First new security filter operational at AMS
Jan 31, 2015, 4:19 pm
#181
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Don't forget that in mid-Nov, the EU changed their guidelines to airports and require a significant increase in "secondary" screenings, especially for bags. So for those of you who have noticed a significant slowdown in flow due to the baggage and/or scanners, now you know why. AMS just has a high percentage of body scanners so the screening flow is lowered anyway.
Each airport has implemented this differently. The statistics are reported per screening area, so some have significantly increased the secondaries at the premium security line so as to have a lower overall slowdown since the frequent traveller is quicker to sort out than the plain vanilla economy traveller. Other airports have spread the joy to all lines.
Each airport has implemented this differently. The statistics are reported per screening area, so some have significantly increased the secondaries at the premium security line so as to have a lower overall slowdown since the frequent traveller is quicker to sort out than the plain vanilla economy traveller. Other airports have spread the joy to all lines.
Jan 31, 2015, 5:04 pm
#182
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Mar 13, 2015, 8:22 am
#184
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Oh ho I love the new setup there. NOT!
If you've been through it, you know that there are now three stations at each belt allowing three passengers to load their stuff into the plastic trays.
Back then this was touted as improving the speed since this happens in parallel.
Unfortunately though, the passenger furthest away from the scanner must wait until the other two passengers nearer the scanner have finished loading their stuff into the trays.
If you push your tray into the conveyor once you're done, you will be firmly told to hold on to it until the other passengers are done. And if you dare put it on the conveyor they'll push it back to you.
This has now happened to me twice and is ridiculous. If you're behind someone who has five bags, laptop, liquids and what not, you're standing there, waiting, while you could already be walking through to collect your stuff again and be gone. But no, you're just being told to hold up the rest.
My recommendation (untested) therefore is to go to the station that is closest to the belt if you think you'll be faster than the other passenger(s) already there. I don't know if they'll still make you wait though.
Today I heard that Schiphol has fallen from 5th to 9th rank in the Skytrax survey, and that is more than deserved given the fiasco of the new security setup.
If you've been through it, you know that there are now three stations at each belt allowing three passengers to load their stuff into the plastic trays.
Back then this was touted as improving the speed since this happens in parallel.
Unfortunately though, the passenger furthest away from the scanner must wait until the other two passengers nearer the scanner have finished loading their stuff into the trays.
If you push your tray into the conveyor once you're done, you will be firmly told to hold on to it until the other passengers are done. And if you dare put it on the conveyor they'll push it back to you.
This has now happened to me twice and is ridiculous. If you're behind someone who has five bags, laptop, liquids and what not, you're standing there, waiting, while you could already be walking through to collect your stuff again and be gone. But no, you're just being told to hold up the rest.
My recommendation (untested) therefore is to go to the station that is closest to the belt if you think you'll be faster than the other passenger(s) already there. I don't know if they'll still make you wait though.
Today I heard that Schiphol has fallen from 5th to 9th rank in the Skytrax survey, and that is more than deserved given the fiasco of the new security setup.
Mar 14, 2015, 5:46 am
#185
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Johan
Mar 26, 2015, 12:21 pm
#186
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The elevator from the Privium ClubLounge to the security checkpoint is now working again. As it no longer provides direct access to a dedicated lane, it doesn't really make much of a difference.
As an aside, the ClubLounge has a new caterer from next month, who promises " fresh, organic and regionally sourced products". Let's hope this is an enhancement in the original and proper sense of the word.
Johan
As an aside, the ClubLounge has a new caterer from next month, who promises " fresh, organic and regionally sourced products". Let's hope this is an enhancement in the original and proper sense of the word.
Johan
Mar 27, 2015, 6:48 am
#187
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Flying Lufthansa last week I used the checkpoint all the way on the right of the Departures hall. Its a bit hidden and does not offer any priority lane...but it still has the old scanners!
Mar 28, 2015, 10:21 am
#189
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The ClubLounge elevator is not working. At least it wasn't yesterday afternoon, which the staff tried to blame on that morning's power outage. Strange, all the other elevators at the airport seemed to work just fine.
