KLM's first Airbus A350 has arrived in Amsterdam, and Toronto is its first route

KLM's first Airbus A350-900 landed at Amsterdam Schiphol on Oct. 2, according to KLM's announcement. Airbus handed the plane over in Toulouse the same day, as Airbus confirmed. It is the first of a new long-haul type for KLM, and the start of a cabin upgrade on some of its North American and African routes.

The cabin

The plane has 331 seats in three cabins:

• World Business Class: 34 suites, each with direct aisle access, according to Airbus
• Premium Comfort: 26 seats in KLM's premium economy cabin
• Economy: 271 seats

Airbus says the cabin has more overhead bin space, mood lighting and high-speed satellite Wi-Fi. KLM says Europe's aviation safety agency, EASA, has approved the test results for the new World Business Class seats, so the seat's formal certification can now begin. That step has to finish before the plane can carry paying passengers in that cabin.

Where it will fly

Toronto comes first, and KLM expects the first commercial flight within a few weeks. KLM will fly Amsterdam–Toronto 12 times a week this winter, and the A350 will operate five of those flights. Later in the winter season, which runs to March 27, the A350 will also fly to:

• Montreal
• Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
• Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
• Zanzibar, Tanzania
• Nairobi, Kenya

The first plane is named after Rembrandt's painting The Night Watch. The second, due next, will carry the name of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Why KLM is adding it

KLM says the A350 burns about 25% less fuel than the planes it replaces and has a noise footprint about 40% smaller. Both matter at Schiphol, where KLM is cutting night landings between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The A350 is part of a €7 billion fleet renewal that also includes Airbus A321neos in Europe, Embraer E2 jets at KLM Cityhopper, Boeing 787s and A350 freighters. KLM already flies 17 A321neos. As the older Airbus A330s leave the fleet this winter, KLM says Boeing jets will take over most flights to Aruba, Bonaire, Riyadh, Dammam and Miami, according to KLM's winter schedule announcement.

Lounges at each end

In Amsterdam, long-haul flights leave from the non-Schengen side, where the KLM Crown Lounge 52 is KLM's flagship. It opened in 2019, has 20 showers and a rooftop bar, and rates 4.5 with our users. It is open from 4:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.

In Toronto, KLM flies from Terminal 3, where the KLM Crown Lounge is upstairs in the international departures area. It is a much simpler space, with no showers and a beer-and-wine bar, and rates 2.9 with our users. Priority Pass members can get in too. In Montreal, the Air France-KLM Lounge is the stronger lounge, rated 4.5, with three showers and a full bar.

Access follows the KLM Crown Lounge rules. World Business Class passengers get in on their ticket. Flying Blue Gold and Platinum members, and other SkyTeam elites through SkyTeam lounge access, get in with one guest when flying SkyTeam that day. Premium Comfort tickets do not include lounge access on their own.

What it means for you

If you're booking KLM to Toronto this winter, check the aircraft type. Only five of the 12 weekly flights will use the A350, and the first ones depend on the business seat's certification. The A350 is worth picking if your dates allow, since it is newer and quieter than the planes it replaces on these routes. For Tanzania and Kenya, the A350 arrives later in the season, so watch for the switch on your flight. See our KLM page for all of the airline's lounges.