HadesNL

Maybe do not film faces of persons / children / staff and such?
But preposterous that one is not allowed to document the queue for fair use information purposes ...
Or as evidence for timestamp

Actually i have no idea about the legal basis, others might want to chime in ...

GUWonder

No one tried to port out the over-used excuse of “due to GDPR, ____ isn’t allowed”?

brian77

Post deleted

GUWonder

Someone should ask Schiphol about this ridiculous “no photography” thing by travelers for personal use by travelers taking photos of crowds. And if there is a personal use restriction in place that acts as a blanket ban of personal use photos on the airport grounds, hopefully someone escalates it up to higher European courts if actually restricted or punished for taking such photos to document the mess at AMS.

https://news.schiphol.com/photography-and-filming/

Does the above named person on the Schiphol website still work for Schiphol? Then look forward to seeing what they say about this kind of personal use photography land-side at a public airport in the EU.

Xandrios

Some unconfirmed details on the upcoming railway strikes:

The above is based on an estimation as no official confirmation has been released thus far. So August 29th Amsterdam will likely be affected, and I would not be surprised if the 26th a large number of trains passing through the airport station will be cancelled too.

In any case its good to realise that most of the places mentioned above have direct train connections to Amsterdam/airport, so train ops will be affected every single day in some way or another.

Other source regarding AMS specifically: https://www.at5.nl/artikelen/216415/...ag-29-augustus

Reglo

Does anyone know how the current situation for car drop off (valet) at the terminal is and if this is somehow affected by the tents which have been built up outside?
I am flying on the first weekend of September.

Thank you!

johan rebel

They're nuts.

The Dutch principle of vrije nieuwsgaring among others gives any person the right to collect/register any information in any area accessible to the public in any way. That includes photographing or filming other people in such public spaces. There are some restrictions (e.g. hidden cameras), but very few.

Now disseminating the information gathered is a different matter, there are more restrictions (copyright, libel, privacy, etc.). Disseminating legally obtained material by civilians is never a criminal offense, any aggrieved parties only have recourse to civil court.

GDPR does not apply to private individuals taking pictures or shooting videos for private purposes.

Johan

johan rebel

No, the tents do not impact the drop-off zone.

The drop-off zones are an embarrassing mess, one gets the impression that they are trying to make things as difficult as possible for those arriving by car in an effort to discourage them. The approach lanes from the A4 are perfectly designed to confuse drivers, and the drop-off zone itself is a Barnum & Bailey act on wheels. The inner lane (i.e. the one directly in front of the entrances, has been closed to taxis and buses for years, just to make matters worse. Those who have prebooked valet parking still have access, though.

Johan

Kensterfly

Flying UA Polaris out of AMS to IAH on Sept 18.
Hoping summer crowds are greatly diminished.

Carry on only. I’d like specific directions, please, to the priority security lines for UA. I’ve heard it’s hard to find them among the masses of people. We want to get through security right away. Hopefully, we will have time to enjoy the lounge but I hear the lounges are outside passport control. I’d hate to run into a long line at passport control after we leave the lounge.

Any guidance and tips regarding security, lounge access, etc is greatly appreciated.

HadesNL

Kensterfly :

Let me be the first to calm your nerves :

- UA uses for its Polaris Business Class passengers the Aspire lounge T3 ,
this is located after you have done security and passport control

- These are the UA check in counters at rows 26 at T3
Seperate lanes for Economy and Premier 1K / Polaris

- Look closely behind the checkin counters
You will see the staircase to economy upper mezzanine security
Access to Business Class + Priority security is to the right of this by staircase/escalator/elevator

- If there is a sea of people and you can not get through,
the central entry to business class + priority security is between checkin counters 23 /24



UA checkin counters at T3 row 26 -
Behind it you see the staircase to economy security,
Entry for Business Class + Priority security is to the right


And now a warning about the Aspire Lounge T3:
The infamous sign has been resurrected!
A word of warning for most Americans with creditcards or those using Priority Pass to enter lounges.
The Aspire lounge T3 during peak hours will only accept passengers travelling business class !


Aspire Lounge T3
Priority pass holders during peak times:
If you can read this, you are to close !

Kensterfly

Thank you, Hades. That is very helpful.
So, if we have no bags to check, can we just walk straight through here to get to those stairs/escalator?

Stanbury

I would be very grateful for any advice that can be offered with regard to travelling via AMS is early October. I’ve been reading this excellent thread fairly consistently, but I am still unsure about our best approach. AMS is probably the major airport in Europe that I know least!

