DeppityDawg

I just flew KL 1080 MAN AMS with 18:15 scheduled departure. Got to the airport 2 hours before, tried to go through Fast Track, got a lecture from the guy about how Sky Priority doesn’t give you Fast Track and why do “you people” always think it does? And then he let me through anyway, but it was anything but “Fast” with so many bags sent to secondary inspection that the whole belt was jammed.

Then I got to the Escape/1903 lounge desk where they were telling all KLM passengers that they were letting us in as a “special kindness” to the 1903 Lounge because KLM only contracts with the Escape Lounge, which closes at 17:00. Again, the flight is scheduled for 18:15, and it was eventually delayed by an hour. 1903 is a fine lounge and the staff were nice enough but they made it very clear that we were not supposed to be there. Was this the very first day this flight has operated? Or do they put on this show every afternoon? Anyway, if it is true that KLM doesn’t actually pay for a lounge for passengers on this last flight of the day, I don’t blame the staff at all.

I arrived at AMS and went straight to Lounge 52, which is supposedly open until 22:00. There was plenty of staff there and they let me in no problem, but everything was already shut down at 21:30. No food and no bar, fair enough, but even the water fountains were shut off. I asked if I could get water and I was told to go drink water in the toilet “because this is how we do it in Holland”. I think they should probably just say that they close at 21:30 (but then they would shut everything off at 21:00, and so on).

johan rebel

Who on earth came up with the idea that the Dutch are so direct?

Johan

irishguy28

Last month, I was on the 20:45 KLM flight from DUB. I arrived at the lounge at 18:25 to be told it was closing at 18:30. And it did close shortly thereafter.

My flight that night didn't depart until 23:09.



South Central does it like nobody does!

PeteM01

From the MAN website:

Relax in a Terminal 2 lounge

Relax in one of Terminal 2's comfortable airport lounges while you wait for your KLM flight. Choose from Escape or adults-only 1903.

Solevita

It looks like they just took the old T1 page and simply replaced Terminal 1 with Terminal 2.

https://web.archive.org/web/20210729...operators/klm/

PeteM01

I contacted 1903 and asked about KLM business passenger access to the lounge. They were unable (or unwilling) to tell me if access was allowed (as per the website) and advised m to contact KLM…waiting for a reply now.

PeteM01

While I am waiting, I see that the Skyteam lounge finder has been updated for MAN:

Escape Lounge

Location:
Terminal 2 – Proceed through security and then head through Duty Free. The lounge is located on the mezzanine level. Follow the signs for “Escape Lounge”.
Opening hours:
05:00 - 17:00 After 17:00, our customers are accepted in the 1903 Lounge which is open until 20:00.

Presumably, this is contracted access, so not a ‘special kindness’…

PeteM01

After a bizarre twitter exchange with KLM, I am none the wiser as to the availability of FastTrack security for KLM J pax or FB Gold/Plat at MAN. They cannot tell me if there is a contract to provide access and advised asking MAN. MAN told me to ask KLM…

titan4

For what it's worth I used Security FastTrack at MAN at the beginning of June flying Economy with FB Gold.

mpkz

And I used it in May as FB Plat without problems.. Well, not entirely without problems, it took like 15 minutes because for some reason it was also the line staff were using, but no problems related to access.