A fter sitting in the same “window” seat for more than eight hours on the airplane during the flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam and having been processed through the Passport Control area at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, I was on my way to the gate with a few minutes to spare to catch the next flight to Helsinki.
Amsterdam to Helsinki Was Better Than the Transatlantic Flight in Some Ways
I waited in the crowded waiting area at the gate where the seating was significantly insufficient before boarding what seemed to be an older Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
I have just not had much luck with window seats so far on this trip; but at least there was a window close by which I could still use.
The leg room was acceptable, I suppose; but it was no worse than aboard the Boeing 777-200 aircraft on which I had just traveled across the Atlantic Ocean.
Perhaps my imagination is playing tricks on me; but the padding on these seats seemed to be thicker that those newer ones aboard the Boeing 777-200 aircraft.
I really wished that I had access to air vents such as these while crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
There was ample space in the overhead storage bins. Care to play “one of these bags is not like the other”?
Members of the flight crew started handing out these things, which I had never seen.
It is a place mat which contained plastic cutlery and a napkin. I thought that was a nice touch.
A small hot lunch of penne pasta flageolets — which are a type of green bean — was served.
Once I picked off the small amount of melted cheese on the pasta, I ate everything, as it was quite tasty. The flavors reminded me of pizza. This small lunch was significantly better than the meals served during the flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam. I actually wished that there was more pasta to eat.
After lunch came this muffin of sorts, which was sealed in a cellophane bag.
The muffin was topped with a rich hard chocolate and a few nuts. It tasted much better than it looked.
Summary
The seat in which I sat during the transatlantic flight was quite firm but not uncomfortable; but I thought that the seat in which I sat during this flight of approximately two hours and 20 minutes was definitely more comfortable. Although there was not as much food, it was definitely better. Air vents can also be the difference between a stale atmosphere and feeling more refreshed.
There was no in-flight entertainment; and I did not miss it at all…
…as this photograph — as well as the one at the top of this article — are of Finland on approach to Helsinki Airport.
I personally believe that the newer seating aboard the Boeing 777-200 aircraft was clearly more for squeezing in more passengers to transport rather than for the comfort of the passengers. Although the airplane — or, at least, what was aboard it — was clearly older, I definitely enjoyed this flight better.
I really would have preferred to have enjoyed the transatlantic flight better…
All photographs ©2017 by Brian Cohen.
