Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

✅ Verified Review | Transit security is a shambles - the short connections lane was closed and the huge queues made us miss our connecting flight. Despite the fact we raised that we only had a few minutes to get to our gate, the staff showed zero interest in assisting. Consequently we had to spend another 5 hours in the airport and we're lucky enough to be booked on another flight late at night, but it was all so avoidable!

Been some years since I experienced Schiphol and this time I was very underwhelmed by the experience transiting between KLM and China Southern. Not much choice of refreshments if having only a few Euro to spend and the gates between the flights were a good 20 minute walk apart. KLM staff rechecked passports and boarding passes whilst sat on a window ledge and then asked to see everything again at the desk, 10 metres away. An unnecessary double up.

✅ Verified Review | I understand that security has to be in place, and understand that we may have to queue, but what is totally ridiculous is the quantity of security lanes open when several flights are leaving at same time or close to. First you go through the tiresome passport control where the most inconsiderate passengers are jumping the queue as their flight is leaving. Nothing is said by the security people they just let it happen. What makes matters worse is the same people do the same at the security checkpoints and have no disregard for others. Why dont the security staff stop these people? I have always found the staff to be polite on the lane, but that may be because I have respect for them and try to have a joke, but now some of the staff are militant and speaking with them you can see they tell the local screeners to search your tray, so should the staff have a sign saying dont speak to me? It certainly is not a good passenger experience travelling through the airport either way, but could be made better if security threw out the queue jumpers and put them to the back of the line. Some of these people were on my flight.

✅ Verified Review | I'm British so I am quite used to queuing. I travelled on the 19th of May for a 8.35am flight more than 2 hours early as requested by my airline. I arrived at 6.18 am to see about 80 people queuing for 3 machines. Don't mind, understand that Schipol's security is very slow. What I do mind is the complete disregard by other passengers for orderly queuing which is allowed by the Schipol security. There were two orderly queues in the designated lanes. 2 women in wheelchairs arrived pushed by their husbands in the handicapped lane - suddenly behind them was a group of about 20 able bodied people. There were no guards about so I pointed out this was a handicapped line and asked for them get behind everyone else who had been patiently waiting. They laughed at me so I fetched a male guard who stated quite loudly that it wasn't his responsibility to sort out queues whereupon about 20 more people immediately hopped over the divider cord into the handicapped lane. The guard did nothing. And to add insult to injury - a female guard came over and led the orderly queue of people behind a longer queue. Everybody started shouting. She explained that more machine were opening and we would be searched faster. No more machines opened. People were now pushing and jumping into the handicapped lane. She walked away. Another day with the most inept airport security in world.

✅ Verified Review | Disability Blues: Flying from Cardiff to New York (JFK) via Amsterdam. Kind staff on KLM flight asked my wife and I if we need special assistance to get to our departure gate at Schiphol due to mobility problems. We accepted their offer and so wished we hadn't. We were taken from our incoming flight to a nondescript part of the terminal where a dozen other transit passengers were waiting. There was no screen to show which gate any passenger was flying from and no toilet facilities. After waiting 15 minutes I asked the 'special assistance' staff member who was present how long we would have to wait before being taken to our departure gate. '10 minutes' was the reply. 15 minutes later I asked again - 'Someone is on their way now' was the response. 1 hour and 20 minutes later someone actually arrived! At this stage it was just 20 minutes before our flight was due to depart but there was no hurry or urgency on the part of any staff member. We were then told we would have to go and collect our luggage first which would have been impossible and we had to insist that our luggage had been checked straight through and didn't need collecting. We made our flight 15 minutes before scheduled take-off despite being at the airport 2 hours earlier. All the other disabled passengers were similarly distressed and worried about catching their respective flights but were treated with contempt by the staff who had no empathy with anyone whatsoever. One very elderly lady in a wheelchair did miss her flight because no-one bothered to collect her and she was just dismissively told 'Oh well, they'll put you on another one'. I really cannot recall such terrible customer service anywhere and the way ourselves and other disabled travellers were treated was an absolute disgrace. If you have a disability and are able to walk, albeit with difficulty, please make your own way to the gate and avoid the total shambles that is the airport's special assistance service.

✅ Verified Review | The slowest security and passport control in the whole world! If you go at a really busy time it can take 1 hr 30 min! Their machines also seem to stop virtually every bag, eg. if you have a bunch of keys in the bag it will be searched, a pile of coins in your coat pocket, it will be searched. Best advice is to get there very early and take almost everything out of your carry-on bag! I travel through there twice a week and it's always the same. If you ask me, this is a ploy to get people to buy the Privium Pass where you get a year's use of a special fast track security and passport channel for 120 euro. (That will allow me to sleep 1 hr longer in the morning).

✅ Verified Review | Unfortunately I have to travel through Schipol Airport twice a week and it is always an experience I dread. Security staff are rude, lazy, unprofessional and completely inconsistent. I wear the same leggings, cotton sleeveless shirt, wire free bra every time. Half the time I get through and then some times a yellow dot appears on my upper bare arm and the away they go with the unnecessary, invasive search - for a yellow dot on my bare arm! They have received some recent customer training, before they use to shout at you - now they shout bad jokes at you and if you don't laugh they mark your luggage to be searched. I've complained about this several times: still happens. I think the TSA are the epitome of courtesy compare to Schipol security. And the toilets - disgusting.

✅ Verified Review | I used to like Amsterdam Schiphol years ago but now it is a complete nightmare. It took just under 1 hour to process through the enormous queue at security, their slow automated passport control followed by a very long walk to the gate. Staff are unhelpful and show no understanding of the frustration passengers experience. The security staff seemed to be on a go slow checking every 3 or 4 bags manually and slowly. I appreciate their is a heightened security situation which is not going to change in the foreseeable future but that is all the more reason why this airport's management should be investing in more staff and security scanners / channels and perhaps giving those who man them lesson in customer relations. Flying is no longer a pleasurable experience.

✅ Verified Review | Amsterdam Schiphol feels a lot like a mis-planned airport. The seating space in front of the schengen Gates (B, C and some D Gates) are way to tight and are barely capable of handling the full load of 737 or A320. Wich honestly should be the minimum for an airport to plan for. Overall the tightness of the gates gives it a heavy crowded uncomfortable feeling. The low ceiling does not help to give the Gates a brighter openness. Food and Drinks feel really over priced for what you get and it is hard to find a some space to spent 2 hours at an connection. Wifi is okay. Overall I would try to avoid AMS as Connecting Airport if possible.

✅ Verified Review | Schipol airport is really getting worse and worse. I have to fly regularly to/from the Netherlands but I would avoid it if I could. The waiting times at security and passport control are ridiculous. A year or so ago it was never a problem to turn up an hour before the flight with hand baggage only and walk straight through to the gate. Now you are waiting an hour just to pass security and ages at both arrivals and departures to get through passport control. The last time I was there I arrived 1.5 hours before the flight with hand baggage only. Waited at security for over 1 hour. Security staff were very rude and just told everyone they should have been there 3 hours in advance! Absolute nonsense. A large number of people in that queue missed their flight. Additionally there are loads of luxury shops but hardly anywhere to get something quick and nice to eat.