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-   -   Mess in AMS today - April 2022 onwards (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/klm-flying-dutchman/2080797-mess-ams-today-april-2022-onwards.html)

manuswiss Jul 4, 2022 2:24 am

I arrived in AMS from ZRH yesterday, 3/7 around 14:00, and the terminal inside looked quite empty, which was surprising. I guess the whole mess is outside. And the outside line looked exactly like the one in the post above.

Luckily I had no checked luggage so I could just walk by the big pile of bags in the baggage claim area.

Also, the day before, on 2/7, a Swiss journalist flew ZRH-AMS to see how things are, and also had a checked bag. After 2 hours of waiting in the baggage claim area, he gave up and left. The arriving bags were nowhere to be seen. While he was there, bags from a flight that landed 4 hours earlier were starting to arrive. So beware if you're on incoming/connecting flights: your bags will be late.

atflyer Jul 4, 2022 6:23 am

Next data point on Monday 4/7/22. 13.00 at Schiphol plaza. Could walk directly to the back of Departures 3 bypassing a horrible queue, and the agents let me pass to the Priority line by opening a tensa gate. Then upstairs the priority lane was not staffed, only the Privium automatic gates gave access. Decided to be a bit direct and use that line after all by ducking the tensa. At security 8-10 people in front of me and the security agent was all fine with me being there as Priority guest. One bag to secondary (coins.....). Another 10 minute queue at passport gates (half of the automatic gates working). 13.35 in Lounge 52. Even my London flight seems to go on time so for once things look good. People without priority would have taken hours though. The snake in the mezzanine alone was indicated as 50 min waiting time. I don't want to think how long the queue would take you before you would be able to enter the boarding pass scanning gate at the back of departures 3 without priority.

bakersdozen Jul 4, 2022 2:00 pm

Forgive my ignorance but what exactly is this line for? Is this the line to enter the terminal and check in/bag drop? Or are you made to go back outside and wait for security line AFTER having already dropped your bag off?

I’ve got a 940am departure Schengen in two weeks. Anyone know when the busy time typically starts? Any benefit from entering the terminal via the Hilton hotel tunnels?


Originally Posted by watewate (Post 34394449)
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3a0595120.jpeg
4/7 9:30 am. Line outside is longer than usual at this time of the day but inside the terminal is much emptier than usual


calmasahinducow Jul 4, 2022 2:34 pm

My wife and I did that insane line without priority this morning. Got to the airport via train at 745 for UA 908 at 1100. It took us an hour to check bags then another 2.5 hours to get through the security line. If you have priority it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes tops but checking a bag is also painful. UA held the flight for 1.5 hours to allow PAX to get through the queue. It got really crazy around 845, which is when they opened the outdoor tent snake portion of the security line.

tourguide Jul 4, 2022 2:41 pm


Originally Posted by bakersdozen (Post 34396147)
Forgive my ignorance but what exactly is this line for? Is this the line to enter the terminal and check in/bag drop? Or are you made to go back outside and wait for security line AFTER having already dropped your bag off?

I’ve got a 940am departure Schengen in two weeks. Anyone know when the busy time typically starts? Any benefit from entering the terminal via the Hilton hotel tunnels?

This line is for non schengen security. If you have to drop off luggage, you will first have to present yourself to the bag drop off of the airline you are flying with. Then you join this jolly nice line for security (flying from Amsterdam to Schengen, there is no passport control). So yes, this is the time you may join the line inside the terminal, then you will be led via the tents outside almost to the A4 highway, then back inside terminal 1, via checkpoint between 1 and 2 (scan your boardingpass, then go upstairs) and upstairs the final Disneyland style round towards security. When i read the stories/questions here on FT, it seems people are not believing that this is for real, well, i can assure you it is very much for real. To ask about the time when it is not too bad: i would say in the evening, but nobody can guarantee you anything. So: get the whole thing going 4 hrs before departure.... if it goes quick, congratulations, if it takes hours: welcome to what you have been warned for
So many questions here about what is the best time to show up etcetera: just be at the airport 4 hrs before departure and stop asking silly questions that nobody can answer for sure anyway

