KLM 777-300ER Business Class Review (2026): Amsterdam to Buenos Aires

I always love flying with KLM; after many years, it remains one of my favorite airlines: the service, the friendliness of the staff, the soft and hard product, plus the Delft Houses. For me, it’s the complete package. I’m often told it’s hard to compete with Asian or Middle Eastern airlines when it comes to service. That’s definitely true on certain routes, but when considering European airlines and destinations that not many carriers serve (like deep South America), KLM is hard to beat. I was truly looking forward to this flight. The last time I flew KLM was on a short fifth-freedom flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago, sadly too short.

This was the return leg of my recent trip to Sweden. The full mixed-cabin itinerary was booked for 64k EuroBonus points + 1700 SEK in taxes per person.

For the outbound half of the same itinerary, I flew Aerolíneas Argentinas A330-200 Economy from Buenos Aires to Madrid, before continuing onward to Stockholm with SAS.

Since the trip had a short-haul leg from Stockholm to Amsterdam, I’m also covering that part. Let’s get started!

How I Booked This Flight

You can check the full details on the previous report. I booked these awards before the devaluation (December 1st). After the devaluation, the Economy Class prices didn’t change, but the Business Class prices did effectively go up between several regions.

In the case of South America, prices went up by a whopping 25k points (~15%) from 165k points to 190k points round trip. If we just consider the Business Class leg, since I booked a round trip and used an Amex 2-for-1 voucher, I ended up paying a total of 41250 points + ~850 SEK per person for this segment.

Check-In & Security

I was starting my trip in Stockholm Arlanda. My first flight to Amsterdam was at 2 pm, so I arrived at the airport close to noon, after returning the EV I had rented. Air France-KLM has historically operated from Terminal 2. They moved the check-in desks to the 51-69 area, which was much quieter than the rest of the airport. It was straightforward to check in: there was no one queuing, and the whole process of checking the luggage took less than 5 minutes. My luggage was going directly to Buenos Aires.

Security was another story. I managed to use the Fast Track lane for Business Class passengers; however, the staff was extremely picky about liquids. They forced every passenger to re-pack their liquids into one of the bags they were handing out, which took a few minutes each. I queued for roughly 15 minutes (only 3 people ahead of me) until it was my turn. Of course, they made me repack my liquids too, even though I always pack all my liquids in tidy, Ziploc bags. After following their instructions, they complained that the bag was not closing. The problem was not that the liquids were over the limit, it was only that the shape of the containers didn’t fit in their bag because of a different shape (just to clarify, the two bags had the same 1L capacity; it was only the dimensions that were different). After arguing for about 5 minutes, as they wanted me to throw something away, they let me through.

Over the years I have witnessed the change at Arlanda in how much more cumbersome the security line became. Everyone was frustrated about this issue, because at the end of the day, nothing changed, it just made the process slower for passengers. I’m pro-rules and I follow the regulations in place to make everything smoother for people working at the airport. However, I think this lack of flexibility is too much. Hopefully they get enough feedback to change their attitude.

Lounge at Stockholm

After my small fight with security agents, I headed to the Pearl Lounge in Terminal 2. At that time (lunch time), the lounge was quite busy and full. The food was solid, though. This was the old Aurora Lounge that just got renamed. Everything else remained the same, even the seating and decoration. There were several hot meal options, plus bread, salad, and drinks.

I grabbed a bite, a cup of coffee and caught up with email for about 1 hour until boarding time. I found a quiet spot at the back of the lounge.

Boarding: Stockholm to Amsterdam

At boarding time, I headed to the gate. The boarding had already started, a few minutes ahead of schedule. SkyPriority passengers and Zone 1 were already boarding. The passengers could split based on the seating rows, and board using both the front and rear doors.

I had seat 2A, and as usual with the 737s, the first rows have no storage room over their seats, they are usually reserved for the crew.

