Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) Issues

[The AD]

I had an economy flight July 2nd from AMS to Stavanger. I showed up a little less than 4 hours prior to my 4pm flight having checked in online and only carrying a backpack. The line was 3km long and pure chaos. I was still 30 minutes from reaching the security checkpoint when the flight departed.

Wow. How the hell is this even possible?

A couple friends of mine went to Portugal last month and I'm pretty sure they went through Schiphol. Their luggage finally got to them 12 hours before their return flight a week later. Not sure where the screw up was, but seems like a common experience this summer. Definitely carry on as much of your essentials as possible.

[sirbumpsalot]

Wow. How the hell is this even possible?

A couple friends of mine went to Portugal last month and I'm pretty sure they went through Schiphol. Their luggage finally got to them 12 hours before their return flight a week later. Not sure where the screw up was, but seems like a common experience this summer. Definitely carry on as much of your essentials as possible.

Its true. When I was there, the most often heard quote was "This is the PRIORITY line?"

The regular line started outside, went up the escalator and out of sight. I could only imagine what kind of Disneyland weave that went thru. They wouldn't let you in the door if it was over 4hrs till your flight. I was there at 6:30 for a 9:50 flight and worried.

[riser4]

I've been high AF in Schipol, but I ain't ever been accused of having explosives.

[AK47bp]

One time coming home AMS-IAH-DEN I had half of a 300 mg space cake left over from a night out with a friend that lives in Amsterdam.

Once I was sure I was going to make the flight but before going through customs, I ate the 150 mg dose with the intention of chilling on my flight back to the states.

There was an extra bag check at the gate where I was chosen for a random swab to check for explosive residue on my carryon. Somehow, someway my bag set of the explosive detector. They tested again, and then again. It was positive each time.

I was suddenly surrounded by all the security at the gate and then quickly surrounded by police rifles and a dog and a very tall guy in a suit who explained that he was from the Dutch equivalent of the Dutch FBI.

It was about that time the edible started to kick in.

I was questioned by multiple people for over an hour about why I was in AMS, where I had been, who I had been with, etc while my checked baggage was pulled off the plane. Was I traveling with anyone else? "No". If your company has an office in Amsterdam, what is it's address? Who are your coworkers there?The plane left. I stayed. At first it was right at the gate, but then I was taken to some back room.

15x a normal edible dose is, well, a ton. It took every bit of my concentration and mental strength to keep my shit together. I thought multiple times about coming clean about the edible to explain any erratic eye movement that I may have had going on, but thought better of it because of the risk of it complicating my situation.

I was presented with my baggage and told to scatter it throughout an empty room. A bomb dog was brought in. It sniffed everything, but never alerted.

I was released into the care (or lack thereof) of United airlines, who informed me I had 5 minutes to run more than 1/2 a kilometer across the airport with my baggage to catch an alternate flight home through IAD before the door to that flight was closed.

While running, a coworker who was originally booked on that IAD flight called me- "They're paging you at my gate. Are you on my flight?!"

I had the peace of mind to tell her to get on the flight an not acknowledge my existence until we were airborne. I'd explain everything later. I couldn't risk my story about not being with anyone else complicate my ability to get on that flight.

I arrived at the gate, was interrogated yet again by some of the same people who had somehow driven to the gate, and then was allowed to board the flight.

I was so fucking high I have no idea how I navigated all of that. I threw away the bag in question. No way could I risk that bag setting off a detector in a place like Jakarta or Singapore where I was regularly traveling at the time.

Holy shit.

10-20mg gives me the paranoid shakes and can’t sleep.

150mg seems outrageous panic attack zone for me, even sitting on my couch.


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[HellgateBasement]

Its true. When I was there, the most often heard quote was "This is the PRIORITY line?"

The regular line started outside, went up the escalator and out of sight. I could only imagine what kind of Disneyland weave that went thru. They wouldn't let you in the door if it was over 4hrs till your flight. I was there at 6:30 for a 9:50 flight and worried.