I went through the priority side of security after leaving the lounge via the stairs. It was not really busy, and I was directed to checkpoint #3. Not the one I would have picked, but I did not wish to disappoint the gentleman firmly directing traffic.
Having placed my stuff on the belt, I turned around and saw that the adjacent body scanner was occupied, but the one next to it vacant. I started to make my way in when a security agent on the other side loudly asked "Is your luggage on this belt? No? Then you can't use this scanner". She then turned her back on me. I had no choice but to wait my turn at the other scanner. Once through (after a manual search, of course) I could not resist the temptation to tell the staff what I thought of their attitude. They were standing around with their hands in their pockets and chatting, as there were still no pax to be scanned on their side. The pax were still all busy trying to sort their belonings into trays, and taking their time about it.
I then discovered that my bag had been selected for secondary screening, as had almost all the bags of the pax ahead of me. There was therefore a holdup as people stood around waiting for their bags to be examined in the backup x-ray scanner. My bag popped in and then out again without any comment or manual search. Why the agent at the first scanner was sending 75% of the bags for secondary is beyond me.
All in all, yet another premium experience.
Nothing much is going to change either. I had a very long conversation last month with the manager of Privium and the Schiphol Privium/VIP marketing executive. The meeting was arranged at their request, and they were all ears, but for some reason Privium doesn't have much of a say when it comes to security arrangements. Schiphol doesn't want a dedicated Privium lane, and not not even a dedicated priorty lane, so it is not going to happen.
Once the new central non-Schengen security opens, by the way, 20% of the security staff will be made redundant. The prospect probably doesn't make 'm any happier.
Johan
I went through the priority side of security after leaving the lounge via the stairs. It was not really busy, and I was directed to checkpoint #3. Not the one I would have picked, but I did not wish to disappoint the gentleman firmly directing traffic.
Having placed my stuff on the belt, I turned around and saw that the adjacent body scanner was occupied, but the one next to it vacant. I started to make my way in when a security agent on the other side loudly asked "Is your luggage on this belt? No? Then you can't use this scanner". She then turned her back on me. I had no choice but to wait my turn at the other scanner. Once through (after a manual search, of course) I could not resist the temptation to tell the staff what I thought of their attitude. They were standing around with their hands in their pockets and chatting, as there were still no pax to be scanned on their side. The pax were still all busy trying to sort their belonings into trays, and taking their time about it.
I then discovered that my bag had been selected for secondary screening, as had almost all the bags of the pax ahead of me. There was therefore a holdup as people stood around waiting for their bags to be examined in the backup x-ray scanner. My bag popped in and then out again without any comment or manual search. Why the agent at the first scanner was sending 75% of the bags for secondary is beyond me.
All in all, yet another premium experience.
Nothing much is going to change either. I had a very long conversation last month with the manager of Privium and the Schiphol Privium/VIP marketing executive. The meeting was arranged at their request, and they were all ears, but for some reason Privium doesn't have much of a say when it comes to security arrangements. Schiphol doesn't want a dedicated Privium lane, and not not even a dedicated priorty lane, so it is not going to happen.
Once the new central non-Schengen security opens, by the way, 20% of the security staff will be made redundant. The prospect probably doesn't make 'm any happier.
Johan
Mar 28, 2015, 10:41 am
#190
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The elevator from the Privium ClubLounge to the security checkpoint is now working again. As it no longer provides direct access to a dedicated lane, it doesn't really make much of a difference.
As an aside, the ClubLounge has a new caterer from next month, who promises " fresh, organic and regionally sourced products". Let's hope this is an enhancement in the original and proper sense of the word.
Johan
As an aside, the ClubLounge has a new caterer from next month, who promises " fresh, organic and regionally sourced products". Let's hope this is an enhancement in the original and proper sense of the word.
Johan
That is odd since everything in the Netherlands is organic and pretty much all Europe. No GMOs are allowed. I guess "organic" is used to appease NA crowds.
Mar 28, 2015, 12:45 pm
#191
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The definition of 'organic' is flexible I guess. I would say that the lack of GMO's not necessarily make something organic though..
