CoweyB

After two hours in queue for security (the final approach had seven twisting chicanes we quickly called “the seven circles of Hell”) - we made it to D24, speedwalking, at 13:15.

Boarding started at 13:35 gate agent announcing “no time for group boarding today, please just come forward for the flight”.

In the exit seat feeling very relieved and needing a G&T.

Thirty five minutes later we are still on the ground and looking forward from the exit row there are about 6 or 7 empty seats “on our full flight today”.

Someone came on and noted the empty seat numbers.

Four new passengers subsequently arrived and the capitan has announced a further delay of 15 mins waiting for bags to be loaded due to the shortage of ground staff.

No water offered, unfortunately.

DYKWIA

Not sure if it's been mentioned on the BA forum before, but it appears that UK passports can now be used at the e-Gates at AMS. Not that that would help much at the moment...

MaxFlyer

Maybe a temporary thing to help ease the congestion?

happyintheair

when I was there on Friday, access to fast track security was open to everyone with status - it wasn't restricted to Privium members.

alex67500

That worked once we were up the stairs. But there was a long queue around the check-in areas and in the tunnel back to the main hall before you could get there. No priority at that point.

I noticed later on that BA check-in had been moved back from desks 17 to 18 because the area around 17 was being used for more queuing (the 7 circles of hell mentioned earlier)

progapanda

Very helpful info here. Are you still required to line up outside the terminal if you have a boarding pass already and are traveling HBO? Trying to prepare myself for how to at least join the right line when I fly out on BA429 later this week.

danmushman

We got the late flight on Monday BA443, departing 2120.
Arrived at AMS about 3h before departure. There was one couple in front of us to check in at BA, just one check in was open at that time.
Security - there was no fast track open. Privum looked closed too. However it was very quiet, just walked straight to an open lane. No need to unpack fluids or laptops either because of the scanning technology they have.
Spent nearly 2h in the Lounge 41. Not great but comfortable enough and good view of part of the airport and runway. Enough beer, spirit and wine to keep you going.
Boarding was just a free for all and delayed take off by about 20 mins.
Landing at T5 - terminal very quiet. Baggage appearing on carousel as soon as we arrived, despite us being one of the first off the flight and straight through immigration. Seemed to have offloaded priority luggage first too!
I assume AMS is just much quieter in the evening?

Ardecos

No, I think it's permanent. I passed through AMS a couple of weeks ago, before all the current nonsense, and the Union flag was on the board and the e-gate worked. You just have to remember to get your passport stamped after the gate.

Radiation Station

Yes, if you look at the official Schiphol
predictions for when the airport is busy, it’s pretty much a raging inferno of existential pain from around 8am to late afternoon, but otherwise fine.

On reflection, I still think it’s completely absurd that there is no attempt to prioritise passengers with status or premium cabin bookings in the departure hall - this wouldn’t be difficult to engineer and manager if the organisation were competent. What’s the point of paying for your status/premium flight to then be made to queue for three hours with everyone else? It’s not in any way a premium experience and you won’t even get to use the lounge either.

I think one of the other issues is that people have heard how bad AMS is and are now coming to the airport ridiculously early for their flight, say five hours in advance. This just leads to much worse congestion.

Pattys00

We are not flying until June. Flying to lhr then sea. We will be checking 1 bag and flying on US passports.

Our flights were already messed up. BA changed our flight to arrive at 15:20 and our flight to Sea departs at 15:30. So we were able to change to an early flight.

But, i am stressing about getting checked in and through security.

Is there any advise you can send my way?

alex67500

Yes, because the queue is for security, not for check-in. The lack of staff is on the security front apparently. If you have status or travelling business, then use the stairs to the right once you get to the e-gates where you scan your boarding pass (follow the sign which says priority). That'll save you maybe 30 minutes. But you'll still have to join the long queue around the terminal to start with.

By the way the level of queue jumping attempts was unbelievable. Be prepared for it.

alex67500

First, wait and see if it gets better. It probably will. And then turn up really early, 3 hours should do it but if you're really stressed then add some time.

MaxFlyer

If anyone is flying through AMS as part of an ex-EU positioning flight, not doing a B2B and doesn’t need to go into central Amsterdam for sightseeing etc then I would suggest flying down the night before and staying over at the in airport Yotel, budget and logistics allowing of course.

KARFA

I had forgotten about that one. I had been looking at the Mecure which is also airside, but it doesn't seem to have reopened.

MaxFlyer

The Yotel can be very expensive. If you don’t mind roughing it then there’s a ‘quiet’ area opposite the lifts to the Aspire and old BA lounge which have chaise lounge style sleeping chairs with power sockets. Then you can go up to the Aspire lounge when it opens.