So many of the major European airlines' hub airports are poor handlers of snow -- and none are as generally good at dealing with snow as MSP. Good luck to those whose holiday plans have been impacted by the current weather-related state of affairs.

Today was the worst I've ever seen so I renamed it Schip-Hell.

But I still got out on my DL71 flight.

It took two hours to arrive at Schip-Hell this morning via tram and rail (normally one hour) and it took two very panicked (sp?) hours to check my bag (normally 2 minutes). The heavy volume from both the holiday traffic and the cancelled flights did cause them to physically close the checkin area to newcomers, so one had to leave the building and re-enter through another terminal. It was very hard to figure out where one should go.

The elite and first class section was so jammed I managed to get on a semi-orderly line for economy luggage check for those who already had boarding passes.

The 10:25 flight departed at 2:35.

The total snowfall was about 5-6 inches over 2 days, which completely paralyzed the Randstad.

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I had alot of fun Friday night and yesterday.

6 hours to drive 170km from Antwerp to Schipol.

Thank god the Sheraton held my room. The staff in the Runway Cafe said it was the busiest it had ever been.

Lucky I ate an early breakfast in the hotel. Walked over to check in for my 2:40 flight at about 8:15. I was told that there was not business or elite checkin by a couple of KLM people at that time - they were too overwhelmed.

Finally got a boarding pass after 12:30 and got my bag checked about 1:30. They did come around with sandwiches and water for people in line and the people in line were very cool about anyone needing to step out to go to the bathroom.

It was pretty calm for that level of ugliness.

I got to the gate and got checked in and then sat for an hour and a half before we boarded. I was kicking myself for kneejerking and going through the gate early.

The flight (DL265 AMS - MSP) was not full. I didn't have anyone next to me in 21A. Alot of people must have missed it due to the lines or connections.

I think that was the worst travel mess I've ever been through and I am SO HAPPY to be back in Minnesota with the 4 feet of snow in our yard. I think Amsterdam had about 6 inches but not sure what the official total was.

This mirrors my reaction. As I see it, the SC agent should have put you on the BE standby list for the nonstop to STR even if he thought it was unlikely that you would be able to get onto the flight. I would certainly report it. OTOH, the upgrade and nonrev on the aisle were probably cleared before you arrived at the gate for STR, although it would have been good for the GA to make the nonrev switch seats with you if there were time.

Was this the old nasty guy, a little on the thin side, with a good bit of grey hair who works as a dragon at the old BE SC? He's usually sitting a little to the left of the center as you face the reception desk. IME he seems to think he can personally make arbitrary decisions about who to help based on who he thinks should be in FC or whatever, not based on elite status or fare class.

Question: Does B1 standby mean that the person was originally ticketed in BE? Or could it be a coach passenger, possibly with no status, that some agent decided to give BE due to IROPs?

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Good for you for pointing out the aisle seat to the GA and getting it.

This reminds me of some comments RA made at the DO to the effect that he was furious when he noticed nonstatus/nonmember passengers on cheap fares (in fact, he specifically referred to a teenager) being given prime exit row seats while elites were stuck in middle seats in the very back of the aircraft.

As I've said before, I find it frustrating and unfair when agents decide to list whoever has experienced IROPs for FC/BE seating at the expense of those of us who have either paid for it or earned it.

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Good point....and it's shocking that SC agents aren't trained to pay better attention to HVCs. I always thought that this was part of the reason for having airport lounges with dragons who are supposed to help in IROPs. I wonder if the BE passenger would have had better luck asking in the SkyPriority line at an ATL service desk area for rebooking or standby listing on the STR nonstop.

No mention made of checked baggage, but wouldn't there be an issue with positive bag match? Would they have to unload the whole plane to try and find his/her bag and move it to the STR flight?

If not, what's to prevent a terrorist from putting a bomb in his checked bag and then demanding to be rerouted to another flight?

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The sadest thing is that there were tons of empty seats
 

Friday saw tons of cancellations, and luckily got on board on one of the three Saturday departing Detroit bound flights.

Had expected no empty seats on board, but once the aircraft doors closed and you looked around, there were tons of empty seats.

I wonder if folk were left standing for hours at the Schipol KLM check-in lines while their flights took off. Most likely it was due to the incoming inter European flights that never landed with the expected flow of connecting passengers.

Once on-board the Delta bird all in-flight services were excellent.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

The "terrorist" bags and your bags go through the same screening process. So if either one of you have a bomb it should/will be spotted. So the question of the person and the bag being on the same flight is a non-issue. In my experience when multiple flights are on the same route, my bag ends up making it on an earlier flight than myself.

It is concerns like this which keeps TSA happy and busy fondling passengers.

You're damn right I'm pissed of, especially after this information! What's your source? I'd like to include that in my letter of complaint to delta..

Checked baggage was the reason the SC agent refused rebooking me (this and he actually asked "are you willing to pay the fare difference?" :rolleyes:), but this was more than 2 hours before boarding time. So I doubt the luggage was already on the plane.

It wasn't the guy MSPeconomist described, but a younger hispanic guy sitting at the right side of the desc in the second E SC. He wasn't unfriendly or anything, just not very helpful at all.

As I see it I should a) get a refund for the lower fare class I've flown an b) a compensation for the behaviour of the SC agent, which most likely prevented me from getting cleared into BE on the nonstop flight.

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