Mess in AMS today - April 2022 onwards
Oct 3, 22, 3:34 am
#2701
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,616
Transit this morning definitley not as bad as I feared. Schengen exit at 10.15, no lines at the E-gates. Aspire 41 uninspirational as always, but I managed to get a table in a pretty full lounge. SQ being clever and booking out a portion of the lounge to ensure seats for their customers. This on a day Schipol projected to be very busy, but of course the day is still young.
Oct 3, 22, 4:06 am
#2703
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: AMSTERDAM = one of those attic homes with steepstaircases of death
Programs: Lufthansa: Senator || IHG: Diamond Royal Ambassador Inner Circle || Plutonium Status
Posts: 2,116
view : did i read this right?
SQ still carving out their dedicated space in the T3 Aspire Lounge ?
FT: members jinsterrr and martijn zaal,
reported being able to get invites to the Privium Lounge west as SQ Business Class passengers instead of being dumped in the T3 Aspire lounge
But it could be that
- it is now past 1st October so the arrangement must have ended contractwise
- T3 Aspire lounge is voor SQ passengers with StarGold status in Economy and Privium Lounge west for SQ business class
SQ still carving out their dedicated space in the T3 Aspire Lounge ?
FT: members jinsterrr and martijn zaal,
reported being able to get invites to the Privium Lounge west as SQ Business Class passengers instead of being dumped in the T3 Aspire lounge
But it could be that
- it is now past 1st October so the arrangement must have ended contractwise
- T3 Aspire lounge is voor SQ passengers with StarGold status in Economy and Privium Lounge west for SQ business class
Oct 3, 22, 4:21 am
#2704
Join Date: Oct 2022
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by HadesNL
Jinsterrrr :
First of all, welcome to flyertalk!
Second, thank you for taking the time to report your experience at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.
Third, to give a response to your observations:
- Schiphol airport has a lot of new staff, some also hired to cope with the chaos and are as such never properly informed about options for premium passengers as they need to steer mostly the general public flying economy
- At all passport control stations there has never been a priority line for First/Business Class passengers, only Privium/Diplomatic/Disabled/crew may skip the lines
- if you think the Amsterdam Privium lounge west can't compare to SKL Singapore than you have set the expectation bar too high:
- SKL Singapore is SQ's own business class lounge at its hub, operated by SQ themselves for eligable SQ-passengers +StarAlliance business class passengers
- Privium Lounge West is Amsterdam airport's own lounge normally for certain Privium members only,
it serves SQ as an outstation contract lounge, the standards/operations of which are outside SQ management control
be glad you weren't sent to the Aspire lounge : similair to the approach of deplore!
- the early boarding might be a relic leftover when passengers at the gate were informed about needing to mask up for flights to Singapore and ground staff needed to handout masks and politely reminded that while boarding the aircraft, Singaporean rules apply....
+ the fact passengers would be (fooled) to come early to the gate as not to rush last minute and be caught by airport queues / walking distance once airside ........ It is usually a 10 min+ from the location of the Privium Lounge west at Holland Boulevard through all the crowds to reach the G-gates.... especially for those less nimble and fast...
The SQ situation at Schiphol might also be similair at Changi airport with " Gate open"
meaning the gate is now managed by SQ ground staff
and as such any last minute needs can be attended to, before really boarding the aircraft
Anyways, glad you made it safely and didn't miss the flight.
First of all, welcome to flyertalk!
Second, thank you for taking the time to report your experience at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.
Third, to give a response to your observations:
- Schiphol airport has a lot of new staff, some also hired to cope with the chaos and are as such never properly informed about options for premium passengers as they need to steer mostly the general public flying economy
- At all passport control stations there has never been a priority line for First/Business Class passengers, only Privium/Diplomatic/Disabled/crew may skip the lines
- if you think the Amsterdam Privium lounge west can't compare to SKL Singapore than you have set the expectation bar too high:
- SKL Singapore is SQ's own business class lounge at its hub, operated by SQ themselves for eligable SQ-passengers +StarAlliance business class passengers
- Privium Lounge West is Amsterdam airport's own lounge normally for certain Privium members only,
it serves SQ as an outstation contract lounge, the standards/operations of which are outside SQ management control
be glad you weren't sent to the Aspire lounge : similair to the approach of deplore!
- the early boarding might be a relic leftover when passengers at the gate were informed about needing to mask up for flights to Singapore and ground staff needed to handout masks and politely reminded that while boarding the aircraft, Singaporean rules apply....
+ the fact passengers would be (fooled) to come early to the gate as not to rush last minute and be caught by airport queues / walking distance once airside ........ It is usually a 10 min+ from the location of the Privium Lounge west at Holland Boulevard through all the crowds to reach the G-gates.... especially for those less nimble and fast...
