So instead of complaining that this machine doesn't accept your card, why don't you complain to your bank? And it is most definitely not a question of US banks "taking a different route," it is a question of US banks (and maybe some others as well) sticking with the existing product, rather than upgrading it.Sorry, point one and point two may seem logical in your mind because yours doesn't work. But mine does (and all over Europe and, yes, even in the US) so I don't make that connection. Should the British have left-hand drive in the airports because they get a lot of international visitors?
You have my sympathies, that is indeed pretty primitive. Wasn't there an accident a few years ago in the US space program because of a confusion over whether they were using inches and feet or centimeters and meters?

Standards are usually a good thing. But, if someone comes along with something that doesn't meet that standard, whose fault is that?

Not really, US banks implemented Chip + Signature instead of Chip and PIN. As I said, I prefer Chip + PIN but US banks are not going to move in that direction for whatever reason. Chip + Signature was a different route to Chip + PIN but a move forward from Swipe + Signature.

The day a significant number of international travellers arrive at UK airports with their road going vehicles, yes, I think the British should review which side of the road they drive on. Until then, it is a bit of a tenuous argument.

Yes, the Hubble telescope program

I am not saying that it is AMS's fault for the non-compliance of my bank card. I am saying that such a substantial quantity of bank cards are non-compliant that it would be prudent to see that there is a means of accepting both standards.

I actually didn't suggest that your wife had remembered every square centimetre of AMS, nor that she should be blindfolded (although we can probably discuss the benefits of this in OMNI) nor did I suggest that AMS should be like a hotel.

All your suggestions, not mine

That's very nice, but it is not the standard. The standard is Chip + Pin and if your banks won't implement it, complain to them. You have that right, don't you?
I'm sure the Brits would find that quite amusing.

"Substantial quantity"? What exactly does that mean? As you correctly pointed out, Schiphol is an international airport and we get lots of visitors from other parts of Europe, the middle east and other parts of the world. Yet, you feel Schiphol needs to make a special case for north Americans because their banks don't want to upgrade? I think the message is pretty clear: there's a standard - if you don't want to meet it, we'll charge you a bit extra. And isn't that exactly what they've done?

I wasn't making suggestions, I was commenting on your criticisms, which I find completely unfounded.

If my wife, who speaks and reads less English than you can easily find her way around the airport, why can't you?

How is an airport intuitive? Why don't you explain that as you never have.

Well I made a point to not suggest North Americans, I am not from North America, I have a Chip + Sig card issued in South America, we are talking about the Americas as a whole. So 300 million USA, 200 million Brazil, 60 million Mexicans? 45 million Colombians etc. We could be talking a billion people in the Americas when we add everyone up. That is 1/6 of the world which I think is fairly substantial and given the fondness that North Americans have for their credit cards. It could be an even great proportion of cards issued.

I meant to say the machines won't take cash - I have edited my post.

This was at AMS, indeed. I am not taking about JFK, Newark or anywhere else, just my recent experience at AMS. It was not a good experience.

No need to get so defensive!

I don't know about the rest of the Americas, but I have read that less than 20 percent of those from the US have passports. I think it would be reasonable to assume that not all 20 percent fly to Amsterdam at the same time. So, start with 300 million, reduce that to 60 million and then reduce that by substantially more and you'll see my point. I would expect that people from the US make up a rather small (less than 10 percent) of the arriving passengers at Schiphol.

And no need for you to get so critical! Your description and my experience differ by night and day.

Don't get bogged down in the this argument. This person's post history shows a certain penchant for engaging in laborious, senseless debates.

Regardless of various personal preferences and minor issues, AMS is regarded as the standard setter for airport signage in Europe. Any airport has its problems and in general, Europe has poor check-in areas compared to North America. If you are not used to trains, then most European train stations will be hard to negotiate and the airport ones even worse if they are for more than just local service (like AMS, FRA, CDG, etc.).

Credit cards issues from public transport companies is an issue in Europe, regardless of where you are from and again AMS is better than most in that regard. Try buying petrol in Basel on a Friday night without a Swiss card or try using a V-pay card in the US to get money.

It may be the standard in Europe, but as previous posters have mentioned, it is not the standard abroad. There is a very extensive and informative discussion on this topic and the technology involved here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...signature.html

I agree with previous posters, however, that a world-class international airport such as AMS should have machines that are compatible with payment systems widely used by visitors in other countries.

@:-)

They do. It is called an ATM machine and I bet all of your card work in it.

Since my V-pay card doesn't work in ANY US airport, any US ATM or ANY US establishment for that matter, I guess none of them are world class by your standards?

Is it a problem, yes. Does it have absolutely anything to do with the airport, no. ABN in AMS even offers EUR and USD ATM machines. LUX offers EUR and GBP [I think they still do at least]. How many US airports have EUR ATM's? That's what I thought.

This genuinely surprises me. AMS has lots of signage but I would question the usefulness of some of it. Are current signologists not leaning towards the "less is more" concept?

I am from a country where we are quite familiar with trains.

I think the interoperability of international payment systems is a broader debate. I think it is becoming increasingly apparent that such systems are not as international as we would like them to be.