A sneak peek inside the KLM Pop Up shop in NYC

Want to experience the world of KLM this week without getting on an airplane? If you’re in New York City and willing to head to Mulberry Street you can do precisely that; the carrier is hosting a “pop up shop” in town to show off the various aspects of the travel experience as well as some Dutch culture. There is also the opportunity to win free tickets to Amsterdam each of the three days if you’re willing to work a bit for it. More on that (and other opportunities to win) below.

A big focus of the site is showing off the latest iteration of the World Business Class seat. And it is a nice seat, though I will freely admit that I’m also a fan of the comparable product which operates on a few other airlines as well. Still, KLM absolutely made the seat its own, with some very nice details on the finishes, including the privacy divider and the tray table. Also, the cabin carpet is made from recycled flight attendant uniforms. The design was created in conjunction with Hella Jongerius which brings some true style cachet to the product. I like all the dots everywhere, among other bits.

The rest of the space is a bit less about KLM and more about Dutch life in general. There is a music station set up in the back corner, for example, with DJs playing music from the EDM scene or coffee and snacks at the bar in the back.

There is even a little shop on the side, though it is really promoting the Shop@KLM online store; I’m pretty sure none of the stuff was for sale directly at the NYC site.

And then there’s the ability to win a free trip or some FlyingBlue points. There are a couple of bikes set up near the front and guests are invited to pedal for a minute to see how far they can go (the bikes are on a flywheel so you don’t actually go anywhere, but there is a computer hooked up to measure the distance). The person who goes the furthest each day will win a trip to Amsterdam while the 2nd and 3rd place players will get points in to their FlyingBlue account. Although the contest was not formally open today I decided to give it a go anyways. And I happened to have my helmet with me since I also ride around in NYC. So, safety first…

Yeah, I provided plenty of entertainment to everyone.

Also, kids still get way better toys to play with than the adults do.

.@WandrMe is in the #KLMPopUp Kiddie Korner, because of course he is. pic.twitter.com/ijmLWgDqJ3

— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) June 24, 2015

KLM also gave me a gift bag on the way out with some fun goodies inside. And, while I love the design and most of the goodies, I’m a bit tight on space. So, if you’re not in NYC and able to drop by the KLM Pop Up Shop in person leave a note below and maybe I’ll send you some of the goodies I picked up this afternoon.