DrLudwig

Prepared for the worst - pleasantly surprised today (3.30pm) to get from check in to lounge in 9 mins with privium (stairs opposite skypriority check in).

Xandrios

This is really bad, especially if it seems to happen 'randomly' and we cannot assume that priority is available. And it doesn't make sense..its not like the total number of pax going through security would be reduced. The only thing saved is the jealous looks from the once-per-year Transavia flyers..

When not flying Skyteam would the stairs opposite of the Skyteam check-in allow access to the priority lane? Alternatively, how about security at 1A? A few weeks ago security at Depatrures 2 was quite busy while walking to my (B) gate I noticed that the Security 1A was almost empty. Does 1A have priority normally?

I'm flying from AMS next week (non-KLM) and the schiphol website predicts maximum crowds during that timeframe. Not looking forward to this..

irishguy28

If your boarding pass doesn't entitle you to the priority line, the priority gate won't open when you scan that boarding pass. Having Skyteam Elite Plus status won't help you if you rock up with a non-Skyteam boarding pass; flashing that Skyteam status card with a non-Skyteam boarding pass is unlikely to move the attendant watching the gate to let you through; you need to be travelling with a boarding pass that entitles you to priority.

BubbaX

Doesn't look that bad now, but a missed connection means I get four hours of magnificent lounge 52 Horeca. Hey Kat. Pedis...

HadesNL

Saturday/Sunday : 47 flights cancelled:
ID*OTS:
doesn't tell which ones though !!

From the source: https://nieuws.klm.com/statement-dru...pril-en-1-mei/

Statement drukte en annuleringen Schiphol weekend 29-30 april en 1 mei

KLM heeft voor zaterdag en zondag tot op heden 47 vluchten (retouren en enkele reizen) geannuleerd. Vrijdag was er al sprake van een totaal van 28 retourvluchten die geannuleerd zijn. Door deze annuleringen kunnen we voor het overgrote deel van onze klanten een aangename start en prettige thuiskomst verzorgen.

Het annuleren moet enerzijds bijdragen aan het verzoek van Schiphol om de processen op de luchthaven maakbaar te houden vanwege het personeelstekort daar. Anderzijds dragen deze annuleringen in het vliegschema van KLM ook bij aan het verlagen van de werkdruk.

Het vluchtschema wordt dit weekend per dag geoptimaliseerd. Meer annuleringen zijn voor nu niet voorzien, maar kunnen nog wel volgen.

We verzoeken onze klanten tijdig naar Schiphol te komen, waarbij geldt dat 3 uur van tevoren gewenst is.

and:
https://www.nu.nl/economie/6197993/k...l_talk_wrapper

Xandrios

Of course, flying C class - just not with Skyteam. Meaning I can't use the escalator to priority security within the Skypriority check-in area. From what I remember the stairs to security across from Skypriority check-in do not offer any priority lane (?) so I was wondering if 1A offers priority security. Don't think I've ever used 1A security before.

johan rebel

I still don't get it. Canceling flights doesn't make the passengers concerned vanish into thin air. KLM still has a contractual obligation to get them to their destinations. Last weekend's strike was hopefully a one-off, the big issue was and remains the airport's inability to get pax through security fast enough. As far as I know, this has mainly affected departing pax. Canceling flights will only result in such pax being rebooked, so they will still show up and clog security, just at another time. Transfer pax will suffer the inconvenience of continuing their journey on a later flight, and will have to hang around the airport, adding to the crowds.

Canceling flights from AMS of course means that the return flights won't operate either, but how's that supposed to help. Arrivals is not an issue anyway, and that transfer pax will have to be rerouted via other hubs and on other carries just means that both KLM and Schiphol will lose revenue, without doing anything to ease congestion at security.

Corendon moving flights to Rotterdam, on the other hand, does make sense. For those pax not greatly inconvenienced by having to travel to RTM instead of AMS, it will probably come as a great relief that they won't have to spend hours waiting in line.

Johan

johan rebel

The access to the stairs from Departures 1 up to security does have priority lanes, both Privium and SkyPriority.

Johan

johan rebel

Purely anecdotal, and things at the airport are no doubt constantly in flux, but my sister arrived by train from Amsterdam at around 6 p.m. last Sunday. No issues whatsoever getting to the KL bag drop counters, where the wait was minimal. The sole challenge was security. Passengers were allowed up the escalator in batches, and then had to join the horrendous queue. Once airside, the airport was very quiet. Maybe because half the pax or more were still standing in line for security.

Johan

johan rebel

I now have a first-hand account from one of my colleagues who flew to MNL two days ago.

