Xandrios

I've checked for appointments to get the Iris scan and membership cards. My first flight where I could make use of Privium is the morning of June 18th, exactly a month from now. Well..no availability to make the scan and take receipt of the cards before then. Literally all slots are booked full. Other days (later on) it only has availability at like 6AM. Pfff. The queue to get Privium is worse than the queue to regular security!

So for me the few times this summer than I would need privium due to not being able to get to the airport on time, the first one is already off the table because they can't actually get you signed up within a month.

DYKWIA

I’ve not been through AMS for about 3 years. Prior to that I was going through a couple of times a week. So… quick question :-

If I’m doing a DXB-AMS-MAN on KL, I shouldn’t have any issues? I’ll remain airside and not have to re-clear security?

And… Privium was the best investment I ever made. I spent far too many hours in the landside lounge enjoying the free food and booze. It became my Friday afternoon office - arrive at 14:00 for a 21:00 flight

It also saved me many hours queueing for security and passport control.

Fabo.sk

That's surprising and somewhat worrying (echoing my initial worries when they started giving the perk to Amex Plat holders).

Last time I had to do it, they did it on the spot, but I was already in the system, my card just randomly stopped working.

I'm afraid you will have to go through connection security as DXB will not be considered a safe arrival I believe. No passport control though...

DYKWIA

Thanks. That’s a bit disappointing. I’ve got a 2 hour connection, so hopefully it will be OK. All on a single ticket, so covered if I’m late.

johan rebel

Some years ago I discussed this with Privium management ad nauseam. I'm sure they got pretty tired to me. In a nutshell the reason (excuse?) they gave me that Privium is a business unit with its own budget, and a small player internally at Schiphol. They would have to present a strong business case for a lane of their own, and bear the cost.

Works the same way with the lounges. They compete with retail businesses, airlines and other Schiphol departments for space, both airside and landside.

Johan

johan rebel

Once upon a time, you could take the elevator up from the landside Privium lounge, which gave direct access to a dedicated Privium security lane, physically separated from the other lanes. No longer.

Coming from the landside lounge there's a dedicated Privium gate at the back of the KLM SkyPriority check-in area. From there you take the stairs up, where you will find adjacent Privium and SP gates, which feed into the same (supposedly) priority checkpoint(s). Alternatively, you can make two lefts to the T1 security priority checkpoint. The advantage here is that once through, there's a shortcut to the KLM and Privium lounges. A third option is to walk from the lounge to the far end of T1, where there's a Privium access gate at the bottom of the stairs leading up to security. Once through the gate you join all the other SP pax heading up the stairs.

On the days that Schiphol is a cross between a zoo and a lunatic asylum the challenge of course is to get a) into the terminal, and then b) to the access gates, without standing in line for hours.

Johan

SkyteamEP

Is the mess impacting Schengen departures? I have an upcoming AMS-BSL departing at 8:30am, how soon should I get to AMS (with skypriority and no checked luggage)?

b12e

that's very hard to predict. It depends on the day of week, but also the amount of pax departing at the same time and having to pass through security, the amount of security lanes open, the amount of priority pax passing through, etc.

I guess 2 hours should be plenty if the Schiphol app doesn't say it's a peak day.

BigFlyer

I had Privium around 20 years ago. I seem to recall that there was a Privium lane for Schengen departures. I also remember taking Schengen flights by going through Privium passport control as if I was leaving Schengen, and then using a Privium gate for transit passengers to access the Schengen gates. Of course this was before they had central security, but that wouldn't necessarily make a difference.

I had the basic Privium so I had no lounge access.

Netherlines

If you arrive at 0700 and take the escalotor upstairs from oppositie the KL check-in area with the sign hand luggage only you should be more than okay time wise.There's a SP lane there too.
From my own experiences and i took quite a number of flights during these chaotic months at AMS all incidents,cancellations and long queues happened to me with flights departing after 10.00 AM.
You should have ample time for breakfast in the 25 Lounge.

johan rebel

The landside Privium lounge used to have scanners that gave direct access to non-Schengen departures back when security was still at the gates.

Johan

Fabo.sk

Reporting from today afternoon.

There was a line to enter SP check-in area, couple people. No material impact.
going up to priority check-in "departures 2" e.g. via SP zone, there was a short line, under 5 minutes. Bottleneck was at bag X-Ray which was fairly slow. Another couple minutes. Both my trays went to secondary, FWIW the culprits were DSLR lenses in one and a deo stick in the other.
The non-prio line was all the way through the usual snake, did not use the makeshift snake from the stairs. There was also a bit of a line under the stairs.

Flight wise, a good number of flights delayed about an hour, don't know why. A couple cancelled.

Btw. I've seen a good number of people being escorted to Marechausee while sitting in the Privium lounge. Bet their Q2 numbers will look amazing.
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johan rebel

Let's hope the number of patrons in the Privium lounges doesn't start to look amazing too.

Johan

johan rebel

According to Luchtvaartnieuws KLM is blaming airport congestion, the weather, and staff shortages. The airline is expecting to cancel flights daily for the foreseeable future.

Johan
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Netherlines

I doubt that the Privium Departures Lounge will be busy this summer.Many patrons won't risk missing their flight.