Mess in AMS today - April 2022 onwards
May 24, 2022, 2:02 am
#391
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: London / Amsterdam
Programs: Flying Blue
Posts: 223
Arrived 7.45 for my 11.30 flight and got through security & passport control within 20 minutes. Priority lane & handluggage only, with ready2fly. It seems that the priority lane was well managed, as they directed us from a rather crowded priority lane to an empty one! Perfect 
Now stuck at the lounge for a few hours, but could be worse
Now stuck at the lounge for a few hours, but could be worse
May 24, 2022, 2:09 am
#392
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Programs: KL Gold, SQ KF Gold, CX Green
Posts: 9,402
May 24, 2022, 2:24 am
#393
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 185
He is on his way home from Davos.
May 24, 2022, 2:49 am
#394
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,339
Thanks for the impressions! For reference if anyone is using these pics to estimate crowd levels for their flight: Today is classified as a "Busy day" according to Schiphol. Yesterday was an "Extremely busy day".
May 24, 2022, 3:00 am
#395
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,471
Is there any prospect of them sorting this out in the short term? Would generally assume staffing issues to be a ~6 month problem at best.
Contemplating a trip back to the UK, but this is giving me serious pause as it would likely be an easyJet trip and my wife is American so can't join Privium.
Contemplating a trip back to the UK, but this is giving me serious pause as it would likely be an easyJet trip and my wife is American so can't join Privium.
May 24, 2022, 3:02 am
#396
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 544
I'm glad I found this thread. We've got a flight out of Schiphol to Detroit on August 21st (Sunday), departing at 12:50 (so, ostensibly right in the middle of the busiest time). Currently planning to stay at the Sheraton next to the terminal. If the situation isn't resolved by then, is it worth perhaps paying extra to stay at Yotelair instead? Assume security won't be such a mess in the evening due to fewer flights leaving... And would upgrading to Premium Select (so, SkyPriority) give us any advantages in skipping the security lines?
I agree with malmostoso - just go from the Sheraton to the terminal before 7 and you'll be fine. Plenty of ways to kill time airside in the non-Schengen area - walking around, people watching, planespotting, checking out the mini rijksmuseum, (window)shopping if that's your thing, etc.
May 24, 2022, 3:14 am
#397
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 544
Is there any prospect of them sorting this out in the short term? Would generally assume staffing issues to be a ~6 month problem at best.
Contemplating a trip back to the UK, but this is giving me serious pause as it would likely be an easyJet trip and my wife is American so can't join Privium.
Contemplating a trip back to the UK, but this is giving me serious pause as it would likely be an easyJet trip and my wife is American so can't join Privium.
May 24, 2022, 3:14 am
#398
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 185
SkyPriority usually helps with the security line, though there have been days this year where they've abandoned/closed all priority lines so it's not a guarantee. The VIP centre (https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/schiphol-vip-service/) can get you through faster, but at a significant price (€471.90 for the first passenger, €211.75 for each additional passenger), and they still ask for at least 90 minutes.
I agree with malmostoso - just go from the Sheraton to the terminal before 7 and you'll be fine. Plenty of ways to kill time airside in the non-Schengen area - walking around, people watching, planespotting, checking out the mini rijksmuseum, (window)shopping if that's your thing, etc.
I agree with malmostoso - just go from the Sheraton to the terminal before 7 and you'll be fine. Plenty of ways to kill time airside in the non-Schengen area - walking around, people watching, planespotting, checking out the mini rijksmuseum, (window)shopping if that's your thing, etc.
May 24, 2022, 3:20 am
#399
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Programs: KL Gold, SQ KF Gold, CX Green
Posts: 9,402
Schiphol itself says that people should expect the airport to be very busy all summer. Days like yesterday are still the exception rather than the rule: we flew on May 7 and were through security and passport control in 10 minutes, and I heard from around ten friends since then who were all through in less than 30 minutes. But you can be unlucky and find yourself in queues like yesterday’s.
May 24, 2022, 3:46 am
#400
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
Report from the battlefront
Dropped off at 10:25, reached the airside Privium Express Lounge at 10:50.
- no queues outside, nor inside on the check-in level.
