CDG Terminal 2F Lounge

A huge lounge, but as I surveyed the area for somewhere to sit, one of the lounge staff came over, probably prompted by my BP scan, to ask if I would like to use the Ulti lounge. This is a long rectangle room with PIN code entry, drinks, snacks and a la carte food. For toilets you need to exit into the main lounge and remember the code. I tried the sweet and sour pork, with a 2016 St Emilion.

AF1440 CDG-AMS A321 3A
Planned: 1815-1935L
Actual: 1834-1916L

This was the busiest flight when I booked (about 12 days before) with 5 rows of Eurobusiness in an A321 standard 3+3 with middle seat blocked. Another cold light meal - I don't remember any option offered, maybe gone by row 3? I chatted with the lady in the aisle seat, who was a KLM regular. She said the KL long haul dining was preferable (didn't say anything about short haul...). A young man in the row in front heard our chat, and was interested in my travels. If I had got to the lounge we would no doubt have swapped some stories, and as he was on the same Krakow flight I hoped we would have a chance then. He would be on the 0600 return, my return flight was a bit more leisurely!


AMS B gates

Poor signage and poor phone GPS signal decided for me that heading for the gates was the best option. The B gates (B for Bus?) were a human crush though, and not helped by a late notified change of gate. There was no sign of management by the gate staff. Little has improved in terms of ambience or management in the 20 years since I last flew from Schiphol.