tourguide Jul 4, 2022 2:50 pm


Originally Posted by tourguide (Post 34396274)
This line is for non schengen security. If you have to drop off luggage, you will first have to present yourself to the bag drop off of the airline you are flying with. Then you join this jolly nice line for security (flying from Amsterdam to Schengen, there is no passport control). So yes, this is the time you may join the line inside the terminal, then you will be led via the tents outside almost to the A4 highway, then back inside terminal 1, via checkpoint between 1 and 2 (scan your boardingpass, then go upstairs) and upstairs the final Disneyland style round towards security. When i read the stories/questions here on FT, it seems people are not believing that this is for real, well, i can assure you it is very much for real. To ask about the time when it is not too bad: i would say in the evening, but nobody can guarantee you anything. So: get the whole thing going 4 hrs before departure.... if it goes quick, congratulations, if it takes hours: welcome to what you have been warned for
So many questions here about what is the best time to show up etcetera: just be at the airport 4 hrs before departure and stop asking silly questions that nobody can answer for sure anyway

Sorry ,have to correct myself: the line is for Schengen security. However the post just ahead of me tells the tale of going through check-in/bag drop off/ security for a UA flight at 11:00, having no priority. Alltogether 3 1/2 hours from joining the line for bag drop off at row 26 (UA), to getting through security and passports. Again, please stop asking for ways to shorten this, just be there 4 hrs before flighttime

johan rebel Jul 4, 2022 3:06 pm


Originally Posted by tourguide (Post 34396274)
just be at the airport 4 hrs before departure and stop asking silly questions that nobody can answer for sure anyway

People are genuinely worried and confused. That's no reason to put them down and address their concerns in condescending terms.

Johan

tourguide Jul 4, 2022 3:21 pm


Originally Posted by johan rebel (Post 34396345)
People are genuinely worried and confused. That's no reason to put them down and address their concerns in condescending terms.

Johan

I fully understand that people are worried and confused. And i have no intention whatsoever to address their concerns in condescending terms. So i apologize if that is how you feel about my post.. I am not trying to put people down, just trying to let people understand that the stories you hear are reality and that it is very difficult to predict at what time the lines are ok and at what time you will have long lines. I am just trying to make people aware that the stories they hear about lines at Schiphol are for real.

Anish Jul 4, 2022 3:32 pm


Originally Posted by calmasahinducow (Post 34396248)
My wife and I did that insane line without priority this morning. Got to the airport via train at 745 for UA 908 at 1100. It took us an hour to check bags then another 2.5 hours to get through the security line. If you have priority it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes tops but checking a bag is also painful. UA held the flight for 1.5 hours to allow PAX to get through the queue. It got really crazy around 845, which is when they opened the outdoor tent snake portion of the security line.

Was the a large queue to enter the check-in area via the train station as well?

calmasahinducow Jul 4, 2022 3:59 pm


Originally Posted by Anish;[url=tel:34396417
34396417[/url]]Was the a large queue to enter the check-in area via the train station as well?

No, we got into Dep 3 instantly at 745.

bakersdozen Jul 4, 2022 4:48 pm


Originally Posted by tourguide (Post 34396274)
This line is for non schengen security. If you have to drop off luggage, you will first have to present yourself to the bag drop off of the airline you are flying with. Then you join this jolly nice line for security (flying from Amsterdam to Schengen, there is no passport control). So yes, this is the time you may join the line inside the terminal, then you will be led via the tents outside almost to the A4 highway, then back inside terminal 1, via checkpoint between 1 and 2 (scan your boardingpass, then go upstairs) and upstairs the final Disneyland style round towards security. When i read the stories/questions here on FT, it seems people are not believing that this is for real, well, i can assure you it is very much for real. To ask about the time when it is not too bad: i would say in the evening, but nobody can guarantee you anything. So: get the whole thing going 4 hrs before departure.... if it goes quick, congratulations, if it takes hours: welcome to what you have been warned for
So many questions here about what is the best time to show up etcetera: just be at the airport 4 hrs before departure and stop asking silly questions that nobody can answer for sure anyway

Thanks for the reply I do appreciate it. I wouldn’t call peoples questions silly though as people do have options to try to mitigate this when they are able to understand where the roadblocks and delays occur. There are options for people to avoid this mess at your “silly” airport which is what I’m was trying to figure out (change flight times to less busy time, cancel flights, or upgrade to business etc for priority).

