State of Schiphol for BA (to LHR) queues etc?
Aug 31, 2022, 7:32 am
#241
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: BAEC, VS Flying Club
Posts: 797
Am traveling to AMS tomorrow (1st Sept) on BA from Gatters on the 2762. I was looking at Flightradar just now for all flights from LGW and LHR into AMS over the last few days and all seem to have significant departure delays out of LON (BA/U2/KL) in the afternoons. The last few days seems to indicate that pretty much all flights are having at least 60-90 minutes delay from the sked departure time before becoming airborne. 15-20 mins is understandable for taxi time and queues for take-off but is there anything else going on?
Today's BA2752 at 16:00 is already showing a 75 minute delay for example and the 15:55 Easyjet one is showing just under 3 hours delay!!!
Does not seem to be any weather issues so wondered if something else is going on?
Today's BA2752 at 16:00 is already showing a 75 minute delay for example and the 15:55 Easyjet one is showing just under 3 hours delay!!!
Does not seem to be any weather issues so wondered if something else is going on?
But only about 20 late into Schiphol in the end with a favourable runway, no significant wait at passport control, about a 15 min wait for my luggage and I comfortably made a 2111 train to Centraal, so overall not the shambles I’d been dreading.
Sep 2, 2022, 2:35 am
#242
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: AMS/LON
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Gold, Eurostar CB, FB Explorer
Posts: 242
Another update from the OP, passing through Schiphol today.
Tiny queue (10 people) for priority and path clear to get there, then almost no queue for passport exits, privium working and no queue.
Aspire lounge accepting BA Gold/ Silvers but turning away Priority Pass/ other loungecards.
Very friendly guy on the Aspire lounge desk told my companion that the old BA lounge and the existing non Schengen Aspire will be merged into a new One World/ BA/AA/JAL etc lounge. But, he added "This is the current plan, dependent on Schiphol"
Tiny queue (10 people) for priority and path clear to get there, then almost no queue for passport exits, privium working and no queue.
Aspire lounge accepting BA Gold/ Silvers but turning away Priority Pass/ other loungecards.
Very friendly guy on the Aspire lounge desk told my companion that the old BA lounge and the existing non Schengen Aspire will be merged into a new One World/ BA/AA/JAL etc lounge. But, he added "This is the current plan, dependent on Schiphol"
Sep 2, 2022, 3:31 am
#243
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,090
Arrived about 9 for the 11:40 BA. Half a dozen in the CE check in line. Total time through priority security and passport control was about a half hour. US passports also use the automatic scanners. Lounge 41 was almost full, but we found a few seats together quickly.
Sep 2, 2022, 12:25 pm
#244
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Berkshire, UK
Programs: BAEC Brown
Posts: 46
Currently sat in Aspire 41 awaiting BA443. Fast track security was similar to T5 - about 15 minutes. Pleasingly, passport control had no queue at all for either EU or non.
he Aspire lounge is rammed. It’s full of lovely staff working hard, but there doesn’t seem to be much oversight to ensure things like glasses and cutlery are there when needed.
If the space is knocked together with the old BA lounge [RIP] (and presumably the external toilets) then it could be a very nice spacious lounge with lovely views. The devil is in the details I think.
he Aspire lounge is rammed. It’s full of lovely staff working hard, but there doesn’t seem to be much oversight to ensure things like glasses and cutlery are there when needed.
If the space is knocked together with the old BA lounge [RIP] (and presumably the external toilets) then it could be a very nice spacious lounge with lovely views. The devil is in the details I think.
Sep 6, 2022, 7:53 am
#245
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: AMS/LON
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Gold, Eurostar CB, FB Explorer
Posts: 242
Having thought about the lounge comment (the guy was pretty confident about his intel) a little more - Most of the OW pax at AMS will be non-Schengen . Can't think of many Schengen-destination-from-AMS OW partners. Iberia - anyone else?
So if IB pax get sent to Aspire Schengen (which is much nicer than the non-Schengen Aspire, IMHO), leaving AA, JAL, BA, (etc) in the old-BA lounge/ old Aspire lounge. Maybe it's also a PP lounge for the remaining non OW, non Schengen pax.
Or it this all wish fulfilment? Did someone post on here that there were plans for this Before Covid?
So if IB pax get sent to Aspire Schengen (which is much nicer than the non-Schengen Aspire, IMHO), leaving AA, JAL, BA, (etc) in the old-BA lounge/ old Aspire lounge. Maybe it's also a PP lounge for the remaining non OW, non Schengen pax.
Or it this all wish fulfilment? Did someone post on here that there were plans for this Before Covid?
Sep 6, 2022, 11:15 am
#246
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 737
Sep 6, 2022, 1:49 pm
#247
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Amsterdam and London
Programs: Mucci Platinum Hairbrush des Bonnes Nouvelles. BA LTG, Bonvoy LTP, AA LTS, KL LTPt, Easy Flight Club
Posts: 378
Data point from this afternoon around 17h AMS - LON. Very long lines indeed for security. Economy looked terrible, premium line took about 30 minutes. Lots of stressed pax running for flights and having only allowed 60 minutes, I nearly missed mine.
AMS had been much improved so maybe this afternoon was an outlier. But FYI
AMS had been much improved so maybe this afternoon was an outlier. But FYI
Sep 7, 2022, 5:15 am
#248
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 46
Silly question maybe: I am positioning from LCY>AMS tomorrow (land at 9.20AM) and then starting my actual trip from AMS (LHR>DFW>DEN) at 11.40AM. Separate bookings but all Oneworld. Not planning to check in a bag.