They arrived at the airport at 11.30 for a 14.40 flight. For starters, TK screwed up check-in. The staff were allegedly inexperienced, incompetent and ignorant of the Covid requirements for travel to the Philippines. After lengthy and fruitless discussions a supervisor was finally called, who determined that my colleagues were right, and the staff had gotten it wrong. They were then checked in at lightning speed, and told to make a run for it. Ha! They stood in the security queue for hours. Got to the checkpoint at 3 p.m., cleared security at 3.15, ran as fast as their legs could carry them to G7 and got there at 3.30. The delayed flight had departed at 3.27! TK then said tough luck, all flights full, we can accommodate you two days from now. Funny that, because our corporate travel agent simply rebooked them on the very next TK flight from AMS, so they still made their connection to MNL at IST, although they had to run like crazy from one end of that huge airport to the other.

Johan

malmostoso

The only way this makes sense is that if you cancel "holiday" flights during school holidays you'll have a bunch of pissed off but ultimately cheap customers who won't actually ask to be rebooked (since holidays are ruined and/or kids have to go back to school) but just take a refund and "never fly KLM again".

The joke is that the best airline to fly in AMS is easyJet. Never seen a line at the M security.

tourguide

Very true: pax whose flight is canceled will still come to the airport to be rebooked. Or do they think that i won't come to the airport if my flight to MPL (just an example) is canceled? As if i will just drop all my travel plans on the spot? But wait, i had rented a car at MPL and a villa for a week. So i will still be among the crowds at the airport trying to get an alternative flight.
And as we all know, KL carries mostly connecting pax on their european flights. So now i flew in from LPI (just an example) and my connecting flight to NCE was canceled. Now i am still there, at AMS airport, trying to get no NCE. I can see TUI or Corendon move their operations to RTM airport, but not KLM. As far as i can see, the only solution to solve the problems at SPL is to have more staff available aty SPL.

BubbaX

Well, just now watching the SK flight from CPH wait fifteen minutes for the ground crew to show up, I can think of one way reducing flights might help. Still, the Dutch rhetoric is impressive. How many other airports in Europe have suffered similar problems this week? Thus the rule is that the originating/terminating pax get more screwed. Connecting passengers have a choice of airport. You know it looks bad when people start choosing CDG as the more reliable option.

​​​

HadesNL

Public news website opening this morning with:

- today and tomorrow at the airport, passengers should expect again a busy day.
- Corendon & Tui airlines have moved some flight to RTM airport.
- KLM confirms cancelling 47 flights (still doesn't tell which ones!)

In Dutch:
op luchthaven Schiphol wordt vandaag en morgen weer grote drukte verwacht. Schiphol vroeg afgelopen donderdag aan luchtvaartmaatschappijen om vluchten te schrappen om de werkdruk bij personeel te verlichten. KLM annuleert dit weekend zeker 47 vluchten. Luchtvaartmaatschappijen Corendon en TUI hebben vluchten verplaatst.

Volgens verslaggever Beau Heimensen was het vanochtend rond 08.00 uur inderdaad druk, maar lijkt het allemaal goed door te lopen: "Hier in vertrekhal 1 is de wachttijd ongeveer een half uur. Mensen schrikken wel even als ze aan komen lopen, want de parkeerplaatsen zijn vol en ze zien een rij van honderden meters. Maar verderop in de rij zijn reizigers verbaasd en tevreden hoe snel het gaat."

More on:
https://nos.nl/l/2427008


Confirmation by KLM:
https://www.klm.nl/information/trave...ch-may-holiday

Latest travel alerts

Rebook Policy - Amsterdam – Longer waiting times on 30 April and 1 May 2022

On Saturday 30 April 2022 and Sunday 1 May 2022, we expect longer waiting times and possible disrupted flight operations at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Therefore, we offer you a voluntary rebook policy. You can reschedule your travel plans following the below guidelines.

Rebooking and requesting a refund

If you have booked a flight to, from or via Amsterdam on 30 April 2022 or on 1 May 2022, you can see below what rebook and refund options we can offer you. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before 29 April 2022.

Does your original flight depart on 30 April 2022 or on 1 May 2022 to, from or via Amsterdam. Then your new departure date should be before 8 May 2022. You can rebook your flight at the latest on 2 May 2022. Please see below options and rules:

1. Rebook to a different travel date

If your flight was cancelled by us or if you cancelled the flight yourself, you can rebook to a different travel date. Please note that:

• You can only change your travel dates for free if the same travel class is available as mentioned on your original ticket.
• Your new departure date should be before 8 May 2022.

2. Request a travel voucher

If your flight was cancelled by us or if you cancelled the flight yourself, you can request a travel voucher. Please note that:

• You can request a travel voucher that will be valid for one year from the date of issue.
• You can use this voucher for all KLM, Air France, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic flights that are offered on the Air France KLM website.
• You can also use the travel voucher to buy extra options like upgrades, specific seats and baggage on KLM and Air France flights.
• Request a travel voucher

3. Request a refund

If any of your flights was cancelled or if your flight was delayed for more than 3 hours, you can request a full refund of the ticket and extra options.

• Request a refund

* Good Luck to those travelling today!

HadesNL

Finally found it on twitter.
Thanks to Joost van Andel

Here a screenshot of arrivals:





Screenshot of departure flights