Sweet Spot
BN Travel: Dank Je KLM – diabanjo’s New World Business Class Flight from Lagos to Amsterdam
Hey BellaNaijarians, thankfully I have arrived in Amsterdam safely and even though I cannot wait to explore the city, I have to fill you all in with my experience on the New World Business Class, KLM. Click here to learn all about my trip from Lagos to Amsterdam!
I arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 6 PM, my flight was scheduled to leave at 9:35 PMÂ but because of Lagos traffic I decided to leave early and avoid most of the tedious go-slow we are now facing because of the fuel scarcity.
20:00 (GMT+1) – Sky Priority Lounge, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos
Checking-in was super quick – perks of Business Class. After the routine checks from Immigration I was directed to the Sky Priority Lounge for Air France & KLM passengers. Comfortably seated I approached the complimentary refreshments area, it was serve yourself, so I grabbed a glass of sparkling water to cool down – stairs and heels is such a strenuous activity. There was also a selection of cold cuts, fresh fruit, small meals and beverages of all types but I opted out in order to dive into a flight on Business Class with a open mind and stomach.
Gate 34 was the end point of the warmth of Lasgidi, seated in 2C I observed my surroundings itching to take-off and drag the flat-bed out, but before I could even gather what all the buttons do, I was surprised to see Air France ambassador and Nigerian film producer Kunle Afolayan seated beside me – what a wow! Him and his crew had also been invited to attend the popular King’s day festivities – follow the #BNAmsterdam on social media stories to find out more
I had to laugh when someone shouted “October 1st” when they saw him, he’s such a cheerful fellow.
22:12 (GMT+1) Passports, Boarding Pass & a Complimentary Toiletry bag (Women) from KLM
Flight KL0588 took off at exactly 22:00hrs, ten minutes in the air hot towels were distributed to clean our hands ready to dive into dinner or a quick bite (optional).
22:30 (GMT+1) Option B – Grilled shiny nose with coconut cream sauce, potato au gratin and mixed vegetables with a side dish of a mixed vegetable and paw paw salad with brie and parmesan cheese.
22:53 (GMT+1) Dessert – Cappuccino chocolate cake
I opted for option b on the main course menu and was also given a cold beverage, mixed nuts and a bread roll. Tucking in, I accompanied my meal with the 2015 comedy movie Sisters directed by Jason Moore. Shortly after the end of the movie, I pushed my seat all the way back and made an attempt to sleep to the soothing sounds of Frank Sinatra and before you could say “Jack Robinson” I was out. I was incredibly impressed by how oblivious I was while I slept, the flat bed fit me perfectly, I had a little room above and below which was great – just in case I needed to turn or move my legs.
01:43 (CEST) diabanjo in the KLM New Full-Flat bed
Questions that came to mind prior to the three hour sleep I had were, is the material going to be skin friendly? Will I be warm? Will I be able to sleep without difficulty? and does the seat really turn into a full-flat bed with ease? The answers to all these are yes, yes, yes and most certainly yes!
It is easy to review positively but I will not mislead any of you, go try it out if you can, it is delightful. I often do not sleep during flights because of discomfort, noise or irritable distractions but I had a sound sleep that did not resemble the stereotypical plane flight snooze at all – My flight buddy Kunle enjoyed over five hours so he is my number 1 witness.
05:42 (CEST) – Inside Schiphol Amsterdam Airport
I woke up 25 minutes before we descended. On arrival at Schiphol Airport, pronounced “skip – pool” it was raining with a light cold air of 4 degrees, I realized that a lot of Nigerians travel to Amsterdam as a means to connect flights to other destinations – which is great, an individual also informed me that he spends a few days away in Amsterdam often because of the serenity the city offers and the small similarities it has with his area in Lagos.
I spent a few minutes digesting the Dutch language in the Mercure Hotel reception, it’s super fast and each word has a tickly -tongue twisting factor at the end before I was allocated an intimate and cosy single room with Free wi-fi and complimentary Lipton tea, for my Nigerian tea lovers there were several different flavours – exciting! Shortly after I went down to the breakfast hall to tuck into a few of their buffet items before I begin my day.
06:06 (CEST) Mercure Hotel Amsterdam Centre Canal District, Noorderstraat 46, Amsterdam
06:11 CEST) Mercure Hotel Reception Desk
06:42 (CEST) Mercure Hotel
06:44 (CEST) Mercure Hotel Breakfast Buffet
07:11 (CEST) Mercure Hotel Breakfast Buffet
07:11 (CEST) Mercure Hotel Breakfast Buffet
07:11 (CEST) Mercure Hotel Breakfast Buffet
07:11 (CEST) Mercure Hotel Breakfast Buffet, cold cuts, fresh pineapple juice, fresh fruit, Poffertjes (mini pancakes), sausages, scrambled eggs.
To crown it all, the trip has started on a good note – time to head out and explore!
Look out for more from the trip on BN soon 🙂
***
All Photos taken on Apple iPhone 6