Do I need to fully exist and recheck in when I land or can I just follow transfer signs and go straight to gates from AMS>LHR flight? Would like to avoid the departures/check in madness that seems to be happening.
Thank you
Do I need to fully exist and recheck in when I land or can I just follow transfer signs and go straight to gates from AMS>LHR flight? Would like to avoid the departures/check in madness that seems to be happening.
Thank you
Sep 7, 2022, 5:24 am
#249
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,993
Silly question maybe: I am positioning from LCY>AMS tomorrow (land at 9.20AM) and then starting my actual trip from AMS (LHR>DFW>DEN) at 11.40AM. Separate bookings but all Oneworld. Not planning to check in a bag.
Do I need to fully exist and recheck in when I land or can I just follow transfer signs and go straight to gates from AMS>LHR flight? Would like to avoid the departures/check in madness that seems to be happening.
Thank you
Do I need to fully exist and recheck in when I land or can I just follow transfer signs and go straight to gates from AMS>LHR flight? Would like to avoid the departures/check in madness that seems to be happening.
Thank you
The only issue is you do need to have checked in and got a bp for your AMS-LHR flight though. Hopefully using verifly should allow for that.
Sep 7, 2022, 5:36 am
#250
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 46
You can just stay airside at AMS. Arriving and departing passengers in this case are not segregated so you can just get off and remain on the D pier or have a wander and come back later to the gate. You will avoid any immigration or security madness.
The only issue is you do need to have checked in and got a bp for your AMS-LHR flight though. Hopefully using verifly should allow for that.
The only issue is you do need to have checked in and got a bp for your AMS-LHR flight though. Hopefully using verifly should allow for that.
Thank you. Check in from AMS>LHR>DFW>DEN is currently the problem. I submitted all covid docs on BA system. They got confirmed as verified and received an email (and showing as such when I track the application). But the check in portal thinks otherwise. So I can't seem to check in for that trip. Really keen to avoid exiting. I've been told to try and get my AMS>LHR BP at LCY. But if they don't?
Sep 7, 2022, 6:37 am
#251
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: The Hague/London
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, BA LTG, Hilton Diamond, FB Platinum, EK Gold
Posts: 366
Thank you. Check in from AMS>LHR>DFW>DEN is currently the problem. I submitted all covid docs on BA system. They got confirmed as verified and received an email (and showing as such when I track the application). But the check in portal thinks otherwise. So I can't seem to check in for that trip. Really keen to avoid exiting. I've been told to try and get my AMS>LHR BP at LCY. But if they don't?
Sep 9, 2022, 1:11 am
#252
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: BAEC, VS Flying Club
Posts: 797
Datapoint from this morning at 0800: took 45 minutes from train to departure lounge. Minimal queue at BA check-in and about 15 minutes queue for both fast-track security and passport E-gates.
The longest queue (20-25 mins) is for the Aspire lounge, back past the lifts. Probably 40-50 people. Staff patrolling the queue turning away anyone with PP etc. Inside, a few single seats free but probably 90% full.
The longest queue (20-25 mins) is for the Aspire lounge, back past the lifts. Probably 40-50 people. Staff patrolling the queue turning away anyone with PP etc. Inside, a few single seats free but probably 90% full.
Sep 11, 2022, 11:21 am
#253
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 32
Data point from this evening - took an hour for security and passport, but as bronze in Y I assumed I couldn't use premium security and found out I could after 40 minutes queuing once we got up the stairs.
Was with my no status partner too which was another reason to join the regular queue, but after seeing the sign he encouraged me to jump forward. Will be interesting to see how much longer it is for him.
Was quite surprised Bronze/Ruby was allowed but seems it is. I'm not sure I'd rely on it and arrive too late though, for one thing the premium entrance downstairs isn't super obvious.
Was with my no status partner too which was another reason to join the regular queue, but after seeing the sign he encouraged me to jump forward. Will be interesting to see how much longer it is for him.
Was quite surprised Bronze/Ruby was allowed but seems it is. I'm not sure I'd rely on it and arrive too late though, for one thing the premium entrance downstairs isn't super obvious.
Sep 12, 2022, 12:29 am
#254
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Silver, IHG Spire Ambassador, Accor Silver, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 276
Live data point - long queues this morning for security starting outside. Joined queue at 0830, 1011 now and just got to the actual security line in the terminal which has a c60mins queue time. On the 1140, so fingers crossed!
BA check in also long queues, but zero queue for CE/Gold etc.
On asking been told fast track security closed due to lack of staff…
BA check in also long queues, but zero queue for CE/Gold etc.
On asking been told fast track security closed due to lack of staff…
Last edited by ibbitsc; Sep 12, 2022 at 2:12 am
Sep 12, 2022, 4:14 am
#255
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Silver, IHG Spire Ambassador, Accor Silver, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 276
Live data point - long queues this morning for security starting outside. Joined queue at 0830, 1011 now and just got to the actual security line in the terminal which has a c60mins queue time. On the 1140, so fingers crossed!
BA check in also long queues, but zero queue for CE/Gold etc.
On asking been told fast track security closed due to lack of staff…
BA check in also long queues, but zero queue for CE/Gold etc.
On asking been told fast track security closed due to lack of staff…