- SkyPriority and Privium gates open. Direct access to the latter, everybody else had to go through a tensa barrier maze. Didn't take long, a colleague who went through the maze just beat me to the stairs, as I had stopped for half a minute at the Privium gate to take pics.
- upstairs direct access to the Privium gate, nobody ahead of me. Three people loading trays at the priority checkpoint and one person ahead of me in line (same colleague).
- the screening took far too long, due to general incompetence. While I was there three different staff members manned the x-ray. They spent more time talking to each other than looking at the screen, and 50%+ went to secondary, including both my colleague's trays and one of mine. For no good reason of course. The five (!) staff struggled to login to the terminal that shows the x-ray images, and were generally completely disorganized. Things only got moving again when an agent from the adjacent regular lane took over.
- the line to regular security zigged back and zagged forth, but kept moving.
In sum, it could have been much much worse. It is obvious that if the screening process was organized and executed professionally and efficiently the lines would be far shorter. More staff is surely needed, but competence is also a huge issue.
Privium gate far right
Regular security line upstairs.
Privium Express Lounge
- no queues outside, nor inside on the check-in level.
- SkyPriority and Privium gates open. Direct access to the latter, everybody else had to go through a tensa barrier maze. Didn't take long, a colleague who went through the maze just beat me to the stairs, as I had stopped for half a minute at the Privium gate to take pics.
- upstairs direct access to the Privium gate, nobody ahead of me. Three people loading trays at the priority checkpoint and one person ahead of me in line (same colleague).
- the screening took far too long, due to general incompetence. While I was there three different staff members manned the x-ray. They spent more time talking to each other than looking at the screen, and 50%+ went to secondary, including both my colleague's trays and one of mine. For no good reason of course. The five (!) staff struggled to login to the terminal that shows the x-ray images, and were generally completely disorganized. Things only got moving again when an agent from the adjacent regular lane took over.
- the line to regular security zigged back and zagged forth, but kept moving.
In sum, it could have been much much worse. It is obvious that if the screening process was organized and executed professionally and efficiently the lines would be far shorter. More staff is surely needed, but competence is also a huge issue.
Privium gate far right
Regular security line upstairs.
Privium Express Lounge
May 24, 2022, 4:09 am
#401
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
Miscellaneous Privium observations
- Privium Express Lounge was supposed to be open until 9 p.m., but will close at 1 p.m. due to staff shortages. They have nobody to replace the lounge agent whose shift ends at 1.30 p.m.
- lounge not very busy, never over a dozen patrons. Breakfast catering very meager by Privium standards.
- agent assured me that on days like yesterday Privium members can bypass all lines outside and go through the nearest entrance door simply by showing their card. I hope I never have to try.
- somebody tried to get into the lounge with an expired card. He had let his membership lapse in 2020 (wonder why?), and not paid up, despite four reminders. He was told he could renew his membership on the spot if he paid his dues for 2020, 2021 & 2022. He declined. The agent also said that he could have asked to have his membership paused, in which case he would not have been charged for the pandemic years.
- agent confirmed that Privium has received a tsunami of new applications in the past few months. I hope they all go for the basic membership, to avoid lounge overcrowding.
Johan
- lounge not very busy, never over a dozen patrons. Breakfast catering very meager by Privium standards.
- agent assured me that on days like yesterday Privium members can bypass all lines outside and go through the nearest entrance door simply by showing their card. I hope I never have to try.
- somebody tried to get into the lounge with an expired card. He had let his membership lapse in 2020 (wonder why?), and not paid up, despite four reminders. He was told he could renew his membership on the spot if he paid his dues for 2020, 2021 & 2022. He declined. The agent also said that he could have asked to have his membership paused, in which case he would not have been charged for the pandemic years.
- agent confirmed that Privium has received a tsunami of new applications in the past few months. I hope they all go for the basic membership, to avoid lounge overcrowding.
Johan
May 24, 2022, 4:18 am
#402
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 185
- Privium Express Lounge was supposed to be open until 9 p.m., but will close at 1 p.m. due to staff shortages. They have nobody to replace the lounge agent whose shift ends at 1.30 p.m.
- lounge not very busy, never over a dozen patrons. Breakfast catering very meager by Privium standards.
