Originally Posted by
Xandrios
Interesting details, thanks.
The Schiphol page explains that these percentages are per airline. However how do you define 'an airline'? If KLM would include Transavia flights (Which, from what I understand, is basically a sub-brand of KLM)... then the average percentages would change quite dramatically as HV has zero premium passengers.
Presumably it's by AOC or whatever other distinction they make between airlines for contractual purposes. Otherwise, AF would be included too.
One thing I don't understand though, is that some airlines are actually not offering priority - even for their Elites or Business pax. If this service does not require a surcharge compared to regular non-prio pax, then why would any airline exclude themselves? I remember a few years ago when the priority security entrance was still manned, that they had a laminated page with logo's of Airlines and FFP's for the employee to be able to recognise which premium pax would be allowed, and which ones would not.
Seeing as how the signage above the entrance also says "first and business class" and the scanners don't seem to enforce the use of "fast track" coding in the bp, I expect "not offering" priority for J/F is actually not a thing airlines can technically do since any access control is at this time done by a
person checking the boarding pass for markings and they would likely let you in if you present a boarding pass that says 'BUSINESS/FIRST CLASS' like they tend to do. They can of course choose not to tell their passengers about it. Once Schiphol decides to start enforcing the coding on the BP that's a different matter; then if they don't offer it the passenger will be refused by the gate.
I guess it's also possible that outside of the documents airlines made specific agreements to not use priority lanes to reduce their fees (which I'm sure EasyJet and Ryanair would be the primary suspects for having done such a thing.)