Cabin & Seat

The cabin was fresh and sleek. KLM did a major renovation a few years ago, aligned with Air France, and streamlined the design, switching from fabric to leather, and making seats thinner. They are less cushioned now, but still comfortable for a 2-3h flight. I’ve covered them before on my flight from Bucharest to Amsterdam.

The adjustable headrest is comfortable. The tray table is slightly smaller than before, but they also offer an extra holder for a tablet or phone, and a cup. The seat has a USB-A outlet. Legroom was generous, and as usual with the intra-Europe Business Class, the middle seat was blocked.

The plane had WiFi onboard, and includes free messaging for Flying Blue members.

Takeoff

We departed on time, and it was a beautiful, sunny day to fly. There were quite a few planes from SAS scheduled to take off before us. The takeoff was smooth and had stunning views.

Meal

Soon after takeoff, the crew started with the lunch service. This flight is only 1h 40 minutes, so they didn’t have much time. It had been a while since I flew Business Class with KLM intra-Europe, and since then they made quite a few changes.

First, they handed out a beautiful meal box, and some bread. Inside the meal box you find the menu, which explains what the box has. In this case, it had some cashew nuts, a creamy potato and salmon salad, and an assortment of macarons.

Along with that, you get a selection of drinks including beer, wine, soft drinks, water, and later coffee or tea. They also hand out a cold-pressed organic juice, which was very tasty. The cutlery was all from sustainable sources, the only plastic containers were for the meal itself.

Overall, the meal was delicious and very solid for such a short flight, although I get some people that might comment that it feels more like a starter than a full meal. For me, the flavours were very rich, and the presentation was beautiful.

Arrival in Amsterdam

Amsterdam was cloudy and rainy. We were hit by a few gusts of wind while landing (which is common in the area). The landing was on time, and we parked close to Gates D, so it was a short walk to immigration/passport control.

Soon after I cleared passport control (5 minutes) I headed straight to the KLM Crown Lounge on the international airside. I had a long wait until my next flight (almost 5 hours).

KLM Crown Lounge

I’ve covered the lounge before on a separate post. Still, I took several updated pictures to compare. Overall, the experience was still the same. At this time (late afternoon/early evening), the lounge was still very quiet. It starts getting more packed closer to 8 pm.

I’d say that, from the entire experience with KLM, the Crown Lounge at Schiphol is my least-favorite part. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the lounge, it does the job. However, there’s nothing really exceptional. Food is rather mediocre, seating spaces are OK, but not super comfortable, noise level tends to be high, and it just doesn’t feel as cozy as other airline lounges at other main hubs. For example, the KLM Crown Lounge has an a-la-carte restaurant and bar, but they charge extra for it. Compared to the Delta One Lounges, with an all-included restaurant and more premium/VIP experience, the stay feels different.

One thing I like though, is the Heineken bar. I spent most of my time working and grabbed a few bites every now and then. About one hour before boarding time I went walking around the airport to stretch my legs a bit.

Boarding: Amsterdam to Buenos Aires

I headed to the gate on time, and soon after I arrived they started boarding. I used the SkyPriority lane. Boarding was smooth, I used the front door and reached my seat very quickly. There was plenty of storage space in the overhead bins.

Seat and Cabin

Compared to the 787, the seats are different. It feels slightly more spacious and private. There’s a sliding door you can close for extra privacy. It’s not really a ‘door’ like on other cabins (Delta, Qatar), it’s more of a ‘sheet’, but it does a good job.

Soon after settling in my seat, I took a few pictures of the amenities you get at the seat. There’s a pillow and blanket (no mattress), a bottle of water, and the headphones. There’s also a wireless charger mark close to the armrest where you can leave your phone charging.

The seat has a power outlet under the IFE screen, as well as both USB-A and USB-C ports available. Once you are settled in, the crew offers a welcome drink, which can also be a mocktail. I chose both a mocktail and a glass of champagne.

The tray table is large and stable.