The SQ situation at Schiphol might also be similair at Changi airport with " Gate open"
meaning the gate is now managed by SQ ground staff
and as such any last minute needs can be attended to, before really boarding the aircraft
Anyways, glad you made it safely and didn't miss the flight.
I actually was sent to the Aspire lounge by another airport staff... LOL. The invitation card to Privium Club West Lounge doesn't say what lounge number that is. All the direction signs at the airport only specify lounge in terms of numbers. So I asked a staff by showing her my invite card. She said: "Oh that's lounge 41."... so I went to 41. That was Aspire, had a long queue to get in, and looked not quite right - so I immediately left. And eventually found Privium is Lounge 43. I wasted another 5min with that little detour.
Yes, I understand a home airline lounge at the home airport (Silverkris in Singapore) would always be the most premium possible lounge for that airline. And Privium was an airport lounge, not an airline lounge.
My first post here actually went to the moderator for approval but never appeared. It was a data point as follows:
1. We took an Uber at 6AM to arrive at AMS at 0615 - no traffic jam in front of the airport.
2. My GF went through security at Departure 1 in just 10min.
3. I needed to check in luggage at Departure 3 at 0700. So I was ready for security at 0715. At that point, the security at Departure 3 was showing "0-5min" queue time. Security at Departure 1 was probably around 10min. I entered the priority line (for business class) for security at Departure 1 (in order to meet up with my GF at Schengen airside as she was flying to Austria). The priority security line took 10-15min due to having only 1 scanner machine, whereas the security for non-priority would've taken only 5-10min due to having a queue twice as long, but having 4 scanners operating.
4. Further data: at 0730, passport control Departure 3 to Departure 1 (Schengen to non-Schengen) had zero wait. At 0900 when I entered the area, that was 70min wait.
Oct 3, 22, 5:25 am
#2705
Join Date: Oct 2022
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by irishguy28
...but this is your first (and so far, only) post! 
I have since re-posted another to clarify, but that one is pending approval too.
Let's see if this one, right here this one, goes to approval or not.
Oct 3, 22, 5:54 am
#2706
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: AMS
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum, TK Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 166
October 3rd - 1 PM
No lines downstairs at the ‘regular’ Priority checkpoint. Have not yet observed the upstairs situation. The regular Y pax line is moving along the tent outside. Looks like a ‘busy’ day, but manageable.
UPDATE 2:35 PM
Regular Priority line gets directed to the left (Departures 1). First two lanes are open, moving swiftly. About 30-35 people in front of me.
No lines downstairs at the ‘regular’ Priority checkpoint. Have not yet observed the upstairs situation. The regular Y pax line is moving along the tent outside. Looks like a ‘busy’ day, but manageable.
UPDATE 2:35 PM
Regular Priority line gets directed to the left (Departures 1). First two lanes are open, moving swiftly. About 30-35 people in front of me.
Last edited by Didymis; Oct 3, 22 at 6:40 am
Oct 3, 22, 7:41 am
#2707
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: OSL-MAD
Programs: FB Plat
Posts: 164
Originally Posted by Didymis
UPDATE 2:35 PM
Regular Priority line gets directed to the left (Departures 1). First two lanes are open, moving swiftly. About 30-35 people in front of me.
Regular Priority line gets directed to the left (Departures 1). First two lanes are open, moving swiftly. About 30-35 people in front of me.
Oct 3, 22, 7:56 am
#2708
Join Date: May 2005
Location: EUR
Programs: FB Plat./BA Gold (thanks BD)/A3 *Gold/HH Diamond/A Club Gold
Posts: 918
My first transit in Schiphol since pre-covid today. Wow.... What happened?
Longish queue for Immigration, no priority queue (the agent told me "No, you have long enough between flights - you can wait", true, but I would have have preferred to have spent those 20 minutes already in the lounge with a coffee. This after leaving a busy CDG 2F in peak time and taking a whopping 5 minutes to get through secrity and be seated in the lounge...
And the lounge in Schiphol... very attractive renovation - but... the food is worse than ever and the few staff look like they are still mourning QEII, or someone - had to sit at a filthy table covered in plates and it took 50 minutes until someone came past with a big trolley to clean things up (but certainly not to speak to me or anyone else in the lounge, and even less chance of a smile....), really unpleasant people in a beautiful but filthy environment... WHY?
Finally, when they did the refurb, and went through Covid, I see nobody had the good idea to make a lounge that was at least in the vicinity of the boarding gates, felt like I had to walk to the Polderbaan to get to the lounge (and leave 20 minutes early to get back to my gate) just like in the past.
Sorry about the rant in this forum - you must live this every day, but after the new lounge in CDG and the noticeable improvements in quality and service in teh south, how did AFKL let this happen?
Longish queue for Immigration, no priority queue (the agent told me "No, you have long enough between flights - you can wait", true, but I would have have preferred to have spent those 20 minutes already in the lounge with a coffee. This after leaving a busy CDG 2F in peak time and taking a whopping 5 minutes to get through secrity and be seated in the lounge...
