CountryKerry

Firstly, I’m sorry this isn’t a dolled up trip review. I had plans to make it a video, to the tune of ‘Pony’ by Deluxe, but, my skills on iMovie are lacking so I have elected to put it down in words… enjoy! To make this easy for people to navigate I’m going to split it into parts, firstly reasons for the trip, Lounges, then flights, then hotel and lastly, I will talk about the most horrific experience at T5 immigration and the argument, which landed me close to the Duty Managers office…

CountryKerry

My travelling companion and I were in the same year of school and have just turned twenty – me today infact! Anyhow – we thought, lets go to Amsterdam. With me being a fairly frequent flyer, having BA Silver Status and 30K in avios waiting from a trip to New York last month, we booked our flights and chose to stay in the West Cord Fashion Hotel near Leelyan Station.

CountryKerry

Departing we had access to the Galleries Club lounge. We arrived about two hours before the gate was due to close and promptly began helping ourselves to the food and free bar. We each asked for a glass of Champagne, which came within minutes, and sat back and watched a film on my laptop. Our flight was slightly delayed but with the free drinks – I wasn’t complaining! (Nor was my friend!).
Coming back however, I have to say I was slightly disappointed with lounge 40 in Schiphol. Glasses were not clean and the limited choice of, Ready Salted Crisps, Cheddar Cheese and Heineken Beer (aside from the Spirits of Course!) seemed fairly lacking and not thought out. The staff however were very friendly and considering I had arrived some seven hours before departure, I still had fun and enjoyed my time in there - three double Vodka’s later… .

CountryKerry

We were booked into Club Europe going on flight BA0440. CE went as far back as row 8 and my friend and me were booked into seats on row 8, an exit row that gave us loads of space. Service was fantastic and after a second bottle of Champers each, we each asked for a double Vodka and Lemonade – despite being in an exit row and clearly quite drunk already drinks were with us immediately. It was at this point my friend asked if we could see the cockpit when we landed and, in true BA fashion, when we landed we were allowed to sit in the cockpit and even wear the Captains Hat. It was a truly unforgettable experience - well done BA.
Coming back however, was a different story. We were booked into BA0433 Economy, which, from what I understood still meant a full bar service and snacks. Bar service didn’t start until twenty minutes after take off and when the “ten minute to landing” call was announced, we had only JUST been served and we were in row nine! Snacks were apparently on a trolley coming from CE but they never made it to us. We had no snacks offered to us, just drinks! Whilst I never did look behind to see if the trolley made it to the back of the plane, I’d be shocked if it did. In fairness, the flight was full as at the beginning of the flight, they announced how the flight was full and we had still managed to push back early! Landing was swift into T5 and then came immigration.

CountryKerry

I have never lost my temper in a public place before or indeed told someone how to do their job, but, given the performance of the steward in T5 on that evening, the saying ‘there is a first time for everything’ really did make sense.
I arrived with my friend and saw a huge queue in the ePassport lane. Accordingly, we chose to join the ‘other’ lane – something I have done many a time before and never been stopped from doing so. After five minutes we were at most fifth from the front when a steward dressed in purple decided to ask me why I had joined this queue. Our conversation, word for word is below – I appreciate your thoughts – was I out of order?

