KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flies the Boeing 737-800 aircraft as Flight KL1822 between Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). The aircraft offers a capacity of 162 passengers in a two-class configuration. There are 12 seats in the business class cabin in a 2-2 configuration and 150 in economy class in a 3-3 configuration.

The morning flight departs BER at 10:10 hours and arrives in AMS at 11:35 hours, with a block time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. This article reviews the economy cabin onboard the Boeing 737-8K2 (Registration PH-BXF).

Check-in process

With plenty of Air France-KLM staff available, the check-in process at BER was seamless. Upon printing the boarding pass, the attendant mentioned that there might be a limited carry-on space in the overhead bins and offered complimentary check-in to the final destination. Since I had a connecting long-haul leg, I accepted the offer without hesitation.

Chaos at the gate

Passengers waited at the departure gate until boarding time while the agents performed the required paperwork. Right before the boarding announcement, the agents announced that the flight was full and passengers in all zones (except for priority) must check their roller bags to their final destinations.

Checking in carry-ons meant removing all electronics and personal items needed during multiple flights. A handful of volunteers stepped up to hand their bags while others remained seated, thinking it was optional. The boarding was delayed by 15 minutes, with several subsequent announcements to check in roller bags.

While two agents checked bags at the gate, the other two started boarding. Many passengers attempted to board with their roller bags, only to be refused and forced to remove electronic items and check in the bag. Numerous passengers opened their bags while in the boarding queue. Some carried a pile in their hands while others shoved them in the backpacks. Six boarding agents tried their best to board nearly 160 passengers in complete chaos at the gate.

The flight

The aircraft pushed back nearly 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time. I was seated in a window seat (12 F). The seat provided a fantastic view of the leading edge of the swept wing while not obstructing the outside view.

The Economy seats on this Boeing 737 were sturdy, with thick cushioning and ample legroom.

Sitting through that seat was a breeze for a 72-inch-tall (183 cm) individual like myself. Flights longer than four hours on a 737 may become tiring for passengers; a quick 75-minute hop was very comfortable.

After taxiing for about five minutes, we were second in line for takeoff. The in-flight service started shortly after the aircraft had leveled at a cruising altitude of 38,000 ft (11,580 m). The cabin crew offered drinks (water, juice, soda, or coffee) and a gourmet oatmeal cookie.

Despite the delay in departure, the flight arrived in AMS right on time. While the de-boarding process was very smooth, numerous passengers waited airside to claim or inquire about the checked-in carry-ons. Overhearing some conversations, it sounded like the KLM staff needed to clarify where passengers would receive their airside checked bags.

Final verdict

The KLM staff (both in Berlin and Amsterdam) should have provided more clarity to passengers about their bags. Airlines typically know the number of passengers onboard and aircraft size well in advance. Therefore, better staff preparation would have prevented passengers from last-minute baggage chaos.

Have you experienced similar baggage chaos during your flight? Tell us in the comments section.

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  KLM

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  KL/KLM

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

  Year Founded:

  1919

  Alliance:

  SkyTeam

  Airline Group:

  Air France-KLM

  CEO:

  Marjan Rintel

  Country:

  Netherlands