Even if you could apply you wouldn't be able to make an appointment easily for the eye scan. Though just showing up as a drop-in has worked in the past.

Anyway, crowds are significantly less now as the school holidays have ended in NL so I wouldn't worry too much.

Datapoint on Privium: A family member signed up for Privium about a month ago, through the regular privium website (not via Amex). Was able to make an appointment a few weeks later. Appointment was for November or so, but first time passing through AMS allowed him to do the scan by just walking into the lounge at a quiet time.

In this case, I would tend to agree. TUI passengers overwhelmingly travel in pairs or with families. It's highly likely that if a Privium holder finds themselves on a TUI flight, they are travelling with someone who does not have the card.

In theory, if you travel early in the morning, bus 247. Otherwise metro and change to bus. But at the point trains are not running, you are probably better off in a taxi...

In any case I don't think sprinters from Centraal via Schiphol will be impacted by a strike in region North.

You were not right, Privium absolutely is working now.
They are just not accepting new members.

On the Schengen side I quite like a calm Crown lounge. I think I like the brighter spacier feeling. It was very crowded though. So it wouldn’t have felt spacious. First time trying the Privium express lounge though, and it pleasantly surprised me.

Privium Express lounge is definitely quieter.
I will admit that the catering leaves something to be desired. It does serve my purpose though. Have a full breakfast in landside club lounge, then go through security and chill in Express with a coffee and a water until time to leave for boarding comes.

It does, but then the lounge lacks the facilities required to provide proper catering. Back when pandemic quiescence held Schiphol in its grip the Express lounge staff would bend over backwards to prepare fresh sandwiches for me, having the bread of my choice etc. brought over from the landside lounge.

As for the KL NS lounge, I really struggle to think of anything to commend it, even when it is not busy. The catering totally sucks regardless of how many patrons are in the lounge, but I guess the toilets may be a bit less filthy when the cleaners don't have to fight hordes of pax answering urgent calls of nature for access.

Johan

Any insight on effects of rail strike over next week for those of us arriving 26-29 August?

You'll have to be a lot more specific if you want answer that can be of any help.

Which date precisely? I assume you plan on catching a train on arrival, but where to?

Johan

speaking generally for transport during that time frame...was trying not to be too self-centered in my ask! Arriving the 29th into AMS and departing 30 or 31.
And thanks for always being helpful to all of us!!!

Seems today was a busy day:
https://nos.nl/artikel/2441413-opnie...lang-in-de-rij

https://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieu...digde-reacties


It pays to look at twitter #schiphol > latest = for an up to date situation
https://twitter.com/hashtag/schiphol?f=live

Besides today's casual shortage of security staff
Could be the start of the end of the summerholiday which will cause people to depart back to their home countries


And oh my!
Being asked to stop filming or making photos of the queue.....
Seems a shrewd way of making sure passengers have no proof or timestamp that they are in a queue if the compensation scheme will be extended untill end of August....
for refresher: https://www.schiphol.nl/en/missed-flight-compensation

EDIT : tried posting the Twitter- link but no access for this action allowed, so a screenshot instead

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...512f176d7.jpeg

Any legal basis for that?

Johan

Outside the building, none whatsoever. Inside, maybe.

Leaving from H on easyJet at 1845 with American [thus non-Privium] wife - wasn't planning on getting there before about five, but I see yesterday was another sh*tshow. Any recent Sunday evening experince not reported...? There aren't all that many flights left to go by early evening, so it would seem less likely that four+ hour queues would appear.

On a different note: anyone with experience of RTP-NL? Alledgedly live now, but can't find much by way of detail online.

Isn't easyjet all from M? Without Privium I'd be comfortable with 2 hours as that should be a fairly quiet time leaving - very busy arriving as it's the last day of the school break for the North of the country.

BTW - I've heard you can fit two pax through the privium gate with one card if there's no-one watching.

M is Schengen, H is non-Schengen. They're the same gates - they just open the door from one corridor or the other - but obviously H are accessible from the general concourse whereas M are cut off [and have very little in the way of facilities]. We're actually down in the app as a G gate at the moment, which U2 do end up on occasionally - not that it makes much difference.

Does seem more likely that arrivals will be busier than departures, especially as evening comes. App says peak day though, and while I thought everything was slowly improving suddenly seems like yesterday was chaos.