OWBlueMoon Jul 4, 2022 6:14 pm

We're flying into Schiphol on July 12, CPH - AMS arriving in the mid afternoon.

My sense has been that travel into Schiphol is still relatively smooth and there aren't significant delays with baggage handling etc. Is that correct?

We're checking a bag so I'd like to know whether we should expect to get stuck at the airport upon arrival or not. Thanks all.

nk15 Jul 4, 2022 6:46 pm

It looks like it takes about a minute to drive by the line, in medium speed....


robert4travels Jul 4, 2022 8:21 pm

DL and Sky Priority in AMS
 

Originally Posted by edefran (Post 34391812)
That's frustrating. I am loyal to a SkyTeam partner because of the convenience it provides me when I travel. Making my travel companion on my reservation wait in a 2-hour+ security line while I go through a separate security queue is an inconvenience.

I see that you are DL Gold. My experience as a DL Plat/Gold is that, in AMS and BRU, having a DL ticket and flying KL/DL, despite the notes from other posters that mention the Flying Blue program, if your travel companions are on the same DL reservation / PNR as you, then all boarding passes of people in your reservation will have Sky Priority (SP) printed on them, and you will be able to access priority check in and priority security.

Apparently DL handles this differently than KL: at DL, if you have SP, then all people in your reservation also get SP. The personnel checking boarding passes at the priority security line have of course no way of knowing if a passenger truly has status or not and would get SP on their own. They just check if you have SP on your BP or not, so you will be fine. Note that I have no experience with KL tickets and DL status for companions (KL ticket for myself only does acknowledge my DL status).

Before all of this mess, in August last year, I (then DL Gold) checked in at KL Sky Priority desks with my minor kids who were in my reservation (DL ticket, KL metal), and all 3 of us received BPs with SP printed on them at check in.

To make sure, if you have a DL ticket, try to check in using the DL app or DL website and get your boarding passes that way, and these will have Sky Priority printed on them.

And you are absolutely right about loyalty: I am loyal to DL / Skyteam for my business travel in J so that if I travel for private reasons in Y, especially when traveling with my family, it's much more convenient to get through the airport with SP for all of us. If the airlines would not provide that, be it DL, AF, VS or KL, that would be an absolute reason for me not to be loyal any more, and pick the direct non-Sky Team flight in J next time when flying TATL.

robert4travels Jul 4, 2022 8:40 pm


Originally Posted by tourguide (Post 34392057)
Yes, it is not nice to be separated from a travel companion on the same flight. You can use priority security and your travel companion can not. The nice thing is that when you are reunited after a few hours at the entrance of the lounge, you can guest your travel companion in and enjoy drinks together and hopefully get rid of these 'annoying' feelings.
But could you show me the perk that a travel companion lower than Gold can join you for priority security? Even if they are silver and have used SP check-in with you, that is where your ways to security separate. As far as i remember, this was always the case. Of course, before Corona, you could give it a try and if they were nice, they let your companion go with you at priority security.. But it was never a written perk (correct me if i am wrong). I have often not used the priority security, in order to stay with my companion. At that time, there were not the huge lines though, so it was not a big deal.
My advice: look for a frequent flyer program where you have all these perks for your travel companions included

I'm guessing that you are implying that Flying Blue does not provide this perk (if you are FB Gold/Plat and have SP, then all of your travel companions in the same reservation do not get SP). I would not know either way of this is true or not.

But I can tell you that DL, while not explicitly mentioning this perk in their terms and conditions, DO provide this perk in reality. My family, if they are on my reservation, DO get SP printed on their BPs. This even worked last year for a DL ticket on KL metal in AMS. And that is the sole reason why I am loyal to DL for my J TATL travel and flying non-direct routes for where I need to go, connecting through AMS or CDG.


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