Flying out of Schiphol Airport Amsterdam

[mauimary]

2 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

 

You will enter the Schengen passport control and security in the secured area (transfer pax, from Lounge 2 to Lounge 1), although that checkpoint can be very busy it also can be very quiet, depending on the flights/the time of day/number of passengers transfering.

 

The current problems mentioned are the check in lines outside the airport and the security filter feeding into the terminal lounges, for these departing from Schiphol.

We did not check any luggage. Those checking luggage stood in a different line before they got into the back of the security line. The biggest issue is if you are originating in AMS or are you a transfer. Much easier to transfer.  Be sure to allow plenty of time for that process. 

[VMax1700]

There is a flash notice on the KLM website currently, which states:

 

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Due to a malfunction of the Airport Baggage System all customers with a transfer connection within Europe on 21 July 2022 can travel with hand luggage only. We apologise for the inconvenience.

 

That does not sound promising! 

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

There is a flash notice on the KLM website currently, which states:

 

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Due to a malfunction of the Airport Baggage System all customers with a transfer connection within Europe on 21 July 2022 can travel with hand luggage only. We apologise for the inconvenience.

 

That does not sound promising! 

What the heck !!! This sounds horrible. We're flying into AMS this Saturday and have been stressed out about flying into and out of this airport. Why can't they manage ???

[mauimary]

This is exactly why we decided to do a land trip and a nine day cruise with hand carry luggage only. A 22 in rollaboard and a backpack.  Not fun and we had to minimize but we are in Spain now with our stuff.  We found out about these hassles a few days before we left Portland OR.  There are literally thousands of bags stacked up in bins there now.  

Edited July 21, 2022 by mauimary

[slidergirl]

On 7/21/2022 at 12:54 AM, VMax1700 said:

There is a flash notice on the KLM website currently, which states:

 

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Due to a malfunction of the Airport Baggage System all customers with a transfer connection within Europe on 21 July 2022 can travel with hand luggage only. We apologise for the inconvenience.

 

That does not sound promising! 

I was going to bring this up before I saw your post.  I’m in Bologna right now.  On the news 2 nights ago it was mentioned.  Not going to make cruisers used to bringing big checked bags very happy.  Glad I packed in a carry on size bag for my month long trip!   

[mpschaff]

Thank you to all the fine folks on this thread who have contributed their experiences. We fly in to Schipol on Thursday to spend a few days with friends before making a connecting flight to Rome on Sunday. Judging from this thread we absolutely need to bid on the upgrade to business class we were offered by ITA and get to Schipol 4-5 hours before our flight. I don't see our family of three being able to only do carry on luggage for our nearly 4 week trip, but I guess I'll see where we can cut back. I'm so relieved I found this thread before we missed our flight on Sunday!

Edited July 22, 2022 by mpschaff

[VMax1700]

My understanding is that the carry on baggage restriction only applied to KLM pax flying from AMS on 21st July and that the system is ok now.

[FreestyleNovice]

22 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

My understanding is that the carry on baggage restriction only applied to KLM pax flying from AMS on 21st July and that the system is ok now.

 

And only for those who were transfering intra Europe (originating elsewhere in Europe and to somewhere else in Europe through AMS). That part of the bagage transport system had some difficulties and as a precaution of some kind they limited checked bagage.

 

The start of the summer peak season is in full swing, still lots of lines for those departing from Schiphol. The first line is for checking bags, the second one is towards the security filter.

 

At the end of the summer Schiphol will have less departing pax and more returning pax (from vacation), which will hopefully help!

[Snit13]

On 7/20/2022 at 2:32 PM, mauimary said:

We did not check any luggage. Those checking luggage stood in a different line before they got into the back of the security line. The biggest issue is if you are originating in AMS or are you a transfer. Much easier to transfer.  Be sure to allow plenty of time for that process. 

We are scheduled to fly from Amsterdam to Tampa, FL on September 12, 2022.  We have never been to Amsterdam.  After reading this thread I am already having nightmares.  There is no way I can stand in line for hours or walk from area to area as described in one of the posts.  They would be calling an ambulance to rush me to nearest hospital.  Do I have any options?  When I cruise I normally request wheelchair assistance.  Is that an option at Amsterdam aiport?

 

Another question.  We will be entering Amsterdam on a Viking River Longboat and then staying at a hotel in Amsterdam for 4 nights before boarding Celebrity Apex for a 10 night British Isles cruise.  When we return on Apex we will be spending 1 night at a hotel near the airport.  We will need a Covid negative report to board Apex.  Does anyone know of a location in Central Amsterdam where we can get this test?  Do they have a test site at the Cruise Port?  We are not supposed to need a test post cruise to fly back to Tampa, unless USA changes rules again.

