Last winter, I bought a KLM error fare on its Nordic–Asia Pacific route — a business class ticket from Helsinki, Finland to Auckland, New Zealand for €880. The timing was perfect: I’d get myself to Oceania just before a conference in Australia, with a couple of days in New Zealand to explore. After the airline tried to cancel the error fare and I had to play dumb with customer service twice, I successfully got the itinerary rebooked as Helsinki–Amsterdam–Singapore–Auckland, all in business class — the first two legs on KLM and the final leg on Air New Zealand. Prestigious!
At Helsinki Airport, the KLM check-in agent was thoroughly professional — he verified my New Zealand visa, entered my Virgin Atlantic frequent flyer number, printed all three boarding passes for the entire journey, and directed me to priority security and the airport lounge. The regular security line wasn’t particularly long, but priority security felt appropriately prestigious all the same.
At 1 PM, the food in Helsinki’s international lounge was fairly ordinary. Ever since getting braces, my must-do routine in any airport lounge has been: coffee first, then brush my teeth. Public restrooms tend to get crowded, and hogging a sink to brush your teeth isn’t exactly considerate. That said, Helsinki’s lounge restroom wasn’t particularly spacious either. I ended up standing next to a Finnish gentleman, both of us brushing our teeth in companionable silence — until he turned and asked, very warmly, “What brings you to Finland?” I replied, slightly sheepishly: “A cheap flight.”
The KLM short-haul business class from Helsinki to Amsterdam was exactly what you’d expect from any intra-European business class: the same seats as economy, just with the middle seat blocked. The catering on KLM’s short-haul business class has no great reputation either — a few heated fried vegetarian dough balls and a large bowl of cold salad. Intra-European business class is generally poor value; it’s mainly a way to connect passengers to the hub for a long-haul flight. Like me, for instance.
Arriving in Amsterdam, I had over five hours to kill before my next flight. Due to a delay on the later leg, I ended up spending eight hours at AMS in total. I had originally planned to use the Dutch Railways’ weekend free travel pass to pop into the city for a wander, but I’d packed my OV-chipkaart in my checked luggage, which made buying a separate expensive train ticket hardly worth it. Since I’d never been to KLM’s large international lounge before, I revised my plan: spend the time there and work on my thesis.
Amsterdam is KLM’s home base, and the flagship lounge did not disappoint. It was spacious and largely uncrowded when I visited. Food and drinks were plentiful — not exceptional, just solidly average Dutch — and there was a quiet zone suitable for working. That said, I was too excited about this prestigious journey to get much done. I made a show of working on my thesis for a few hours before my flight finally started boarding.
KLM’s newly updated business class seats — introduced within the past year — are genuinely impressive. Arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, every seat has direct aisle access, making it easy to get up mid-flight without disturbing anyone. Each seat features a small privacy door that can be raised after takeoff. The electric seat reclines fully flat or into a lounging position. There’s also an air-cushion massage function, though the intensity is so gentle as to be almost imperceptible. Overall, these new seats are practical, well-proportioned, and private — a massive upgrade over the awkward 2-2-2 arrangement of the previous generation.
Shortly after takeoff, the meal service began. For the starter, I chose the seafood bisque. First I was presented with an empty bowl; then a flight attendant came by carrying a thermos flask and poured the soup in. It was the kind of large, lidded thermos you’d picture a retired official sipping tea from — slightly oversized, and seemingly shared by everyone on the flight who’d ordered the soup.
For the main course, I went with the Southeast Asian platter — apparently a special offering on routes through that region. All three components were curry-based, mildly spiced, with beef and chicken. Presentation was nothing special, but the taste was good and I cleared the plate. The rice was a sticky, fragrant yellow variety with a pleasant texture. To drink, I had tomato juice — the kind of thing nobody orders on the ground but tastes surprisingly good in the air, almost like a Bloody Mary. Maybe altitude changes the palate.
After the main course, however, the service became slow and disorganised. My tray sat uncollected for a long time. I was watching something on the screen and didn’t bother to flag anyone down. By the time a flight attendant noticed I’d finished and came to clear my tray, it seemed like most other passengers had already eaten their dessert and lights-out time was approaching. No one asked whether I wanted to continue eating, and no dessert was brought. I’d had some sweets in the lounge earlier and was feeling a bit food-drowsy and ready for sleep, so I didn’t press the matter.
