marcusm1

Update: Flew out of Schiphol on 30 Sep and T3 was a total zoo. Check in looked not too bad, but security line was outside the building. As Silver I went to the priority line where they had a tensa and got told I couldn't use priority as silver. Seems to be the usual story with AMS of sometimes you can sometimes you can't. The supervisor was adamant it was Gold only.

So I went over to the BA desk and checked with them that I was correct Silver was OK, then the very nice lady came back with me to tell the supervisor this. Nope. Despite an airline representative being there who actually pays the airport for priority he still wouldn't back down and started arguing with her.

They had an argument in dutch and she said get a manager... one eventually turned up and I could see him talking to staff and referring to a laminated card. Upshot was apologies and yes Silver is allowed. He told me that the staff get confused with KLM silver which doesn't have security access and BA silver which does.

Not totally sure I believe that as this has been a recurring thread for me and others that sometimes silver get rejected. IN any case was allowed through and escorted upstairs with apologies.

So upshot is - If you're silver in economy, then stand your ground and ask for a manager. You ARE allowed to use AMS priority and right now you need it!

flatlander

May I recommend RTM, subject to neither the whims of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union nor to the continued incompetence of Schiphol's management?

flatlander

Schiphol is announcing additional limits to passenger numbers continuing to April 2023: https://simpleflying.com/amsterdam-s...6-more-months/ and https://nltimes.nl/2022/09/29/schiph...ands-seats-cut

Whether this will reduce passenger numbers to below the realistic handling capacity of the airport remains to be seen. The reason the queues are currently highly variable and we see reports of "I was fine..." mixed with "complete disaster zone" is that the planned amount of staff are only available sometimes, so if they happen not to be present then the queues become very long indeed. Schiphol management seem to have no solution to this, or they would not need to limit passenger numbers, so I suspect that there will still be intermittent massive problems.

Then the question is, do you feel lucky?

Raffles

I am here today - roughly one hour to clear immigration on arrival with a UK passport.

It is quicker if you walk to G/H where there is an unsigned (from the main concourse) exit.

Luckily KLM cancelled my flight and made me travel 80 mins earlier than planned, so it averaged out …..

hsmall

A data point from last week. Travelling in BA Club with a British passport.

No access, I was told, to fast track security or passport control. At passport control directed to queue for the machines for non-EU but favoured countries (UK, US and others). Those machines taped off and not working. The queue fed into the EU machines, which promptly rejected my passport. There was precisely one passport person dealing with a long queue. I made the flight having arrived 2.5 hours before departure, but only just.

BOH

My daughter is flying out of AMS next Friday 14th October with a BA flight to LGW departing at 19:20, anyone know what the Security and Exit Immigration queues are on a Friday at around 16:30-ish?. She is BA Blue so has no status to use Priority

AleTrail

Flew LHR-AMS today HBO. Nearly 2 hours to exit passport control. Only one exit operating across whole of Schipol.

SxMan

goodness – I do feel sorry for all these people caught up in the terrible mess. Although now pleased that I decided to go London city to Rotterdam even though it meant I went past Gatwick airport in order to get to my departure. It was at least fairly easy-going. The other end makes not much difference as I have to get to Eindhoven – although Rotterdam is probably slightly closer but the train slower than from Schiphol.

flatlander

Could be OK, could be long indeed. Arriving 3 hours before departure seems wise.

swampwiz

I just flew out of LHR, and it did seem like I was waiting in line for about 1/2 hour with "regular" security. Interestingly, in July 2022, I entered Schengen at AMS, and it was a long time getting though passport control.

AleTrail

onwards on Qatar today from AMS.
zero queues into terminal
check in for OW sapphire/emerald J was a breeze, 2 or 3 people in the line.
security was empty, straight through no hassles.
passport e readers were working for all passports.

Schipol was a tale of 2 half’s for me

Klrduks

What time of day was this?

BOH

Daughter has a BA from AMS into LGW later this afternoon and arrived 4 hours early at 15:30 local time in order to queue. But zero queues at security (she was at the scanners in <3 minutes from going through the BP check) and exit passport control took 15 mins. So around 20 mins from the BP scan to being airside.

She now has 3.5 hours wondering what to do airside in AMS with no status. Advised her to try walking a few times from the furthest D gate to the furthest H gate 2-3 times as that will kill one hour at least

lizban

Flew through there last Monday - fast track - through in about 10 minutes - non fast track seemed about twice as long. All in all no problems.

KARFA

Less than 10 minutes from stepping off the train to getting airside. No queue at security at all for fast track or normal, and no queue for immigration. Guess it makes up for my last departure here which was the opposite experience!