[Snit13]

On 7/19/2022 at 6:33 AM, mauimary said:

We just flew out of Schipol to Barcelona yesterday and I can tell you our wait in the que was apx 3 hours to get us through Security. Be prepared to stand and stand!  The line moves very slowly at times and sometimes stops. They were handing out cold bottles of water and popsicles!!  Those that had to check luggage spent and additional 1.5 hrs in that line. They were missing flights and some barely made the flight.  Be sure to arrive early. We were not allowed even to get into the area where the line began until about 4hrs ahead of time. Wear comfortable shoes!!

Do you know if it is possible for someone with mobility issues to get wheelchair service like at USA cruiseports?

[Ine]

6 hours ago, Snit13 said:

Do you know if it is possible for someone with mobility issues to get wheelchair service like at USA cruiseports?

Yes there is. However you will need to stand in line and will see the wheelchair assistance desk after checking in your luggage. That is the one that will bring you to your gate. Before that at the airport at various locations you will see public wheelchairs you can use but you need a 2 Euros coin to open the lock for it. 

[Ine]

6 hours ago, Snit13 said:

We are scheduled to fly from Amsterdam to Tampa, FL on September 12, 2022.  We have never been to Amsterdam.  After reading this thread I am already having nightmares.  There is no way I can stand in line for hours or walk from area to area as described in one of the posts.  They would be calling an ambulance to rush me to nearest hospital.  Do I have any options?  When I cruise I normally request wheelchair assistance.  Is that an option at Amsterdam aiport?

 

Another question.  We will be entering Amsterdam on a Viking River Longboat and then staying at a hotel in Amsterdam for 4 nights before boarding Celebrity Apex for a 10 night British Isles cruise.  When we return on Apex we will be spending 1 night at a hotel near the airport.  We will need a Covid negative report to board Apex.  Does anyone know of a location in Central Amsterdam where we can get this test?  Do they have a test site at the Cruise Port?  We are not supposed to need a test post cruise to fly back to Tampa, unless USA changes rules again.

In case you still need to test by then, check the webiste of spoedtest.nl They have various locations in Amsterdam. I am sure in your hotel people can tell you the one closest to the place you are staying. As far as I know no more testing at the cruise terminal. 

[cruisinlawn]

We will be flying inbound from Atlanta (Delta Business Class), arriving midday on a Sunday. Transferring to hotel for 4 days pre-cruise.   Should we plan for the worst, hope for the best while collecting our checked bags? 

Edited July 29, 2022 by cruisinlawn

[Snit13]

On 7/27/2022 at 3:05 AM, Ine said:

Yes there is. However you will need to stand in line and will see the wheelchair assistance desk after checking in your luggage. That is the one that will bring you to your gate. Before that at the airport at various locations you will see public wheelchairs you can use but you need a 2 Euros coin to open the lock for it. 

We decided against checed bags and are going with minimum clothing options and just traveling with carry on luggage.  Had one friend who waited 3 days for luggage to catch up and another 6 days.  That is tolerable traveling home but not traveling on 2 cruises.  Will we still need to stand in cheking baggage line even though we are not checking any bags?

[Ine]

13 hours ago, Snit13 said:

We decided against checed bags and are going with minimum clothing options and just traveling with carry on luggage.  Had one friend who waited 3 days for luggage to catch up and another 6 days.  That is tolerable traveling home but not traveling on 2 cruises.  Will we still need to stand in cheking baggage line even though we are not checking any bags?

In case you have checked in online with no luggage and have you boardingpasses either on your phone or in paper you can try and skip the lines indeed. However the next line will be at the security check, so still take your time. Be aware lines are longer on weekends then on weekdays. 

[mauimary]

17 hours ago, Snit13 said:

We decided against checed bags and are going with minimum clothing options and just traveling with carry on luggage.  Had one friend who waited 3 days for luggage to catch up and another 6 days.  That is tolerable traveling home but not traveling on 2 cruises.  Will we still need to stand in cheking baggage line even though we are not checking any bags?

You will not need to stand in the line for checking bags.  Only the long security line.  You will not be able to skip the long line for security check point.   We did not see any wheel chairs in the line so their must be a shorter route through. 

Edited July 30, 2022 by mauimary

[mauimary]

On 7/27/2022 at 2:35 AM, Snit13 said:

 

 

Another question.  We will be entering Amsterdam on a Viking River Longboat and then staying at a hotel in Amsterdam for 4 nights before boarding Celebrity Apex for a 10 night British Isles cruise.  When we return on Apex we will be spending 1 night at a hotel near the airport.  We will need a Covid negative report to board Apex.  Does anyone know of a location in Central Amsterdam where we can get this test?  Do they have a test site at the Cruise Port?  We are not supposed to need a test post cruise to fly back to Tampa, unless USA changes rules again.

Have you considered taking a couple of self (proctored) ones with you that you can buy from Celebrity?   They are very easy to use.  You can do them with a cell phone.  We did them from our hotel room while in Barcelona.  Very helpful to watch one of the You-tube videos which are very helpful. 

[Snit13]

5 hours ago, mauimary said:

Have you considered taking a couple of self (proctored) ones with you that you can buy from Celebrity?   They are very easy to use.  You can do them with a cell phone.  We did them from our hotel room while in Barcelona.  Very helpful to watch one of the You-tube videos which are very helpful. 