Yeah. Line started in one terminal building, ran the full length, down a breezeway into another building. Then snaked an entire unused check-in area before running back outside through some sort of tent village, ending up completely outdoors. My bald head got a nice bronze. Back inside and up the stairs to the beginning of the "normal" full capacity security line. They did give out some water bottles and stroopwaffles, which was nice, since I saw one person collapse.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

When we traveled to yurp this last April, we were advised by a couple recent travelers to not check baggage if at all possible. The wife and I made it 18 days with international carry-ons and (very full) personal bags. We did buy some clothes there to help get through and we were able to do laundry, but it worked pretty well. For the return trip we bought a 10 euro duffel and filled it with clothes we didn't care about and checked that back home.

I've always wondered about the bomb residue test. I had a reloading setup in my office for years and my computer bag was exposed to gunpowder, the shit was all over the place, but it never came up positive when swabbed.

[Yonder_River]

We just flew through there last week. We originally had an hour and 40 minute layover which got reduced to an hour and 10 minutes and we made our connection with 5 minutes to spare. Passport control was a bit of a joke and then luckily a couple other workers lazily walked into their booths at the last minute. If you are feeling tight I would look for the bypass line for those with an immediate connection or scoot your way through the main line in a hurry and apologize profusely. Just glad we weren't coming from outside the airport as I've heard there are four to five hour waits for security sometimes.

[chaka]

yes. always a cluster fuck, but, despite thinking I would miss my next flight every time, I never have (probably a dozen times through that customs checkpoint/transfer on arrival). Last time was in late May. Just pay close attention for the attendants in vests that walk the line yelling out the next window of flights departing. if you are on one of those, go to the attendant and they will herd you to the front of the line. If you try to go to them with "Im not on the flight you just called but the one after" god help you.

[Timberridge]

Holy shit Kevo. A 150 mg dose?

Hopefully Stu won’t make the same mistake.

[detrusor]

We cruised right through on our Norway trip….however after the holter or stories we had heard we flew in late afternoon, overnighted and got first flights out on the morning.


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[phatty]

I went through in March on my way to Munich. Had plenty of time and passport was fairly quick. My ski bag did get lost and I waited 4 days for it to show up. It came right before I went skiing. Luckily I had enough clothes in my boot bag to make it without hand washing clothes.

[Timberridge]

Why is everyone using this airport if it sucks? Or y'all just stopping in Amsterdam to get drugs first?

[BmillsSkier]

Why is everyone using this airport if it sucks? Or y'all just stopping in Amsterdam to get drugs first?

Yes.

Also, living in the home of the world's busiest airport and Delta Jets, it seems I'm almost always stuck choosing between CDG and AMS.


Also, holy shit Kevo.

[NWFlow]

Yeah WTF Kevo. That story makes me physically uncomfortable reading it.

[Boissal]

Why is everyone using this airport if it sucks? Or y'all just stopping in Amsterdam to get drugs first?

Not too many other options when flying from the US to Western Yurp. In the past I've always tried to fly through AMS instead of CDG as it was consistently less of a shitshow. The recent chaos is making me reconsider though...
I flew SLC to Geneva in May and had to go through Paris. Before I even left the house I had already rebooked by CDG to GVA connection cause the flight out of SLC was 1.5 hours late. Got to Paris, had to go back through security for some fucked up reason. The line was hours deep and nobody was pulling people with short connections to the front. Tried to sweet talk some of the staff to no avail, just had to wait. About 20 minutes in I rebooked my connection cause I was obviously not going to make it. When I finally got through security I had 5 minutes to teleport to the gate and make the next flight. I got there with 30 seconds to spare but the gate agent told me they had already unloaded my luggage. She gave me the option to board anyway and send my bags on the next flight. I declined, I was flying with a bike and didn't want to risk creating more issues with an oversized item. She took pity on me and rebooked me on the next flight right at the gate so I didn't have to get in line at the customer service booth where entire planes worth of delayed people where trying to salvage their trip. If she hadn't taken care of me at the gate I'd have probably been stuck in line for another 2 hours and missed 2 more flights to GVA. As it was I ended up missing my connection 3 times by a total of about 5.5 hours. Both my bags made it at least...