Amenity Kit

The amenity kit was in partnership with Envisions, and all the products are made from sustainable materials and sources. Inside, you find a toothbrush with toothpaste pills, earplugs, face cream and lip balm, eye mask, socks, and a pen. The bag is thin and looks beautiful.

Menu

While boarding was ongoing, the crew also handed out the in-flight menu, so that you could check your options and decide. I didn’t pre-order anything so I was looking forward to the options. Here’s the full menu:

IFE & Headphones

The IFE screen was big and responsive. It wasn’t too bright even at maximum brightness, so it might be an issue if you have your window shade open on a day flight, but for dimmed cabins and night flights it’s more than fine. The movie selection was extensive, with plenty of language and subtitle options.

The headphones are very sturdy, and the noise cancellation works very well. They can feel quite heavy and hard, so they are good for watching movies but not for relaxing while listening to music, if you try to sleep with those.

Takeoff

The sun was setting while we prepared for takeoff, and it looked beautiful out of the window (and rainy). In preparation for takeoff, they displayed the safety video, which they’ve produced many years ago (over 8 years).

We took off with a slight delay (~20 minutes), but the scheduled arrival time was ahead of schedule.

Dinner

Soon after takeoff the crew started preparing the cabin for dinner service. With KLM, dinner usually takes a long time, maybe between 1.5 and 2h! I’ve had really slow services in the many times I flew with them. This time was slightly faster, but still not rushed like with some of the US-based carriers.

First, they offered a plate of cheese bites and a drink, and a hot towel.

Then, as a starter, I went for the curry soup, which was quite spicy and delicious. They served it with bread and a side salad.

For the main dish, I went for the Japanese-style pancake, which was also quite spicy but excellent. It came with some dumplings and rice.

As dessert, I went for the signature coconut mousse and a peppermint tea. This was my least favorite. They also topped it off with chocolate Delft Houses.

Overall, the dinner was delicious. It didn’t really look great, but the flavor was on point.

Lavatory

Right after dinner I went to the restroom to get ready for some sleep. I took pictures of the galley and the amenities in the toilet. There weren’t too many. Compared to other airlines (like Lufthansa or even Delta/American, where they have shavers, mouthwash and other amenities), there was only cream, face mist and soap. I guess you could ask for more toiletries if needed. As a detail, the plane is full of Delft houses along the wall. The galley has some snacks and more chocolate you can grab.

While walking, the cabin was quiet and dark. A bit cold too.

Breakfast

After watching a movie, I slept a solid 7 hours until it was time for breakfast. This service was slightly more rushed. It included a plate of cold cuts, and they offered a hot side dish. I chose the eggs. You also get a fruit plate and a croissant, and coffee.

Delft Houses

As usual, right after breakfast and before preparing the cabin for landing, you get to choose a Delft House. I use the KLM houses app to track all the ones I’ve been collecting, and I was lucky to pick among a few I didn’t have.

Arrival

It was very early in Buenos Aires, 5:30 am; it was still dark and quite cold. The landing was smooth and beautiful, and I managed to take a few pictures. Right after landing, I went through the express passport control lane, grabbed my luggage (10 min) and was out of the airport in under 20 minutes, very smooth. Since it was very early in the morning, I also managed to avoid the rush hour for traffic.

Final Verdict: Is KLM’s AMS-EZE Flight Worth It?

I’m a bit biased towards KLM because of the accumulation of good experiences I’ve had in the past. This time was no different. The staff was very kind and warm, attentive, and made you feel like they genuinely care about you. They manage to be friendly while keeping the cabin calm and quiet.

The seat is very solid, although probably the only drawback was that the seat was a bit too hard without a mattress pad. Hopefully they’ll add something like that in the near future. The entertainment was impressive, the privacy felt right, and the meals were not outstanding, but really tasty. I can see that for people who want more classic choices, there can be a lack of options if you don’t pre-order.

Overall, they make it really easy for me to keep recommending this airline against others in the Europe-Buenos Aires routes.