FlyingRVS

Thanks Erik. Near certain to work... as long as they don't ask you to scan the pass first..

This morning I actually thought of adding SP logo to wife's boarding card (using Adobe to change pdf file). Not sure though if scanners in SP area are programmed to check for FB status.

johan rebel

Two agents checking access to the back door today. While my Privium card was being scanned, I saw them carefully scrutinizing the boarding cards proffered by those in line. Guess that explains why there was a line in the first place, had they just waved everyone through as soon as they spotted the red SP square there would not have been one. I very much doubt they demand IDs and check them against the boarding cards, though.

Johan

johan rebel

Haven't seen my three SP colleagues since I entered the terminal, I'll ask at the gate how they fared.

Updated to add that all three used the back door. Not having Privium it took them a bit longer, and once upstairs they were directed to T2 security. None of them noted exactly how long it took, but they said it wasn't too bad. One had his bag sent to secondary because of a bottle of water. Happens every time.

Johan

BillShepp

A quick report from a UA interloper here. My AMS - SFO flight is scheduled to depart at 2:50PM. I took the train, arrived at Schiphol at 11:15. No sign of crowds in Schiphol Plaza area. I headed to Departures 3 security, the line extended to the area next to the first check-in counters (rows 17/18). It took about 30 minutes to get to the boarding pass readers and upstairs, at which point I was able to get in the priority line and it was about another fifteen minutes. So 45 minutes through security, would have been an extra 30 minutes without priority according to the sign. I suspect noon-ish is a lighter time for departures based on the reports here of chaos in the mornings and late afternoon/evening.

With about two hours before boarding I headed into the Shengen area (through secondary passport control) to get to the *A lounge next to the KLM lounge, given the mediocre reviews of the Aspire 41 lounge, and I might as well get some walking in at the airport before my long flight home. I’ll leave shortly to head back to the non-Shengen side, hopeful it’s only a few minutes to get through emigration.

Thanks for all the very useful information here!

- Bill

OttoMH

Departures 2 SkyPrority & Privium quite busy today at midday, only 3 or 4 lates open for the whole security area so staff were drip-feeding priority and non priority in to 2 lanes at the priority end.

Passed the Privium gate at 12:39 and walked out with coat and belt on at 12:56 so not horrendous.. Non-priority looked like a long wait though, it was full and only 2(and a half) lanes open.

What is a real pain in the ..., and really quite dangerous, is the critical lack of escalator facilities. The up and down escalators to high D pier from Holland Boulevard Schengen side were both out of action. Everybody trying to lump their carry-on up and down the stairs. No elevators obvious anywhere. Same with the high D gates D66 & 68, both kapot. I'm hobbling with a sprained ankle at the moment - I'll live - but I am quite concerned about the elderly and others with reduced mobility, somebody is gonna go head first down one of these stairways one day.

johan rebel

Disaster zone. Line at 1:30 p.m. stretched almost to the Hilton.

HadesNL

We are already indebted for such a detailed live report on the current situation,
Privium seems to be the key here as it seems the major uncertainty only then is the redirect from priority security to the other priority security stations.

And lines for passport control untill the Grand Café in T1! Yikes !
Enjoy your lunch and safe flight!

BA850

At what point does someone at the top (preferably Benschop) take responsibility and make way for fresh leadership?

Edit: For those looking for additional photographs of the chaos, I'd recommend popping over to Twitter and searching for 'Schiphol Airport'. Quite appalling scenes.

HadesNL

Glad that the thread could help out, but please really really allocate enough time to get back to nonschengen part because the situation is very unpredictable.


BA850 : yes the twitter live latest #schiphol shows despair & agony in its zenith!
Hope all these passengers would put their name on a registry list as a petition to bring Dick Benschop to his knees to step down...... imagine this situation continuing in rain, hail, gale, snow, wintery weather!

BillShepp

Quick update, there was a fair line at emigration from Shengen to non-Shengen, with the self-check booths all closed and only three of ten of the booths staffed. I estimated about a 20 minute wait. Ten minutes in they opened 1/2 of the self-check booths at which point much of the line moved over, and I was through in a few more minutes.

- Bill

HadesNL

BillShepp : glad you made it, thanks for giving us all an update!
Have a safe flight back to SFO - let's hope the cooling sundae cart makes a surprise visit

dubistokay

I departed this past Saturday morning - normally a quiet time - and the non-priority queue already indicated things were spiralling out of control again.

I’m conscious the matter is far more nuanced that a simple call for heads to roll, however the Dutch state as the majority shareholder is putting the reputation of the entire country at risk by failing to act. Heads must roll indeed, the entire leadership incl. supervision must be fired, with incentive payments clawed back as necessary. I know the CEO previously played the continuity card to avoid being ousted, however continuity is the last thing the airport needs after months of many months of total operational failure. This persistent situation is a one that’s completely unthinkable in other highly regulated sectors of the economy.

BA850

I do feel particularly sorry for those whose compensation, after this chaos, will take the form of a Wanders Box - talk about adding insult to injury...

FlyingRVS

Very well said.

roelst

After years of reading this forum, this mess pushed me to create an account because I will be going through the madness with my wife in a few days for a KLM flight to Singapore.

I have Privium and SP benefits but the significant other does not, so I came up with two plans:
1. Use my Privium card to go through the Privium scanner and give my SP boarding pass to my wife for her to use at the BP scanner.
2. The other option is for her to simply show my BP to the person checking priority access and then use her own BP to go through the scanner.

I have concerns for both though. Will (1) get her in trouble because her BP will not pass a scanner before getting to the gate? And can someone confirm that (2) still works? I'm sure the scanner didn't check for priority a few years ago, but they may have changed that recently.