JeffersonCampervan

I fly out tomorrow Tues 24th AMS to YYZ.
I fly with carryon only (mainly to avoid the checkin with luggage queue).

However for the first time KLM won't issue an online boarding pass, saying I need to collect my boarding pass at the check-in counter (presumably so they can inspect my Covid documents). When I flew YYZ-AMS 6 weeks ago they issued an online boarding pass and inspected my vaccination docs at the gate.

Any tips on minimizing my lineup wait - maybe a "documents only, no luggage queue" somewhere? (I was quite interested in the P3 checkin option in another thread, but apparently it is closed on Tuesday).

johan rebel

You would think!

Flying both to and from AMS I have failed to spot any consistency or logic as far as online BPs are concerned. I've been compelled to get a BP at the airport on occasions where I needed no Covid documents whatsoever, and then flying from the same airport some weeks later I got my BP online, even though travelers now did need Covid documents (I belong to an exempt category, but KLM doesn't know that). Flying from AMS I've had to check in at a desk, only to be asked for nothing more than my passport. Then, flying again to the same destination, I got an online BP.

If there's a "documents only" check-in desk at AMS. I have yet to spot it. They do have document checkpoints for flights to certain countries airside, though.

Johan

atflyer

Concur with Johan. Had a trip to Romania this month which requires at this moment double vaccination or a test for Dutch and no check at AMS on this at all - I just went through security and customs with my online BP on the KLM app. I had a check when entering Romania though and guess that KLM would argue it would be my problem if I failed that (simply would be put 14 days in quarantine at own costs). The way back was more interesting. Boarding as per pre-COVID using my electronic BP. Romania is non-Schengen so I ended up entering NL at Schiphol via customs/douane. With dozens of passengers from all kind of other flights and countries. Some of which NL requires that people entering NL are vaccinated, tested, etc. But I simply could enter NL via the automatic passport check without any check on my COVID status, as in pre-COVID times...... My guess is airlines will only do checks themselves before boarding if they run the risk that upon arrival they will have to fly a passenger back.

Sasnes

In this same context, does anyone here have experience with KLM's new Upload@Home feature? It is available for flights to NL and to certain other destinations. If the service is offered on your flight, you get an email or text message with the link.

The idea is that the pax uploads the required COVID documentation (vaccination certificate, test result etc.) and it is checked beforehand. My expectation of such a system is (although this is not literally mentioned on KL's website...) that this should enable you to get your boarding pass online and remove the need to pass by the check-in desk (at least, for those travelling HBO).

I tried it today for a flight ZRH-AMS tomorrow. Got the email with the link to Upload@Home yesterday. My docs got approved (twice actually - once before checking in and once after...) but still the app doesn't give me the boarding pass - it keeps telling me to pass by the check-in desk. KL's Twitter spokesperson was not very forthcoming, just said it was unfortunate and "this can happen in case we are unable to issue the boarding pass online".

Eager to hear your experiences (and please tell me if my expectations were too high )

JeffersonCampervan

Well I lined up with all the pax checking bags.
Half an hour in line; 22 seconds to look at my Covid Docs.
Then at the gate they checked them again!
What a waste of everyone's time.
Then I watched everyone cramming in to be the first onto the plane.
I'm thinking why? there's zone boarding.
But no, they just piled the whole plane on at once, ignoring the 'zone' printed on the boarding passes. This caused chaos with hand luggage loading into the bins.

Now I'm back in Toronto and have booked a couple of return tix for December /January. I need to book my dog. See my other post - no one is home at KLM!
I've been flying KLM for 30 years. Based on past experience, I can't believe what I'm experiencing now...

johan rebel

How was the Pearson arrivals experience?

Johan

Ditto

I flew several times CPT-AMS in the last 1.5 years, the only time I was asked for my covid test was when I connected in IST, there were both KMar and GGD waiting for us as we exited the jet bridge.

JeffersonCampervan

The fastest I have ever cleared Pearson.
Terminal 3, of course. Apparently Terminal 1 is a zoo.
I have Nexus, so that helped - no immigration /custom lineup at Nexus.
No Covid test upon arrival - just checked my docs.

fmirenzi

That’s because it’s YYZ. I’ve almost always never been able to get a boarding pass for YYZ arrival with various different airlines, except if the flight leaves from the US.

JeffersonCampervan

Not my experience - I've flown into YYZ exclusively for 30 years, dozens of times from AMS, mostly on KLM. This is the first time I haven't been able to get an online BP (of course, since they started issuing them).

Xandrios

Its buggy. I had ATH-AMS (stopover) AMS-MAD booked, and from the booking page it sent me to the Upload@Home page for Spain while checking in for ATH-AMS. That would not work as Spain requires different documents than AMS does. No obvious way to change that other than changing some parameters in the URL myself.

So I uploaded the docs for the flight to AMS (EU Vaccination cert)...and got an email that I did not upload any quarantine declaration. Which is not required. At the airport they only checked the Vaccination cert, so it was obviously incorrect.

Then for the flight to spain I uploaded the vaccination cert and the Spanish QR entry code and was approved instantly. Still no BP, but, got the 'ready2fly' printed when I got my BP at check in. Which apparently means that no additional checks at the gate are required.

Firstboss

Most likely, this has to do with your documents stored in their data base. With the current restrictions, some countries admit only their citizens / long-term residents.

In your booking profile you can register more than one document (passport / residence permit / visa). In other words, if a country doesn't allow any tourists for that route your documents must show that you aren't a tourist.

For example, flying from Amsterdam connecting in Paris to leave the EU a valid document to enter France is required - this solved my boarding pass availability today

f4free

I had the same issue ZRH AMS and won't use it until they figure out how to selectively reopen online check-in for proper boarding passes to be issued. Since I stopped using it, I guess I will depend on getting an update here :-)

SkyteamEP

I'm still waiting for my Upload@Home documents to be approved. I've sent them on Friday and I've successfully reached my destination since then.

johan rebel

Johan