You can get spoiled, living in the Gulf. You grow used to a certain standard and expect it to be perpetual and universal.
But it is not. So when travelling in business class on a non-Gulf carrier, it makes sense to judge the service for what it is rather than what it is not. In that light a recent trip on KLM's business class - from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport - was pleasant, if not luxurious. It gave a feeling of being provided for, though not pampered. And that's enough.
For many travellers, flying KLM to Amsterdam also has the advantage of connections to other KLM destinations. On my flight, the list showing passengers' quick connections included the oil cities of Aberdeen and Stavanger. And if you are in business, this transfer will always be smoother: to be first off the plane and dedicated baggage screening.
My flight left Abu Dhabi on time at 2am. The business cabin had 18 seats in a 2-2-2 formation, and every one was occupied.
All I wanted was to sleep and the airline understands this. A welcome-aboard beverage, a slice of Beemster cheese with candied ginger, then takeoff and then dim go the lights. I recline my seat - not quite fully flat on the A330-200, but pretty close - the cabin attendant brings me a blanket and a pillow, and I slumber until central Europe.
Morning comes, the lights are softly raised, I sit up, and the attendant asks what I would like for breakfast. She sets out the linen, serves the food, pours me tea and I watch an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The food was fresh without being too cold. The fruit came in a Delft-style ceramic dish, blue and white, quite nice.
All in all, a smooth flight. Not the lap of luxury, but comfortable and brisk.
And let me add a last word here about the attendant. She was middle-aged, like me. I prefer attendants with experience. It's good to know that if there is a problem, you are in a veteran pair of hands. I don't get this feeling when all the attendants are 25 and spend half their time gabbing with one another. But maybe that's just me.
Q&A
What are the UAE flight times?
KLM flies non-stop from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam daily at 2am, arriving 7.10am; return flights leave Amsterdam for Abu Dhabi at 11.20am, arriving 8.05pm. From Dubai to Amsterdam, departure is at 12.50am, arriving 6am; return flights leave Amsterdam at 2.25pm, arriving 10.55pm.
And prices?
They vary, of course, but a search for weekday flights on KLM's website resulted in business class return fares of €4,611 (Dh18,880) from Abu Dhabi and €3,922 from Dubai. The fare includes transport to and from the airport by a limo; in my case the car was a very comfortable Audi.
How was the lounge at Amsterdam?
Crown Lounge 52 is airy and naturally lit with lots of big comfy chairs. The lounge has showers; I waited two hours for an opening but it was worth it.The further back you go in the lounge, the sunnier and quieter it gets. The lounge is being renovated, with completion to come in phases in 2018 and 2019.
If I have a longish stopover, should I pop into Amsterdam?
It's certainly tempting. I had a seven-hour stopover on the way back. My plane pulled up to the gate at 7.24am. By 8.30am I had been through customs, obtained guidance from an information officer, withdrawn euros from an ATM, boarded the #197 bus to the city and was stepping out in front of the Rijksmuseum. Reversing the process was more laborious, but in the end what will I remember more: seeing Rembrandt's The Night Watch and Vermeer's Milkmaid, or standing in a passport queue for 20 minutes?
England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand
Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 112-4 (10 ovs)
Banton 53 no
Northern Warriors 46 all out (9 ovs)
Kumara 3-10, Garton 3-10, Jordan 2-2, Prasanna 2-7
Qalandars win by six wickets
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