Though while writing this I come to the realisation that perhaps I am mixing the terms Organic and Ecological. One of the two is supposed to be better than normal produce though
Though while writing this I come to the realisation that perhaps I am mixing the terms Organic and Ecological. One of the two is supposed to be better than normal produce though
Last edited by Xandrios; Mar 29, 2015 at 5:09 am
Mar 28, 2015, 1:11 pm
#192
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Bio-lebensmittel"). All four languages have appropriated existing words with different meanings to describe the same concept: food raised or grown without synthetic chemicals, drugs or hormones.
Johan
Mar 28, 2015, 6:02 pm
#193
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It is confusing, and the terminology varies from country to country. In English it is "organic", in Dutch "biologisch", in Swedish "ekologisk", in German "Bio" (as in "Bioprodukte or
Bio-lebensmittel"). All four languages have appropriated existing words with different meanings to describe the same concept: food raised or grown without synthetic chemicals, drugs or hormones.
Johan
Bio-lebensmittel"). All four languages have appropriated existing words with different meanings to describe the same concept: food raised or grown without synthetic chemicals, drugs or hormones.
Johan
There is also a general exemption for non-organic products considered "necessary" by the EU commission to be used without corrupting the general "organicness" of the end product (article 16)
Hopefully our resident farmer (c-w-s) will be along shortly to chime in; I don't mean to suggest this is a weakness of product labelling, but certainly many things can be labelled as "organic" that you might not expect!
Aug 14, 2015, 4:41 pm
#194
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Schengen priority boarding has been OK-ish most of this summer, probably due to a seasonal decrease in business traffic in combination with the fact that I usually fly midafternoon, a less busy time at the priority side.
Yesterday afternoon, however, they really outdid themselves. I arrived to find checkpoints 2 and 3 closed, even though there were at least four agents manning them. That left #1 for priority pax. Should have been more than adequate, as I seemed to be the only one.
However, the guy in charge of directing regular pax thought it was a really great idea to send a dozen of 'm to #1 right in front of me, so I ended up in the longest line of all. Needless to say, these pax were inexperienced, messed around with bags and their contents, ignored instructions by a rude agent to put the bags in trays, and generally wasted a lot of time. Also needless to say, everybody had to submit to a manual patdown after the body scanner. Furthermore, at least 75% of the bags were selected for a secondary manual search, which not only caused a jam at the far end, but also led to the checkpoint running out of trays. The secondary searches were regularly interrupted by pairs of shoes being submitted for an X-ray. Of course I also ended up having to wait for a secondary search. After a lot of rummaging the agent finally found the suspicious item he was looking for: a ballpoint pen!
What should have taken a minute ended up taking at least 15.
Heck, even LHR "Fast" Track is often faster.
Schiphol, you broke what used to work fairly well, and took the opportunity to kick your paying Privium customers in the balls as well. Congratulations!
Johan
Yesterday afternoon, however, they really outdid themselves. I arrived to find checkpoints 2 and 3 closed, even though there were at least four agents manning them. That left #1 for priority pax. Should have been more than adequate, as I seemed to be the only one.
However, the guy in charge of directing regular pax thought it was a really great idea to send a dozen of 'm to #1 right in front of me, so I ended up in the longest line of all. Needless to say, these pax were inexperienced, messed around with bags and their contents, ignored instructions by a rude agent to put the bags in trays, and generally wasted a lot of time. Also needless to say, everybody had to submit to a manual patdown after the body scanner. Furthermore, at least 75% of the bags were selected for a secondary manual search, which not only caused a jam at the far end, but also led to the checkpoint running out of trays. The secondary searches were regularly interrupted by pairs of shoes being submitted for an X-ray. Of course I also ended up having to wait for a secondary search. After a lot of rummaging the agent finally found the suspicious item he was looking for: a ballpoint pen!
What should have taken a minute ended up taking at least 15.
Heck, even LHR "Fast" Track is often faster.
Schiphol, you broke what used to work fairly well, and took the opportunity to kick your paying Privium customers in the balls as well. Congratulations!
Johan
Aug 15, 2015, 1:38 am
#195
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