So, Ms SWMBO Stanbury and I will be departing late afternoon from the Belgian coast and both have flights to Canada, both in BIZ (and we both have status in our respective airlines) around noon the next day. Plan is to take the train from Belgium to AMS, stay overnight, and then proceed to our respective airlines, AC to YYZ for me and KLM to YYC for SWMBO – both leaving shortly after noon. We’re trying to identify our best tactic. Neither of us is in the first flush of youth, and I especially tend to be a somewhat slow mover.

AIUI there are three hotels adjacent to and within easy walking distance of Schipol. Their prices however, (particularly the Sheraton and Hilton) are somewhat eye watering; do people think they are worth it? How likely is it that having spent the money for a night in one of them, we will then be prevented from entering the airport and sent to a tent to cool our heels – which would make the price paid somewhat worthless? We are absolutely not “cheap” – just don’t want spend money if it will not help us.

Assuming we avoid the tent experience, which would be the best entrance(s) into Schipol for us to use?

As an alternative, is it reasonable to stay somewhere close-ish to AMS and take a train to the airport in the morning? I have read posts about the local stations (Hoofddorp especially) close to AMS with nearby hotels, but that approach seems to involve a fair bit of schlepping bags, which is not among my very favourite things nor among the things I so most competently these days! A thought I had was to take the train as far as Rotterdam on the evening prior to our flights, where we have to change trains anyway, and where there is I see a hotel (considerably cheaper than those adjacent to AMS) immediately adjacent to the station. Then we could take one of the fast trains to Schipol in the morning. Is this a crazy idea? Is there an advantage to emerging within the station plaza at Schipol?

Within Schipol, at least SWMBO will for sure need to check a bag, with KLM; I may or may not with AC. This may sound funny or even cute maybe, but with respect to our itineraries within Schipol, for how long can we stay together? Will we be sent to different security/passport zones, or … And related, if we do have to use different paths through check-in, border control, and security, is it possible to “meet up again the other side” as it were.

I take it that AC and KLM use NS different lounges.

Sorry this is so long – we are actually both experienced travellers, but neither of us knows Schipol well, and given our approaching decrepitude we’d like to keep things as easy as we can and know what to expect. So thank you in advance for any and all advice.

HadesNL

Kensterfly
Yes you can,

Just explain (if there is any UA queue warden) you want to walk to reach business class security
And that you travel HBO (hand bags only)
Should be fine though in september i hope
But anyway bonne chance!

HadesNL

Stanbury :
first of all,
Is your departure date by any chance :
15 oktober t/m 23 oktober 2022 ?
If not then you have evaded most of the madness of Dutch Autumn School holidays
If yes it could get crowded because most Dutchies think this might be last time to go abroad before winter hiccups/restrictions/troubles etc.

2nd,
i would really reconsider choosing the Sheraton / Hilton or CitizenM at the airport complex
Why?
- you can walk the evening before departure through the terminal to get your bearing and get to see in person where to go
- Hispeed train IC Direct from Rotterdam can be very crowded during peak times - aka sardines in a can
Normal IC service is slower and takes a different route but can be crowded also
Not to mention hiccups in strikes / disruptions could leave you stranded in Rotterdam and it will be an expensive taxi to Amsterdam airport

3rd
* sincerely hope that in October no more tents or max > 4H limits has been abolished ! [wouldn't that be sad]
You can easily evade the time checkers by instead of the travellators, take the elevators from Arrivals T3
( Schiphol Plaza / Railway station) to Departures

4th
i can't comment on KL situation,
if they might have early bag drop for suitcases, if possible that would be the first thing to do in the morning of departure
[others might be in a better position to advise better strategies]

It has been a while that i flew on AC but can remember it using T3
KL is in T2

Both terminals have business class / priority security + which you can access by virtue of your business class boarding pass.
Passport control afterwards is just joining a regular queue
After formalities are done you reach secure airside (Non Schengen) space which is shared by T2 and T3

KL uses the Crowne Lounge (Skyteam)
AC uses the Aspire lounge (contract lounge for StarAlliance)
Both are in secure airside Non Schengen space

Other might be holding better wisdom about lounge and guesting...
But i was under the assumption that in order to guest:
- you must have at least StarGold or Skyteam Elite Plus
- you have to be both flying on a Star Alliance flight or Skyteam flight
! As you are each flying a different airline that is not part of the same alliance, i presume it is impossible to guest one another in the lounge.
* others might advise if there are pay options or such .....

Hope this is informative

Stanbury

Thanks very much for your lengthy, helpful response. Much appreciated.

Your points about staying in Schipol the night before (a) to have a look around (never thought of that!) and (b) to avoid possible strikes and crowds in Rotterdam and on morning trains are very well taken.

Date of flight is Oct 10, so should avoid the school holidays.

As you say AC and KLM are different alliances so no guesting -- we can discuss the relative merits of our lounges by iPhone!

Again, many thanks.