777 global mile hound

Hi All
I'm excited to be flying ORD to AMS in business this week.and then onto other destinations
Its been years flying AA/BA but I actually got the KLM website to take a booking for once without crashing

How long does the community here suggest in advance should I arrive to ORD before departure presently?
Is 3 hours in advance enough for a 4 PM departure?
And the nightmare problems in Schiphol shouldn't affect transiting passengers I assume?That's what my Dutch friends shared
Final Question is there a lounge at ORD for KLM pax?
I've heard it was closed so a bit confused
Thanks in advance!

BA850

Three hours should be enough from ORD.

The problems in Schiphol may affect you in several ways. Please see the thread: Mess in AMS today - April 2022 onwards for the most up-to-date information. This thread sees more or less daily updates.

But broadly speaking, the issues you may face are as follows:

1. Delays and Cancellations. If the outbound flight to ORD is delayed, your inbound is likely to be delayed too. Some flights are being cancelled at Schiphol’s behest (more likely to affect your connection, more details in the thread linked above).

2. Passport Control. You may face considerable queues at Passport Control if you’re transiting from Non-Schengen to Schengen. There is a short connections lane if you need it though.

3. Baggage. Will your checked bags make it? This is more or less Russian Roulette at the moment, so I’d advise travelling with hand luggage only if possible.

I’m 80% sure the Air France/KLM lounge in Terminal 5 is open. Perhaps someone who has been in Chicago more recently than I can confirm. Edit: I stand corrected, see GUWonder’s post below.

Edit: As you’re in Business, just be aware that the quality of catering ex-USA is lower than ex-AMS. I’d advise against the ‘Tasting Delicacies’/‘Selection of Delicacies’ (the name varies, but it’s the same concept) when flying eastbound.

GUWonder

2 hours in advance is more than enough time for this flight in business out of ORD when you’ve got priority security and/or PreCheck.

The lounge situation for AF-KL premium passengers at ORD T5 is not slated to get better until around the middle of next month when DL finally gets there. Since the AF-KL lounge shut down at ORD T5, there is — hard as it is to think it even possible — even less to look forward to in terms of ORD T5 lounge time for AF/KL premium pax; but there is indeed a contracted lounge arrangement provided by AF/KL at ORD.

The transit passenger situation at AMS when coming from the US isn’t bad (and it has the benefit of no mandatory transit security re-screening when arriving from the US); however, AMS passport control can be a bit of a wild card; and having checked luggage this year can be a recipe for having a higher than usual chance for being separated from the bags and having to file an irregular baggage handling report and deal with whatever consequences follow from being separated from any checked-in bags.

777 global mile hound

You guys are awesome.greatly appreciate the helpful feedback
Also given me plenty extra to be anxious about.Sometimes ignorance is bliss

I've re-booked my inter Europe flight leaving me a 5 hour layover to navigate any thing that gets thrown my way delays etc
I will be taking a carry on luggage with essentials and brief case with all electronics and check one bag.
Is dial a prayer still in business? lol Perhaps I may be one of the lucky ones

BA850

Unless something goes very badly wrong (i.e., worse than usual), 5 hours to transfer should be comfortable. You have padding there to compensate for a delay, queues at passport control and even the slowest of baggage handlers.

If something does go very badly wrong and the whole operation melts down; well, it will affect more or less everyone travelling that day anyway, so you won’t be alone

But seriously; don’t worry too much about it, enjoy the flight (the KLM 787 - usually flown to ORD - is lovely - I prefer the -10 in J, but the -9 is super too), and look forward to collecting your Huisje!

johan rebel

But no padding can prevent the risk of KLM canceling the connecting flight, especially if it's intra-European. That's probably the biggest threat this coming week. KLM has been lustily hacking away at its schedule this past weekend and today, and they show no signs of letting up.

Johan

777 global mile hound

That is true ugh thinking I should double book with another airline just in case?

BA850

Agreed, but I think the OP has done everything within their power to avoid disruption. A cancellation may throw a spanner in the works, but it's in the lap of the Amstelveen gods, I'm afraid.

GUWonder

5 hours for a transit at AMS when coming from ORD? That’s my idea of at least 3 hours too much, if there was an earlier onward flight available.

777 global mile hound

There was one earlier thank you but it was cancelled sadly and the previous one departs just as I'm pulling in.
May be in for a very longggggg day in the old Skip land

Can the KLM Lounge help with re ticketing if need be? There is no way I am going into that main terminal after reading about the throngs and massive lines
At least alive that is

BA850

Ah. This isn’t an exact science and you may still be whacked with a cancellation, but if the previous flight was cancelled, there’s a better chance that the flight you have selected will be going.

You should defer to johan rebel’s advice as the final word on all this, as he flies with KLM more than probably any other poster on this board.

777 global mile hound

Thanks again for the great post
Funny thing is when I went to book my seat 10 and the bulkhead was wide open but because Ben of "One mile at a Time" fame
did a positive review of row ten I followed his lead
I started out in the bulkhead but moved back when I saw how tight the cabin looked in pics
Does it matter which side you sit on in row 10? Left or Right?

BA850

Ah, you must be on a -10, as the -9 doesn’t have 10 rows in J.

I personally wouldn’t pick Row 10 as it’s close to the galley (noisy) and you’ll be the last to be served.

If memory serves, Row 5 is missing a window, so don’t go for that.

Doesn’t really matter which side you sit. You might be more likely to see the Northern Lights if you sit on the left (A-side) going eastbound, but that’s about it.

777 global mile hound

Good to know
I started in row 8 window
I guess I’ll go back to the bulkhead unless you think it would be
just as noisy.The nice thing about row 10 despite the noise and if the seat map isn’t misleading is there doesn’t seem to have any middle couple seats in the row.
Im not so sure I will sleep from 4 PM departure on with a 7 some
odd hour flight even if the galley clanks a bit
Even on arrival it will be approx Midnight or 9PM PT where I’m from

BubbaX

Both rhe Schengen (25) and non-Schengen (52) lounges have agents who can help with such matters. If your intra-Europe connection is in Schengen, the non-Schengen dragons will try to steer you too the other lounge. Services in both are more or less the same (the catering might be interesting from a novelty point of view, but it's not habit forming), but the non-Schengen lounge has natural light and even a bit outdoors, where your can soak in the finest in North Holland weather tinged with kerosene. As long as passport control is not a three-hour nightmare, you might want to consider passing part of your layover there.

If something goes wrong with your connection, especially if it's a cancellation, you might have more luck with the non-Schengen agents. It helps to have a phone that works in Europe: then you register for an agent and you'll get a message when an agent is available.