KLM’s new 777 business class is a big improvement with privacy panels and updated tech

Editor's note: KLM provided TPG with a complimentary business-class flight from Amsterdam to Los Angeles so we could experience the airline's newest seats. The opinions expressed below are entirely those of the author and weren't subject to review by the airline or any external entity.

Quick take: KLM's new World Business Class seats are a welcome development for its Boeing 777s.

Pros

• Sliding panels offer plenty of personal space and more privacy.
• Up-to-date technology includes large entertainment screens and wireless charging.
• Attentive, genuine and friendly service sets the experience apart.

Cons

• The privacy panels aren't as sturdy as the doors on some other airlines.
• Onboard meals are decent but unmemorable.
• Contending with the crowds at the Amsterdam airport and in the airline's Crown Lounge can feel hectic.

These days, more and more airlines are installing business-class suites with closing doors in a bid to offer passengers more privacy and personal space. The latest to jump on that trend is Dutch airline KLM.

The carrier revealed plans for new World Business Class seats with sliding privacy panels in June 2023 and is currently installing them on its Boeing 777-300s and 777-200s. The new seats, manufactured by Jamco, mostly resemble those already on board the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliners. However, they are a vast improvement over the much older Collins Aerospace Diamond seats that were previously installed on its 777s.

Because the airline is still in the process of rolling out the new seats to its 777 fleet, it can be difficult to pinpoint specific flights where you'll get a plane with the new product; even if you do figure it out, the plane might be swapped out on a specific route on a certain day. However, I had the chance to hop on a flight from Amsterdam to Los Angeles on which the new seats had been installed.

Here's what it was like flying the new KLM business class and booking the seats, as well as what you can expect to experience on board.

How much does it cost to book KLM business class?

The cost of a KLM business-class ticket — whether in cash or miles — will depend on your origin and destination, the time of year and whether you are flying one-way or round-trip.

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I flew from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Tickets in KLM business class from LA to Amsterdam over the next several months range between $4,000 and $13,800 round-trip; one-ways run $3,830 to $11,900 from LA to Amsterdam and between $4,600 and $6,940 in the opposite direction.

Your best bet for booking an award ticket will be to redeem Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles. Awards start at 147,000 miles in each direction plus about $230 in taxes going from the U.S. to Europe in the next several months; it'll cost the same number of miles plus $342 in taxes and fees flying in the other direction. That's a rather high premium, though, and you might be able to find flights in the 50,000 to 60,000-mile range from other U.S. gateways with more frequency.

Flying Blue can be one of the most useful frequent flyer programs out there, even if you don't regularly fly Air France or KLM, because it has the following transfer partners:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards
• Wells Fargo Rewards

So if you have credit cards that accrue any of those types of loyalty points, you can transfer them to a Flying Blue account and book your ticket that way.

The following cards all currently offer considerable welcome bonuses with points and miles that you can transfer into your Flying Blue account:

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Gold Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: (see rates and fees)
• Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees)

KLM business-class passengers can select seat assignments for free and check two bags of up to 32 kg (70 pounds) each when flying to or from the U.S.

By now, all of KLM's 777-300s should have the new seats on board; the 777-200s are beginning to undergo refurbishments. Double-check the aircraft type flying your route and even the specific seat map of your flight to ensure your plane will have the new seats on board.

Checking into and boarding KLM business class

KLM business-class passengers can enjoy the following priority services at the airport.

My flight from Amsterdam to Los Angeles departed at 9:50 a.m. local time. I had just flown in the prior evening from Madrid, so I decided to spend the night at the Hilton Amsterdam Airport, which is a brisk, 10-minute indoor walk from the airport's main terminal.

Although I had checked in online the day before my flight, I still went to the designated SkyPriority check-in area to print out a boarding pass. I then made my way through immigration and security, which took about 20 minutes.

From there, it was a 10-minute walk to the airline's flagship Crown Lounge. We've covered this space extensively in past reviews, but it's a multilevel, multizone lounge with buffet areas, plenty of living room-style and restaurant-style seating, shower and rest facilities; it also has an expansive upstairs area with a bar, an outdoor terrace for planespotting and even an a la carte restaurant.

