KLM's first Airbus A350-900 has carried its first paying passengers. Flight KL691 left Amsterdam Schiphol for Toronto on October 30, according to KLM's announcement. The plane, named De Nachtwacht after Rembrandt's The Night Watch, also carried about eight metric tons of cargo.
It is the first time KLM has flown the A350 in regular service, and Toronto is where Canadian travelers will see it first. We covered the plane's arrival and its cabin earlier this month in our first look at KLM's A350. This story picks up from there: the jet is now flying, so here is what that means if you are booking.
What is new on board
KLM's A350 has 331 seats in three cabins, according to Airbus. There are 34 World Business Class suites, each with direct aisle access, plus 26 Premium Comfort seats and 271 seats in economy. Airbus says the cabin also has more overhead bin space, mood lighting and high-speed Wi-Fi.
KLM says the A350 is part of a fleet renewal meant to make its flights cleaner, quieter and more fuel efficient. The airline has said before that the plane burns about a quarter less fuel than the jets it replaces. For passengers, the quieter cabin is the part you will notice. One longtime KLM flyer on the first flight told the airline he hoped to hear for himself "just how much quieter this aircraft really is."
The first flight drew aviation fans who booked seats just for the occasion, KLM says. Some came from New York to Amsterdam that morning, flew to Toronto, and then planned to carry on home.
Where the A350 goes next
Toronto is the first route, but not the only one. KLM says that after Toronto, the A350 will fly to:
- Montreal
- Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Zanzibar, Tanzania
KLM has not given a start date for each of those routes in this announcement. Earlier this month, the airline said the A350 would fly five of its 12 weekly Amsterdam–Toronto flights this winter. With only one plane in the fleet for now, and a second named after Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring still to come, the A350 will be a sometime aircraft on most routes for a while.
How to make sure you get it
If you want the new cabin, check the aircraft type for your flight number before you book. Plane swaps happen, and early in a new type's life they happen more often, so check again a few days before you fly.
World Business Class on the A350 is the main reason to chase it. Every suite has direct aisle access, so no one has to climb over a neighbor. Premium Comfort and economy passengers mostly gain a newer, quieter cabin.
Where to wait
In Amsterdam, KLM's long-haul flights leave from the non-Schengen side. The KLM Crown Lounge 52 is the airline's flagship there, with showers and a rooftop terrace. It is worth arriving early for.
In Toronto, KLM uses Terminal 3. The KLM Crown Lounge there is a much simpler room, and Priority Pass members can use it too. In Montreal, the shared Air France-KLM Lounge is the stronger option, with showers and a full bar.
Access follows the usual KLM Crown Lounge rules. World Business Class passengers get in on their ticket. Flying Blue Gold and Platinum members, and other SkyTeam elites, get in when flying SkyTeam that day. A Premium Comfort ticket does not include lounge access on its own.
Our take
A new long-haul type on a Canada route is good news for travelers on both sides of the Atlantic. The catch is supply. With one A350 flying, most KLM passengers to Toronto and Montreal will still be on older jets this winter. If your dates are flexible, pick the A350 flight. See our KLM airline page for the rest of its fleet and lounges.