Steward: “Excuse me, you’re in the wrong queue. I can see your BA Silver bag tag, I’m going to have to ask you to join the Fast Track queue.”
Me: “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought the Fast Track queue was for Non-Eu and non-UK passport holders only?”.
Steward: “Listen, my friend. I know the rules, you can’t come through here, you’ll need to join the right queue. Signs clearly told you where to go.”
Me: “Firstly, I’m not your friend. Secondly, I have a UK passport and I think you need to learn the rules. The queue over there to my left, indicated Fast Track is for” – interrupted.
Steward: “No need to get angry and me mate, I’m doing you a favour. I’ve had a long day as have you, you come through here a lot, just do as your told.”
Me: “Okay, I’m going to say this once. You are sadly mistaken, I’m sure you’re new and it may be your first day, but please, I’m now at the front of the queue and I’m going to come through this gate – do not stop me.”
-He grabbed my arm-. I pushed him away and said;
Me: “Touch me again and I will act in self defence. I’m not your friend. I’m not your mate.” Interrupted again – he called over the duty manager and in doing so, told the gate staff not to let me through.
Duty Manager: “Sir, you’re going to have to come with me, it seems like you’ve had a few to many.”
Me: “A few to many, what I’ve had is none of your business and to be quite frank, your staff do not seem to know the rules. He is telling me, a UK passport holder with BA silver status, to leave this queue within which I am already at the front, and join the end of the fast track queue, a queue I am actually not allowed to join. Is that right, or wrong?’
Duty Manager: “ You have threatened my staff, claiming you will assault him if he touches you – you have to agree, that, is unacceptable.”

By now, my friend has already gone through and the duty manager takes me to the other side of the gates. No one has checked my passport and everyone is looking at me.

Me: “Okay, I’m going to make this really simple. I am a UK passport holder, I may not have joined the right queue, I do not know, but I will not be spoken to like that by your staff. I am not your friend, I am not your staff’s friend or mate and I certainly have no intention of waiting here any longer. I’m through talking to you – I want to go home. I’m sure you know where I live so if there is a problem, you’ll know where to find me.”

Duty Manager: “I can hold you here for as long as… “ – I walked off.

I walked off and that was the end of it. I went through border control without showing a passport to anyone and went away. Collected luggage from Baggage reclaim and left on the Heathrow Express. It was a very poor show and I do believe I was in the right? Slightly worried about getting away without showing a Passport but :S

Either way, what an end to the trip. I have written out a script if it were for what happened because I will be making a formal complaint about the staff members involved!

CountryKerry

irishguy28

Wow. What a read.

Happy birthday, by the way!

layz

What an odd experience! I'm glad you didn't get into trouble for that. Problem is when people feel threatened they get defensive. So even though they were in the wrong they're not going to back down.

Happy birthday and what did you think of Amsterdam?

cornishsimon

Happy Birthday CountryKerry


Thanks for posting this........... very interesting experience !

At least you wont forget your birthday this year


cs

jib71

Wow! Purple-coats trying to manhandle elite customers into Fast Track. You couldn't make this *** up.

Happy birthday, mate. (Oh go on, let me be your mate).

stu1985

Sounds like a good trip.....apart from the return!

Currently in the lounge at AMS - pretty dead this morning which is lovely. Looking forward to a nice CE flight over to LHR soon!

FlyerTalker6245

At the AMS lounge, this is a surprise!

The return trip is AMS is just odd. I'd have probably made up some story that my silver status had expired and I was now bronze.

irishguy28

Not that again! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...stion-ams.html

It seems that the normal docile and friendly lounge staff are anything but for a limited group of people.

clarkeysntfc

Ref. Immigrations... Another example of why rising above this sort of thing is more often than not the best thing to do.

layz

It can be easier said than done. They try and move you out of the correct line to one you're not entitled to use, which will slow you down even further. They get defensive insisting that they know best. Won't accept reason, then they notice you've been drinking and try and get you arrested for being drunk and disorderly even though in reality you've done nothing wrong!

As I needed to pop landside when connecting through Heathrow yesterday I got to use IRIS for what might be the last time. The queues for everything else looked massive but I was through IRIS in under a minute. I'm going to miss IRIS, since I've signed up for that scheme, the regular EU lines and these stupid e-passport gates seem not to be coping.

Before I got IRIS the EU line used to be easy, even with a big queue you'd be out quickly. Now I'm not looking forward to it one bit - particularly if I encounter the 'helpful' people CountryKerry did.

Sixth Freedom

My approach, in this type of situation is to be obstinate and stupid. My response to all statements by the other party: say "no problem" and point to the front of the queue I am in.