And the lounge in Schiphol... very attractive renovation - but... the food is worse than ever and the few staff look like they are still mourning QEII, or someone - had to sit at a filthy table covered in plates and it took 50 minutes until someone came past with a big trolley to clean things up (but certainly not to speak to me or anyone else in the lounge, and even less chance of a smile....), really unpleasant people in a beautiful but filthy environment... WHY?
Finally, when they did the refurb, and went through Covid, I see nobody had the good idea to make a lounge that was at least in the vicinity of the boarding gates, felt like I had to walk to the Polderbaan to get to the lounge (and leave 20 minutes early to get back to my gate) just like in the past.
Sorry about the rant in this forum - you must live this every day, but after the new lounge in CDG and the noticeable improvements in quality and service in teh south, how did AFKL let this happen?
Oct 3, 22, 9:03 am
#2709
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: HAG
Programs: ST E+, *G, some hotel gold...
Posts: 5,009
Originally Posted by AnaTFN
What do you mean by "regular priority"? isn't there only one priority line where everyone gets mixed? (Privium, sky priority, other airlines priority...)
Oct 3, 22, 10:05 am
#2710
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: EU
Programs: FB Plat, All Accor Silver
Posts: 405
Originally Posted by jsfr
My first transit in Schiphol since pre-covid today. Wow.... What happened?
Longish queue for Immigration, no priority queue (the agent told me "No, you have long enough between flights - you can wait", true, but I would have have preferred to have spent those 20 minutes already in the lounge with a coffee.
Longish queue for Immigration, no priority queue (the agent told me "No, you have long enough between flights - you can wait", true, but I would have have preferred to have spent those 20 minutes already in the lounge with a coffee.
Oct 3, 22, 12:06 pm
#2711
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,616
Originally Posted by HadesNL
view : did i read this right?
SQ still carving out their dedicated space in the T3 Aspire Lounge ?
FT: members jinsterrr and martijn zaal,
reported being able to get invites to the Privium Lounge west as SQ Business Class passengers instead of being dumped in the T3 Aspire lounge
But it could be that
- it is now past 1st October so the arrangement must have ended contractwise
- T3 Aspire lounge is voor SQ passengers with StarGold status in Economy and Privium Lounge west for SQ business class
SQ still carving out their dedicated space in the T3 Aspire Lounge ?
FT: members jinsterrr and martijn zaal,
reported being able to get invites to the Privium Lounge west as SQ Business Class passengers instead of being dumped in the T3 Aspire lounge
But it could be that
- it is now past 1st October so the arrangement must have ended contractwise
- T3 Aspire lounge is voor SQ passengers with StarGold status in Economy and Privium Lounge west for SQ business class
Oct 3, 22, 1:48 pm
#2712
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: Delta GM; FB Plat; HHonors Diamond; Hertz PC; National EE
Posts: 187
Originally Posted by b12e
Schiphol hasn't offered priority immigration in recent years. Only short connections and Privium. This hasn't changed in the last 5 years or so (when I started flying through Schiphol).
Sure, there are several systems in place such as Global Entry in the US, Privium at AMS, and similar systems in other countries. But they are all membership based and usually only open for a select group of people based on nationality.
It's in the east where travelling in J sometimes gets you priority treatment at immigrations, for example in Dubai (if the airline pays for the service), Singapore, New Delhi, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, etc. Not in Europe nor the US.And not in Australia or New Zealand either. I have also never had such priviliges in South or Central America, so it really seems to be an asian thing.
Oct 3, 22, 2:54 pm
#2713
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 20,191
Originally Posted by roelb
AFAIK, no airports in the west have any form of priority for immigrations, except for the usual diplomat/crew line. That has never been a thing for premium class passengers.
It's in the east where travelling in J sometimes gets you priority treatment at immigrations, for example in Dubai (if the airline pays for the service), Singapore, New Delhi, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, etc. Not in Europe nor the US.And not in Australia or New Zealand either. I have also never had such priviliges in South or Central America, so it really seems to be an asian thing.
It's in the east where travelling in J sometimes gets you priority treatment at immigrations, for example in Dubai (if the airline pays for the service), Singapore, New Delhi, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, etc. Not in Europe nor the US.And not in Australia or New Zealand either. I have also never had such priviliges in South or Central America, so it really seems to be an asian thing.
Oct 4, 22, 12:47 am
#2714
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 3
Hi everyone, this Saturday will be my first time flying out of Schiphol since the chaos. I have SP but my partner does not, now this was never a problem before. However apparently, someone checks boarding passes for the SP banner after SP check in and before taking the stairs to the security. This might be a stupid idea, but could I not just add the red SP banner to my partner's boarding pass and get by the person checking BP's that way? The actual gate upstairs doesn't check for SP.
