Xiamen Air began service between Amsterdam and Xiamen with their Boeing 787 in July 2015, their very first European port. The flight is also the very first Chinese airline experience for me and what an experience it was.
ON THE GROUND
After a warm welcome by the cabin crew, I was presented with inflight menus, noise-cancelling headsets and pre-take off drinks.
INFLIGHT
After take off the crew took my meal order for this 11-hour flight to China, lunch offered three meal options chicken, lamb or seafood.
My starter was delivered and included a fresh garden, soup, a salmon salad and lots of bread.
For the main meal, I ordered the French onion soup served alongside grilled chicken fillet with green pepper sauce, green beans, capsicum and potato. The chicken was delicious, the vegetables were cooked perfectly, and the roasted potatoes were lovely. I didn’t expect the food to be this good.In business class Xiamen Air serve all meals on their signature purple trays, in first class, the service is trayless, with everything placed on your linen cloth, much like dining in a restaurant.
For dessert, a simple fruit/cheese and nut offering sufficed.
There were a number of innovative touches such as the unique cards infused with scents to help you sleep better, and the candlelight provided during the dinner service. Passengers can take this special candlelight home with you; however, the service is offered on flights between Amsterdam, Xiamen and Sydney.
ECONOMY CLASS
I managed to take a photo of the economy class meals, they feature large main meals, fresh fruit, salad and dessert. For economy class the meals looked excellent.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Xiamen Air from Amsterdam to Xiamen. I wasn’t expecting the service and meals to be as good as they were. The small touches that the airline has introduced are innovative, and I couldn’t fault the cabin crew they were delightful.