- agent assured me that on days like yesterday Privium members can bypass all lines outside and go through the nearest entrance door simply by showing their card. I hope I never have to try.
- somebody tried to get into the lounge with an expired card. He had let his membership lapse in 2020 (wonder why?), and not paid up, despite four reminders. He was told he could renew his membership on the spot if he paid his dues for 2020, 2021 & 2022. He declined. The agent also said that he could have asked to have his membership paused, in which case he would not have been charged for the pandemic years.
- agent confirmed that Privium has received a tsunami of new applications in the past few months. I hope they all go for the basic membership, to avoid lounge overcrowding.
Johan
- lounge not very busy, never over a dozen patrons. Breakfast catering very meager by Privium standards.
- agent assured me that on days like yesterday Privium members can bypass all lines outside and go through the nearest entrance door simply by showing their card. I hope I never have to try.
- somebody tried to get into the lounge with an expired card. He had let his membership lapse in 2020 (wonder why?), and not paid up, despite four reminders. He was told he could renew his membership on the spot if he paid his dues for 2020, 2021 & 2022. He declined. The agent also said that he could have asked to have his membership paused, in which case he would not have been charged for the pandemic years.
- agent confirmed that Privium has received a tsunami of new applications in the past few months. I hope they all go for the basic membership, to avoid lounge overcrowding.
Johan
May 24, 2022, 4:31 am
#403
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Programs: KL Gold, SQ KF Gold, CX Green
Posts: 9,402
Trade union FNV wants better work conditions and fewer passengers before June 1st, or else…… (link in Dutch)
Also a nice video of yesterday’s mess in that link….
Also a nice video of yesterday’s mess in that link….
May 24, 2022, 4:35 am
#404
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: AMS / LOP
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb., Marriott Gold, FB Plat, BAEC Silver
Posts: 481
- Privium Express Lounge was supposed to be open until 9 p.m., but will close at 1 p.m. due to staff shortages. They have nobody to replace the lounge agent whose shift ends at 1.30 p.m.
- lounge not very busy, never over a dozen patrons. Breakfast catering very meager by Privium standards.
- agent assured me that on days like yesterday Privium members can bypass all lines outside and go through the nearest entrance door simply by showing their card. I hope I never have to try.
- somebody tried to get into the lounge with an expired card. He had let his membership lapse in 2020 (wonder why?), and not paid up, despite four reminders. He was told he could renew his membership on the spot if he paid his dues for 2020, 2021 & 2022. He declined. The agent also said that he could have asked to have his membership paused, in which case he would not have been charged for the pandemic years.
- agent confirmed that Privium has received a tsunami of new applications in the past few months. I hope they all go for the basic membership, to avoid lounge overcrowding.
Johan
- lounge not very busy, never over a dozen patrons. Breakfast catering very meager by Privium standards.
- agent assured me that on days like yesterday Privium members can bypass all lines outside and go through the nearest entrance door simply by showing their card. I hope I never have to try.
- somebody tried to get into the lounge with an expired card. He had let his membership lapse in 2020 (wonder why?), and not paid up, despite four reminders. He was told he could renew his membership on the spot if he paid his dues for 2020, 2021 & 2022. He declined. The agent also said that he could have asked to have his membership paused, in which case he would not have been charged for the pandemic years.
- agent confirmed that Privium has received a tsunami of new applications in the past few months. I hope they all go for the basic membership, to avoid lounge overcrowding.
Johan
May 24, 2022, 4:54 am
#405
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: AMS+IAH
Programs: Lufthansa: Senator || IHG: Diamond Royal Ambassador Inner Circle || Plutonium Status
Posts: 3,504
Is this a recent feature from your last trip to Lombok.....?
and will this be during the summer months?
Anything better then the G*D awful Aspire lounge!
(which is still mentioned on SQ lounge website)
And i know see the Privium lounges have become pay4use for non members:
https://www.schiphol.nl/en/privium/a...r-journey/Even if you are not a Privium member, you can enjoy all the convenience and comfort of one of the Privium Lounges. Costs:
- Privium ClubLounge Departures: € 50
- Privium ClubLounge West: € 60
- Privium ExpressLounge: € 40
Last edited by HadesNL; May 24, 2022 at 5:00 am