DorsetKnob

I noticed when I flew out through AMS about 4 weeks back there was an area where it seemed KLM were doing all document checks for all flights to the UK. I assume this is still the case. Any idea how long this typically is talking, it seemed packed when I went through. I'd be a transit passenger arriving AMS around 8am.

SilverJonten

It is done at gate D08. Around 8 it should take 5 minutes if you take the Sky Priority lane, otherwise it will be longer I assume.
This monday it was quite a lot of people in line in non-sky priority lanes. I estimate between 15-30min maybe.

DorsetKnob

Cheers!

Ardecos

I passed through D08 on Wednesday night on my way to EDI, very quiet, and now seems quite well organised. You can get your documents checked two hours before departure so no need to wait until you are preparing to board. In my case I did the check and then went to an almost deserted KLM lounge.

DorsetKnob

Just to add I did come through on Thursday morning got there about 8:15. They were clearly understaffed when I arrived & the queue barely moved for 10mins or so, with a lot of people coming in behind me. It was also clear a lot of people were completely unprepared as the checking was taking ages. A few more staff turned up & the queue moved a bit. When I got to the check it was done in barely a minute, however the overall wait was about 40-45mins

johan rebel

You would imagine that KL is aware of the fact that pax numbers have gone up, and has figured out that sending all these pax to various checkpoints or regular check-in desks will require sufficient staff to process them.

I flew CPH-AMS a few days ago. I could not download or print a boarding card, so had to go to a check-in desk, even though I had hand luggage only and did not need a negative test result. The only requirement was that silly health declaration, which I've never ever been asked to show. The wait in the single Sky Priorty line was about 45 minutes. The Economy Class line moved faster, albeit not by much. And yeah, all those completely unprepared people didn't really help things move along. The jaw-dropping ingorance of some is a sight to behold.

Johan

flying_blue_white_red

LOL, yesterday KL crew handed over to all pax a German health form (to be sent in/to Germany - via post office???) for a flight bound to France. Clearly, crew spent more time at every row trying to explain the necessity to fill that form despite the wrong destination country!

DorsetKnob

Came through Schipol again yesterday morning, but not UK bound. Noticed that at around 8:30am gate D08 area was largely deserted no queue at all.

DorsetKnob

Utter shambles this morning & still ongoing. just taken 1hr 20mins from joining the queue to getting through. KLM or whoever is running it have totally lost control, with tempers frayed on both sides. There now seems to be multiple queues leading to D8. Seems to be a free for all.

Ardecos

I have just arrived in Schiphol and went to D8 for the UK document check and to get the gate for my connecting flight to EDI. However, there was a KLM employee in the corridor there who told me that EDI and GLA passengers did not need to queue at D8 and could go straight to the true gate; she also gave me this gate number. Is this something new for October or has it been running for a week or two already?

DorsetKnob

I last came through AMS 2 weeks back & it was the same mess (if not worse) than it had been 2 weeks before that. You would hope/think with all the delays to UK bound flights KLM would want to do something about it.

South London Bon Viveur

Yesterday was my first time departing Schiphol since March 2020, and the first time on KLM since March 2019.

D8 was in operation yesterday (I was on the LCY flight) and it was very quiet. I lost my FB status many years ago after leaving NL so only fly KLM/Skyteam to keep the mileage balance alive, but even for a non Elite it seemed to work well. What I don't understand is why it needs to be checked twice. I went to the check in desk in departures where PCR and PLF were verified. I was then told by the check in assistant that she could not allocate me a seat, although the system was showing that there were still seats available. There followed a a nervous hour or so wondering whether I would make it onto the plane, but after I did the D8 check I was given a seat allocation once downstairs at the D6 bus gates.

I have managed to get onto a few European flights in the last few weeks, and Schiphol seemed to be the most convoluted, but that might be to do with the large number of connecting pax to the various UK regionals?

At least security and passport control were quick. In the past Sunday afternoons were a real bottleneck, with loads of UK bound passengers, and passport control very slow. Yesterday it was very quiet and I breezed through. I will be back again in Nov, although on BA, so it will be interesting to see how things develop.

johan rebel

And back then you flew Icarus Airways, in a plane supplied by Daedalus Commercial Aircraft Corp?

Johan

South London Bon Viveur

Edited

DorsetKnob

Through again this morning. Hoped for better & whilst quicker not sure what on earth they are up to.

they now appear to randomly check the data. Probably 1 in 3. The others go in a queue where no data is checked, just a stamp put on the boarding card. I was one of the 1 in 3. Passport, boarding card & PLF requested. All shown then the robot asks for my vaccination certificate. Sorry? You don’t need that as my PLF says its already been verified, which you just checked. No I have to check you vaccination certificate. It’s not a problem but I haven’t got a printed copy as my PLF has that. So after that little debacle get into the next queue to get an identical stamp to the one I just got.

We now have a single guy giving out the next stamp as the rest of the checking crew all just left. The queue is now backing up again. They the next person to give out a stamp turns up…. Except she appears not to know what to do & spends the next 10mins talking to the one guy about gawd knows what, but nobody gets thru.

Why it is now not possible to just check the PLF at the gate is beyond me. Everything is now on the PLF