About an hour before my flight, I walked another 10 minutes or so to the F gates, where my flight was departing. I was among the first to board 45 minutes prior to departure.

How comfortable is KLM business class?

KLM's refurbished 777-300ERs have 35 of the new business-class seats, split into two sections with seats laid out in a reverse-herringbone 1-2-1 pattern.

The front cabin section has 27 seats in six rows of four seats each and just three of them in row 1. The aft section is much smaller, with just two rows of seats, so it feels much more private. (In comparison, the airline's 787-10s have a single, large business-class section of 38 seats.)

The seats running down the middle of the cabin are angled toward one another, while those on the sides angle out toward the windows. All have direct aisle access. If you're traveling with a companion, the center seats are best; solo travelers might prefer the side seats.

As mentioned, these seats seem like an incremental evolution of those already aboard the airline's 787-10s. They are upholstered in navy blue fabric with stitching in either light blue, silver or copper tones. Backsplashes are in the airline's signature color of vivid cerulean.

Seats measure 25 inches across at the shoulders and 21 inches at the hips. The larger armrest along the aisle side, which has a cubby for water bottles and other small items, can be lowered to the level of the seat cushion to create a little extra space.

Across from the seat is an ottoman cubby for your feet in lie-flat or relaxation mode. It's 20.5 inches across at its opening, though it narrows to around 12 inches at its far end.

I measured it to be 12.5 inches high and had no trouble maneuvering my feet in and out of the space — or even turning over. However, if you have large feet, you might find them cramped.

There is a 15-inch gap between the armrest and the shell of the preceding seat to get to the aisle. The seat's new privacy panels deploy across this space.

Rather than solid doors, the airline opted for lightweight fabric privacy screens. These are locked open for takeoff and landing, but passengers can slide them open or closed during flight. Rather than a latch, these just have a small magnetic strip that they lock into when closed, and they do not spring forward or back forcefully as some other airline suite doors do.

The dividers are 31 inches tall and start 14 inches above the floor, so they are about 45 inches high. They stop just an inch or so below the top of the seat shell with a small gap toward their front end.

Despite not being solid doors, the dividers do shield passengers from noise and activity in the aisle, making for a more restful flight experience. The choice to use a light fabric and magnetic snaps means they are more fuel-efficient than heavier doors.

However, they do not provide as much privacy or seclusion from cabin noise as seats with larger, more substantial doors like Delta One Suites or Qatar Qsuites.

The seats have a large console running along the window on side seats or down the middle separating center seats. These are 4 inches wide at the far end and 17 inches wide at the end closest to the seat, providing plenty of surface area. I was able to place my laptop there during meal service rather than having to stow it.

There is also a sunken cupholder that prevents spillage during turbulence and a wireless charger — one of the seat's new features.

The charger worked only after I removed my iPhone 15 Pro from its MagSafe case. Once I did that, I timed it to charge about 1% every three to four minutes.

There is a 3-inch-wide armrest running alongside the console with controls for three preset seat positions — upright for takeoff and landing, a lounge mode and fully flat. There's also a control for the seatback position, one for the brightness of the seat's lighting, a gentle massage function and buttons for lumbar and head support positioning.

There is also a do-not-disturb button, which is handy so flight attendants don't bother you if you would like to rest. I personally prefer controls that allow you to maneuver individual parts of the seat, but shifting between the preset possibilities was still comfortable.

There is a small cabinet above the large console with a door that pops open to reveal a vanity mirror and a cubby with a strap. You can put your amenity kit in there, plus there's a hook for the (decent) noise-canceling headphones. This is a nice update from the 787-10 seats, which have an exposed recess rather than a closed cubby.

Next to that, a flip-out reading light and a handheld touchscreen remote for the entertainment system are embedded in the seat's shell.

Opposite the seatback and beneath the entertainment screen, there is a narrow shelf measuring 15 inches wide by 7 inches deep; it's tall enough to hold a water bottle on its side. Next to that is a universal power plug and both USB-A and USB-C ports.