I’d had a packed few days before this flight without much rest, so I slept deeply onboard. The flat-bed seat was genuinely comfortable — wrapped in a blanket with an eye mask, I slept for eight hours straight. Since EU carriers can no longer fly over Russian airspace, KLM’s Asian routes now take roughly 13 hours. I woke up refreshed and spent a while lying in my “bed” catching up on a TV series. KLM’s in-flight entertainment system has a solid selection of recent films and shows, with a good-quality screen.
Eventually the cabin lights gradually brightened and it was time for breakfast. The scent of quiche drifting from the galley was enticing, so I ordered one. It was petite but elegantly presented. The rest of the breakfast was unremarkable — very Dutch.
The breakfast trays were also slow to be cleared, which left the remaining cabin rituals feeling rushed. One of KLM’s signature moments is the gifting of the miniature Delft blue ceramic houses, and a flight attendant briskly walked through the cabin chanting “Would you like a little house?” while dropping one onto each person’s tray — no choice, no conversation. Over 13 hours, the crew spoke to me only to take my meal order. It’s fair to say the service on this flight was on the disappointing side.
The amenity kit on this flight was still the collaboration with Dutch mid-range brand Rituals — the aesthetic feels a bit dated at this point. I’d previously received the blue version; this time I got a white one, so now I have a matching pair, which is a pleasant bonus. Starting this autumn, KLM is switching its business class amenity kits to a collaboration with Marie-Stella-Maris — more practical, more refined, and more eco-friendly. I’m looking forward to that.
Because of the departure delay, by the time we landed in Singapore I had only two hours before my next flight. Singapore’s Changi Airport uses gate-side security, so I had no time to check out a transit lounge — a few steps and I was already at the next departure gate.
The next leg was Singapore to Auckland on Air New Zealand, in business class. Air New Zealand’s business class seats are quite dated — angled lie-flat seats positioned diagonally, facing away from the window. There’s a small footrest across from each seat, which most passengers use after removing their shoes. Combined with the pinkish-purple ambient lighting, some people jokingly call it the “sky foot spa.”
After takeoff, dinner service began. The large tray table swung out from the side wall — solid and impressively spacious. The food loaded in Singapore was full of Singaporean character and absolutely delicious. The starter was a flight-friendly take on Singapore’s iconic chilli crab: the crab meat was served pre-shelled, sweet and fresh, with a slightly sweet chilli sauce. From the bread basket, I chose the garlic bread — crispy on the outside, soft inside, and wonderfully fragrant.
For the main, I chose the Hainanese roast chicken rice with baby bok choy — another Singaporean classic. Delicious. I usually struggle to digest food on flights, and I’d honestly lost count of how many meals I’d had by this point, but this dish was so good I couldn’t help but finish every bite.
Dessert was a banana cake. Also excellent.
I had planned to review some academic papers on this flight, but the seats are quite close to neighbours. Switching on a reading light after lights-out would have been disruptive, so I opted to sleep instead. These seats require crew assistance to convert to flat-bed mode — the seatback folds forward to connect with the footrest, forming a flat surface. The crew also brought out a soft mattress pad, duvet, and pillow, making it even more comfortable.
Air New Zealand’s amenity kit was simple and didn’t include an eye mask. However, you could request items through the small screen in front of your seat — I asked for an eye mask and it was brought over immediately. I slept for another three or four hours.
The seat can’t be returned to upright from the flat position without involving the crew, so after waking I just stayed reclined for a while longer until the cabin lights came back up.
Fast-forward to breakfast, and it was more of the same: delicious, finished entirely. For the hot dish I chose the Asian dim sum selection — the char siu bao (BBQ pork buns) were flaky and crisp, the har gow (prawn dumplings) translucent and delicate. The star of the show, though, was the stir-fried rice noodles: full of wok hei and paired with chilli oil, they were irresistible.
When pouring coffee, I asked for real milk rather than creamer. The flight attendant replied with unmistakable pride: “We’re New Zealand — we have plenty of milk. We would never use creamer.”
Landing in New Zealand, my prestigious business class journey came to a close. Despite the extraordinary distance, two flat-bed business class segments had left me feeling genuinely refreshed on arrival. I started exploring that same day with almost no jet lag — well worth it. The €880 error fare, combined with earning over 40,000 Virgin Atlantic miles, made the whole trip exceptional value.
In summary: KLM’s new seats have won me over completely, and Air New Zealand’s food and service left a lasting impression. On the flip side, KLM’s cabin service was notably cold, and Air New Zealand’s hardware is showing its age. But when a flat-bed business class ticket carries you across continents and oceans to the other side of the world — for under €700 — there really isn’t much to complain about.
Off to the conference.
Translated and posted by AI, quality may vary. Original post written in Chinese by Xiaoming.