Have not considered that option yet.  Thanks for all of your help.

 

[Scottishclover]

Just flew back from Schipol yesterday after our cruise. Took us 3 and a quarter hours to get through security. We arrived 4 hours before as advised     and would have struggled to catch our flight had it not had a small delay. The queue to check in baggage was also long. Although I had read about the chaos, it really has to be seen to be believed. Funny thing was when we arrived there were no queues anywhere and we got our luggage really quickly. Security guards control the line, there is no skipping and no fast tracking. No exceptions for anyone. Felt sorry for those with small children and the elderly. Lots of people missed flights including some from our cruise. 

[Buckwheel]

3 hours ago, Scottishclover said:

Just flew back from Schipol yesterday after our cruise. Took us 3 and a quarter hours to get through security. We arrived 4 hours before as advised     and would have struggled to catch our flight had it not had a small delay. The queue to check in baggage was also long. Although I had read about the chaos, it really has to be seen to be believed. Funny thing was when we arrived there were no queues anywhere and we got our luggage really quickly. Security guards control the line, there is no skipping and no fast tracking. No exceptions for anyone. Felt sorry for those with small children and the elderly. Lots of people missed flights including some from our cruise. 

What time was your flight? My hubby and I have a flight that is scheduled to depart at 11:15 AM. I've been watching that same flight on Flight Aware and it's been routinely departing 30-45 mins late which gives us a bit of comfort. 

 

How did you transport from your ship to the airport? We were thinking of self departure and grabbing a taxi. Is that reasonable or do you think we should arrange it ahead of time? 

 

-Julie

 

 

[prish]

4 hours ago, Scottishclover said:

Just flew back from Schipol yesterday after our cruise. Took us 3 and a quarter hours to get through security. We arrived 4 hours before as advised     and would have struggled to catch our flight had it not had a small delay. The queue to check in baggage was also long. Although I had read about the chaos, it really has to be seen to be believed. Funny thing was when we arrived there were no queues anywhere and we got our luggage really quickly. Security guards control the line, there is no skipping and no fast tracking. No exceptions for anyone. Felt sorry for those with small children and the elderly. Lots of people missed flights including some from our cruise. 

One of our party will be in a wheelchair, will she be fast tracked as done in airports the world over? 
 

What time was your flight, how did you get to the airport? We have booked a private transfer, hopefully traffic will be smooth as it’s a Saturday morning. 

[Scottishclover]

5 hours ago, prish said:

One of our party will be in a wheelchair, will she be fast tracked as done in airports the world over? 
 

What time was your flight, how did you get to the airport? We have booked a private transfer, hopefully traffic will be smooth as it’s a Saturday morning. 

Our flight was at 13.10. We left the ship at 07.45. We walked to Centraal Station and caught the train. Arrived at the airport around 09:00. Went to check in as soon as our flight was on the board. This was at 09:10 ( exactly 4 hours beforehand). Luckily our flight had a 2 hour delay or it would have been tight. Guests from our ship were not far behind us in check in and they missed their flight which was at 12:15. 

Regarding a wheelchair there was a special assistance area but not sure if you would be fast tracked. It was tucked away and completely obscured by the massive line. I never saw anyone getting fast tracked in the 3 and a half hours I was in the queue.

 

To be honest because we walked I didn’t even look to see if taxis were available. If you have a morning flight,  I would have one arranged as you can’t afford to waste time.

[Scottishclover]

6 hours ago, Buckwheel said:

What time was your flight? My hubby and I have a flight that is scheduled to depart at 11:15 AM. I've been watching that same flight on Flight Aware and it's been routinely departing 30-45 mins late which gives us a bit of comfort. 

 

How did you transport from your ship to the airport? We were thinking of self departure and grabbing a taxi. Is that reasonable or do you think we should arrange it ahead of time? 

 

-Julie

 

 

Definitely get off the ship as early as you can. I would schedule a taxi. With an 11:15 flight you need to be at the airport at 07:15. Schipol advise 4 hours beforehand and I would say even that is a stretch. See the post above for our timeline. Best of luck!

[Buckwheel]

Thank you for your detailed post. We will definitely walk off with our own luggage and schedule a taxi ahead of time. 

[samplecd02]

2 hours ago, Scottishclover said:

Definitely get off the ship as early as you can. I would schedule a taxi. With an 11:15 flight you need to be at the airport at 07:15. Schipol advise 4 hours beforehand and I would say even that is a stretch. See the post above for our timeline. Best of luck!

We are going to be flying Delta with Sky Priority/ Business. Is there a different line for that? Also, we are leaving the ship around 8am (with a prearranged transfer) for a 3pm flight. I understand that they wont let us queue more than 4 hrs before but I am flying back on a Sunday. These reports of Schiphol are nightmare inducing. I fly back on Sept 11.

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by samplecd02