My side seat's bifold tray table deployed from the window console and was about 18 inches long and 14 inches wide — offering plenty of room for my MacBook Pro.

It was easy enough to recline my seat to fully lie-flat mode, and in that position, it measured 78 inches long. The airline provides a light duvet and a large pillow but no seat cover or other bedding. You'll be responsible for making up your own bed when the time comes. That said, I found the seat's padding to be comfortable, and for a simple setup, it was still cozy enough for a long snooze on my daytime flight.

Overhead bins ran down both sides and the center of the cabin (the first few center rows don't have their own bins because they are under the crew rest area). That means there's plenty of storage for each passenger, but the cabin feels a little less spacious because of it.

There are no individual air nozzles, but that was OK on my flight since the flight attendants kept the cabin cool.

Business-class passengers share just two lavatories — one at the front of the aircraft and one adjacent to the galley between the two business-class sections. With a full roster of 35 passengers, there were often wait times to use them, though the flight attendants kept them clean throughout the flight. I especially liked the wall design with images of the airline's famous Delft house miniatures.

The airline also stocks the lavatories with large bottles of fragrant face mist, hand soap and sanitizer by Dutch brand Marie-Stella-Maris, and a wall-mounted vase with a colorful artificial flower.

Amenities in KLM business class

When I boarded, I found a large pillow and a plastic-wrapped cotton duvet waiting at my seat. There was also a cute fabric amenity kit with a pattern knitted on it that resembled a Delft tile with flowers and a peacock.

This contained a dental kit, ear plugs, a fabric eye mask, socks, a pen and Rituals skincare products, including lip balm and facial moisturizer with a light floral scent. KLM does not offer pajamas in business class.

A pair of plastic-wrapped, noise-canceling headphones was waiting in the seat-side storage cubby. You could plug them into a socket next to the chair. Unfortunately, the entertainment system does not have Bluetooth connectivity.

The seatback monitor was 18.5 inches wide and featured an extensive library, including hundreds of movies from around the world, television shows, musical albums and games. I wouldn't count on the newest releases in terms of movies or TV, but the selection was large and mostly up-to-date.

As I was mostly working and resting, I kept my screen on the dynamic map function. The system could also display instructions for connecting to Wi-Fi. It could also control the seat's lighting and call the crew.

Though Wi-Fi was available on my flight, the system had trouble maintaining a connection for large portions of it, and I heard other passengers grow frustrated (as I was). I was able to use a free, full-flight messaging pass on my iPhone, though messages only came through sporadically.

There was also a one-hour surf pass for 10 euros ($11) and a full-flight one for 22 euros ($24). I purchased the latter and was able to send email and surf the web for an hour here or there. However, I would not buy a pass again, given how much trouble the system seemed to be having.

As for a final amenity toward the end of the flight, attendants passed through the cabin with a trolley of the airline's famous miniature Delft house souvenirs. I was able to pick a new one for my growing collection.

How was the food in KLM business class?

KLM's business-class menus are created by Dutch celebrity chef Jonnie Boer from the Michelin three-star restaurant De Librije. Accompanying wines are selected by his wife, sommelier Terese Boer.

When I boarded, the food menu and wine list were waiting at my seat, so after I settled in, I perused the options.

As I did so, flight attendants came through the cabin offering passengers a choice of water, orange juice, Champagne or Heineken as a predeparture beverage.

Staff members served the first meal directly after takeoff, with snacks available afterward; they served a lighter meal before landing.

After takeoff, flight attendants came through to take meal and drink orders. They returned quickly with beverages and plastic-wrapped mixed nuts in ramekins (in an effort to make the presentation nicer).

The first meal service commenced about 90 minutes into the flight. On a long daytime flight like this, that was fine by me since it gave me plenty of time to work. However, it would certainly eat into (pun intended) a short nighttime flight when folks might want to dine and get to sleep as quickly as possible.

