Hi, dear flight-report members and readers!
In this FR I'd like to present a review of a KLM B777-200ER on a transatlantic flight from Guayaquil (GYE) to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), taken in 8-9 March 2020, less than a week before the Covid pandemic. While the aircraft itself and its then-2-class layout were dull, it sported nonstandard livery, concerned with some interesting KL's past.
Intro
This flight was part of the open-jaw ticket MAD-CDG-UIO + GYE-AMS-MAD, with MAD-CDG being operated by an A319, CDG-UIO - by B789 (pandemic put an end to this flight, which was launched shortly before), AMS-MAD - by Air Europa's B789 (an awful experience due to hostile crew, which seems traditional for Spain after having flown Iberia). When I was booking this itinerary back in summer 2019, I could hardly imagine that it was going to be my last trip in the previous pre-pandemic era. Without knowing it, I managed to choose dates so precisely that it allowed me to return from Ecuador just a few days before the pandemic shut down the world.
Boeing 777-200ER operators
The first 777 generation, which includes baseline mid-haul -200, long-range -200ER and mid-haul stretched -300, is in rapid decline nowadays. The -200ER is the most popular among them due to its still-competitive payload-range capabilities and low ownerships costs, offsetting fuel inefficiency of this old-gen model.
It would be useful to list the current B77E operators and their layout.
1) Air France: 18 GE-powered units in 3-class layout (C28_W32_Y268, 3-4-3 Y).
2) Air Peace: 1 RR-powered unit in 2-class layout (C54_Y220, 3-4-3 Y) plus 1 GE-powered unit.
3) ANA: 8 PW-powered units in 2-class layout (C28_Y364, 3-4-3 Y).
4) American Airlines: 47 RR-powered units in 3-class layout (C37_W24_Y212 with Safran Concept D seats in C and 3-4-3 Y or C37_W24_Y212 with Collins Super Diamond seats in C and 3-4-3 Y).
5) Asiana Airlines: 3 PW-powered units in 2-class layout (C22_Y278 , 3-3-3 Y) plus 6 PW-powered units in 2-class layout (C24_Y278, 3-3-3 Y).
6) Austrian Airlines: 6 GE-powered units in 3-class layout (C32_W40_Y258, 3-4-3 Y).
7) British Airways: 18 GE-powered LHR-based units in 4-class layout (F8_C49_W40_Y138, 3-4-3 Y) plus 6 GE-powered LGW-based units in 3-class layout (C32_W52_Y252, 3-4-3 Y) plus 6 RR-powered LGW-based units in 3-class layout (C32_W48_Y252, 3-4-3 Y), plus 13 RR-powered LHR-based units in 3-class layout (C48_W40_Y184, 3-4-3 Y). BA is the world's only 4-class B77E operator.
8) Eastern Airlines: 2 RR-powered units, with 1 in single-class all-economy layout (Y380, 3-4-3 Y).
9) El Al: 5 RR-powered units in 3-class layout (C28_W32_Y253, 3-4-3 Y).
10) EuroAtlantic Airways: 2 GE-powered units in 3-class layout (C30_W24_Y239, 3-4-3 Y).
11) Ikar: 2 GE-powered units in single-class all-economy layout (Y440).
12) Jin Air: 4 PW-powered units in single-class all-economy layout (Y393, 3-4-3 Y).
13) KLM: 15 GE-powered units in 3-class layout (C35_W24_Y229, 3-4-3 Y).
14) Nordwind Airlines: 2 RR-powered units in single-class all-economy layout (Y440, 3-4-3 Y).
15) Pakistan International Airlines: 4 GE-powered units in 2-class layout (C35_Y294, 3-3-3 Y) plus 2 GE-powered units in 2-class layout (C25_Y294, 3-3-3 Y).
16) Red Wings: 3 RR-powered units in single-class all-economy layout (Y412).
17) Thai Airways: 3 RR-powered units in 2-class layout (C30_Y262, 3-3-3 Y).
18) United Airlines: 22 GE-powered units in 3-class layout (C50_W24_Y202, 3-4-3 Y) plus 29 PW-powered units in 3-class layout (C50_W24_Y202, 3-4-3 Y) plus 4 PW-powered units in 2-class domestic layout (C32_Y330, 3-4-3 Y). UA is the world's largest B77E operator.
KLM Asia Outside of Asia
KLM Asia was the KLM's subsidiary registered in Taiwan back in 1995 to allow operated between Netherlands and Taiwan without issues with mainland China. De-facto KL Asia brand is not needed anymore, because even mainland China's carriers operate flights to Taiwan nowadays, but KL still keeps the liveries on an one of its B77Ws (PH-BVB) and on half of its B77Es (PH-BQF/H/I/K/L/M/N). Besides the letters "KLM Asia", this livery doesn't have crown. It's no surprise to see "KLM Asia" aircraft in any KL's longhaul destination other than TPE, including Latin American ones.
Guayaquil Jose Joaquin Olmedo International Airport (GYE)
GYE is the second-largest airport in Ecuador, serving Guayaquil - the largest ciry of Ecuador - and located not far from the city centre and thus easily accesible. GYE has just 1 runway and modern, nice and rather compact terminal. The number of transatlantic flights to/from GYE is very limited with only KLM, Iberia and Air Europa being the constant players in this market (the same is true for UIO, where Air France flights was discontinued since pandemic).
