on the carrier’s daily Singapore – Bali route too.
(Cover Photo: KLM)