The main meal service included a mesclun salad. Appetizers included choices such as:

• Thai red curry soup
• Thin-sliced beef bavette with mustard and piccalilli cream, Reypenaar cheese and cornichons

I ordered the soup, and it was tangy and delicious.

The main course options included:

• Tagine including broad beans and chickpeas in a vegetarian saag paneer sauce
• A tasting of Indonesian dishes, including beef rendang, nasi kuning with red chile and panggang chicken with spicy bumbu sauce
• Chicken with lemon sauce, green asparagus, carrots and Nishiki rice topped with furikake

I chose the lemon chicken option, and although it was hearty, it was not especially flavorful. Still, I appreciated the vegetables and rice for a light touch.

I tried both dessert options:

• Cheese plate with Moulin Bleu, goat cheese with honey and cumin-infused cheese served with grapes and crackers
• Strawberry bavarois with raspberry gel and shaved white chocolate

Both were a nice end to the meal, and the sweet, in particular, was light and delicious.

The wine choices included:

• Champagne Bernard Lonclas Cuvee Selection Brut
• Aaldering Estate sauvignon blanc from South Africa
• Bodegas Piqueras Gran Marius verdejo from Spain
• Hampton Water rose from France
• Chateau Amsterdam On Cloud Nine red blend from the Netherlands
• Ricasoli Antico Feudo della Trappola from Italy

The airline also offers various spirits like Jack Daniel's, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Ketel One vodka and Bacardi rum. The menu included Heineken, Taylor's Late-Bottled Vintage Port and about a dozen soft drinks, juices and milk options.

The Champagne, which retails for about $40 a bottle on the ground, was mellow but bright. I tried the verdejo, which was crisp and a nice accompaniment to the curry soup; the Italian red was earthy with cherry notes that went well with the chicken.

Between meals, passengers could request light dishes like:

• Vegetarian croquette sandwiches with mustard
• Mini-club sandwiches with egg salad, cheese, bell pepper, spicy mayo and arugula
• Cherry cheesecake ice cream

Passengers could also help themselves to snacks like cheese crackers and Stroopwafel cookies near the front galley.

About 90 minutes before landing, flight attendants came through the cabin again to take orders for a small prearrival meal, which they began serving 15 minutes later.

The choices included:

• Pasta salad with smoked salmon and trout roe served with green beans, pimento mayo and fresh daikon cress as a main
• Rendang of jackfruit with pickled red onion and soybeans on pandan rice
• Marinated chicken with cashews, fried rice and mixed vegetables
• Chocolate pastry

I ordered the chicken. It came with the pasta salad and the chocolate dessert on a single tray. It was an interesting mashup of flavors, but everything tasted fresh, so I nibbled here and there.

The airline serves Douwe Egberts-brand coffee, so I ordered a cup to help me perk up before landing.

As has been my experience on many past KLM flights, the crew was warm while polished, efficient and proactive. Attendants routinely passed through the cabin, asking if passengers wanted anything. Though meals took a while to serve, that wasn't an issue on this long daytime flight.

Interestingly, the crew never dimmed the cabin lighting, and some passengers left their window shades open the entire flight without being asked to close them. If you wanted to sleep, the eye masks in the amenity kits would've come in handy.

Would you recommend KLM business class?

KLM's new World Business Class seats represent a nice evolution of its latest business-class pods with the welcome addition of closing partitions for a modicum of privacy. The seats are certainly a big step forward compared to the old seats formerly found on KLM's Boeing 777s. Hopefully the rest of the rollout will continue apace and make the seating consistent across the airline's 777 fleet.

For now, if you are flying a KLM 777, double-check the seat map to make sure your flight is operated by a jet with the new pods aboard so that you have the best experience. As for the onboard amenities, while not as over-the-top as on some other carriers, little touches like those cute amenities kits and the Delft tile houses continue to make flying KLM a treat.

Related reading:

• Review of business class aboard KLM's 787-10 Dreamliner
• Bigger and busier: A review of KLM's new Crown Lounge at Amsterdam Schipol
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue: How to earn and redeem miles, elite status and more
• When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
• The best airline credit cards