Edit: 150 mg edible? What in the murderous fuck?? I'd be a puddle of piss and tears if anyone even talked to me, let alone pull me in a room following a positive explosive screen...

[Buster Highmen]

Air France into CDG or some uncultured wingbat?

[Boissal]

Air France into CDG or some uncultured wingbat?

Delta into CDG so pretty much the same thing.

[Buster Highmen]

Delta into CDG so pretty much the same thing.

The Ministry of Culture would like un peu bon mot avec toi.

I always search out the flights operated by AF. The flight attendants alone are worth it. And I suspect there's a bit of gallic preference in the department baggage.

[hutash]

Kevin, that has to be the best/worst airport story ever...well played sir.

I have connected through Schipol a few times, but always do it as a 23 hour layover. My bags get checked through and I just visit a friend with my carry on. Never had an issue.

[Timberridge]

Not too many other options when flying from the US to Western Yurp.

I guess we just have more options from the metro NY area since we can fly to pretty much any country in Europe direct from one of our fine airports.

[NWFlow]

I once got the full rundown after getting a pack i used to patrol with swabbed for explosives. (Yeah i was dumb and traveled with the same pack i used for AC).

If I'd be even the least bit high, i would have a had a full fucking meltdown. As it was, i was a trembling puddle of nervous sweat.

[Boissal]

The Ministry of Culture would like un peu bon mot avec toi.
I always search out the flights operated by AF. The flight attendants alone are worth it. And I suspect there's a bit of gallic preference in the department baggage.

I may have spent quite a bit of time gawking on the return flight which was operated by AF.

I guess we just have more options from the metro NY area since we can fly to pretty much any country in Europe direct from one of our fine airports.

Yeah the direct flights from SLC to CDG or AMS are great but you're locked into one airline and 2 destinations. No flying to London, Frankfurt, etc... which would help navigate around potential chaos.
I thought the direct flight to Paris would never come back after COVID but Delta started flying it again this year. Nice not to have to make 2 stops on my way to GVA which used to be the norm.
I don't know if there's a direct flight from anywhere in the US to GVA. If there is it certainly isn't going to be from the middle of the uncivilized state of UT.

[Buster Highmen]

I may have spent quite a bit of time gawking on the return flight which was operated by AF.

Si douce, si bonne, n'est pas?

Yeah the direct flights from SLC to CDG or AMS are great but you're locked into one airline and 2 destinations. No flying to London, Frankfurt, etc... which would help navigate around potential chaos.
I thought the direct flight to Paris would never come back after COVID but Delta started flying it again this year. Nice not to have to make 2 stops on my way to GVA which used to be the norm.
I don't know if there's a direct flight from anywhere in the US to GVA. If there is it certainly isn't going to be from the middle of the uncivilized state of UT.

From SEA, we usually only have the options of AMS (KLM), LHR(BA) or CDG(AF). I choose based on reversing that order and also prioritize Euro carriers. SWISS/Lufthansa has some routes to SGE but the fares aren't competitive en route to ze Alps.

[The AD]

From SEA, we usually only have the options of AMS (KLM), LHR(BA) or CDG(AF). I choose based on reversing that order and also prioritize Euro carriers. SWISS/Lufthansa has some routes to SGE but the fares aren't competitive en route to ze Alps.

Don't forget Icelandair.

The US$ and the Euro being at parity right now makes me think a Euro trip sounds pretty tempting, but threads like this quickly bring me back down to earth.

[Buster Highmen]

Don't forget Icelandair.

Too many problems. They stiffed Norseman and mofro261 most recently, I have other horror stories from friends. There's AirCanada, but we only did that once and regretted it.

I know there's exceptions to IA and AC, but I just like AF. A lot.