KLM operates the triangle AMS-UIO-GYE-AMS flight with refueling in sea-level GYE due to high elevation of UIO and high cargo load, whereas IB and UX have terminator flights for both UIO and GYE.
The Aircraft
My flight from GYE to AMS was operated by 2004-built PH-BQF in "KLM Asia" livery (with the "100 years" sticker, dedicated to KL's centennary in October 2019). Back in 2020 it had 2-class C34_Y286 layout with 2-2-2 business layout, but in 2024 was reconfigured into 3-class C35_W24_Y229 layout with 1-2-1 business layout and premium economy cabin. The aircraft arrived from UIO shortly before sunset and the rise of the first supermoon of 2020.
The 2L door.
The Business Cabin
Back then the business class consisted of 34 seats, with 30 seats in 2-2-2 layout in the larger front cabin between 1L/R and 2L/R doors, and 4 seats in 2-2 layout in the second small cabin after 2L/R doors.
Here I'll show some views of the business cabin, taken on AMS-TLV flight on 25 September 2023, which was operated by this very aircraft which then still had the same old layout.
The Economy Cabin
The economy class back then consisted of 286 seats in 3-4-3 layout, distributed between 2 cabins: the front one between the second business cabin and 3L/R doors and the rear one between 3L/R and 4L/R doors. After the reconfiguration into the new layout the footprint of the front economy cabin became smaller, but the seats and layout were kept the same.
Several row in the front part of the front economy cabin had increased pitch and were marked with black headrests.
Regular economy rows with blue headrests.
The Economy Seat
My seat 33A was in the front part of the rear economy cabin. The seat model is dreaded Recaro CL3710 - having already flown Edelweiss A343 from CPT to ZRH, I already knew what to expect (acute discomfort and nothing else) from these seats.
The seatwidth is miserable 16.7" (whereas B777 cabin allows up to 17.0" seatwidth in 3-4-3 layout). The row pitch is, howewer, good. If the flight was full, it would've been a true nightmare flying red-eye in these laterally cramped, hard and uncomfortable seats. Thankfully, there were enough vacant seats, and after takeoff my neighbor changed his seat, leaving me with emply middle seat, which drastically improved the situation (for comparison, on the preceding CDG-UIO flight the economy in B789 was more than half-empty and I had the whole 3-seater for myself, which was definitely a jackpot). I don't get how, for example, passengers survived the longest KL flight AMS-EZE-SCL (which was operated by B77Ws with similar economy cabins back then) in these seats…
The seat, as any other standard CL3710, had adjustable headrest, IFE with quite small screen, USB port, underseat universal power port, bifold tray table and two seatpockets - the hard one under the screen and the soft one under the tray table. Waiting on the seat were pillow and blanket.
With additional set of pillow and blanket from the emply seat next to me I managed to create artifical padding to ease the fate of my back & ass in these Recaros.
The content of the hard seatpocket: safety card, inflight magazine and waste bag.
The overhead panel has no airvents, which is pretty standard for B777s.
The standard "Signature interior" of B777.
The Flight
Pushback began more or less on time and safety video featuring Delft ceramic tiles, was played.
The flightmap after takeoff.
A view of the rear economy cabin inflight.
The 4L door.
The crew handed earplugs, water and wet towels.
The first meal service began. The meal was decent: goulash with puree and vegs, salad, cheesecake and bun. The cutlery was plastic, but of decent quality. For the drinking South African wine was available. The crew were nice, as always on KLM flights (the consistency of good crew level is the main advantage of KL, IMO).
Another round of cabin walk as I felt that my back & ass were starting to turn Quadratisch (kein Praktisch, kein Gut) in these Recaros despite my artificial padding from pillows and blankets from 2 seats.
A view of the rear economy cabin with dimmed cabin lights.
Tour de lavatorie.
Wing view from 3R door in the full-moon-lit night.
My catch from the galley.
As the flight was not full, I tried my luck with asking for additional hot meal and succeed with the same goulash I had before, but with different salad and dessert.
Then I watched some video about flight operations to non-trivial destinations like UIO…
… and went for a sleep. When I woke up, it was dusk outside.
Then second meal service began. The breakfast was quite decent: omelette with sausage and hashbrown, fruit salade and cake.
A couple of morning views of the rear economy cabin.
Over the UK the sky graced me with some clearings in the clouds. It was the 2nd time I saw UK from above (the 1st was in late November 2016 on my way to Mexico onboard British Airways B744). Only 3+ years later I became able to visit it…
Scenic final approach to AMS and touchdown.
The Economy Cabin After The Flight
My seat 33A after the flight.
Views of the rear economy cabin upon disembarkment.
Views of the front economy cabin upon disembarkment.
The Business Cabin After The Flight
A couple of views of the small second business cabin before leaving the aircraft.
The Aircraft After The Flight
Views of the mighty 1st-gen GE90s from the stairs (aircraft arrived to a remote stand) and of the aircraft from the bus.
It was my last transatlantic flight before the pandemics. The next time I crossed the Atlantic happened only in September 2023 during my last vacation from Israel with the routing TLV-CDG-YQB + YYZ-AMS-TLV. CDG-YQB flight was operated by a B789 similar to one which I had on CDG-UIO, and AMS-TLV was operated by the PH-BQF, the subject of this FR.
Thank you for your attention and see you in the next FRs!
