Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

My wife and I flew KLM from Schiphol to JFK last week - the worst and most offensive security arrangement we have seen. The security check is done by a team at each of the gates prior to boarding. When the start of the security check was announced we stood in a long line and had no opportunity to prepare ourselves by emptying pockets removing jackets taking out computers etc. People standing in line finally came to the single checkpoint where a woman barked out orders like a drill sergeant to move on through quickly. The people operating the full body scanner were competent and professional. Once we had passed through security we assumed that boarding the airplane was to begin shortly. Instead we were kept for 2 hours. in an overcrowded holding pen that seemed to have been designed for cattle. The holding pen had no toilets and a single machine for selling water. I lost 3 euros in it without a bottle coming out and when I asked the KLM agent nearby she replied brusquely (without looking up) that the airline had nothing to do with the machine. A short time later I saw a Dutch gentleman go through the same procedure. I walked over to the counter where he spoke to the same KLM employee. He said that he had lost his money in the machine and asked if he could exchange a 5 euro bill for coins so that he could try again. The agent dismissed him saying "I am not a bank!". He was told a place in the airport where he could report the problem but came back later saying that they could not help him there. I elected not to go with him because I was informed that I would have to go through the entire security routine again and that we would be getting water on the airplane. Later on in the airplane the captain apologized for the long delay explaining that it was due to the fact that the airplane had arrived late from its previous flight. Obviously the security people knew this so it was puzzling why they rushed us through so quickly knowing that we would have to stand in the holding pen for hours before being able to board the airplane.

Its signs are easy to follow many shops and bars/eating places a train station in the arrivals hall many connections and no annoying loss of time because for commuting between terminals. Security is slow (and not always performed by the most intelligent amongst us) taxiing can take some time as does the baggage arrival.

As a Dutchman I'm no longer proud on this airport. It has grown too big. It took us 2 hours from entering the airport terminal until arriving at the designated gate. Because we were flying inside the Schengen area luckily we didn't have to pass passport control.

On entering through the main door you are actually in the bus/train station. It takes a little searching then to find out where to go as most signage here is given over to trains and buses - through here signs are easy to follow. The only thing is the sheer distance to walk but there are moving walkways. Check in and security a breeze (they have the new scanners that 'see through' your clothes) with a good array of food and shopping outlets. Arrived at and flew from the 'economy pier' H the departure lounge of which was a box really a bit too warm with only a dozen or so seats!

Schiphol is probably the worst organized airport I've been to. First impression was when we arrived from Gardermoen/Oslo airport to Amsterdam. The people waiting for the plane back to Oslo from Amsterdam was partly sitting partly lying on the floors in what seemed like a never ending tunnel from the gate to the main area. There were a couple of seats every third mile or so. When we were leaving Amsterdam and Schiphol the airport left an even worse impression as we first had to stand in line forever for security check. There were two lines/security check points to the M-gates so a long queue must be quite normal here. What are they thinking? When we finally managed to go through security check we wanted to buy the necessities from the tax- free shop (we live in Norway prices are much higher than in tax free so this is something we need to take advantage of) then find a restaurant to get some dinner. At the lounge area we were very disappointed. The tax-free shop was about the size of a large kiosk and the only place to get some food was actually a kiosk with sandwiches and a tiny desk that sold coffee and cakes of some sort. We did not quite believe it at first since Schiphol is one of the worlds biggest airports but it was actually true. After finding a couple of sandwiches it was not that easy to find somewhere to sit. The people behind Schiphol apparently think that people like to stand straight up for two hours. Well.. Amsterdam was great but the airport not so great. Bring a chair your own food and try not to come to early to the airport since it's actually nothing to do not even shopping. Which means you do not have to bring money since Schiphol apparently doesn't want your money.

Did quite a few flights with Easyjet I had to depart from either the M (schengen) or H (non- schengen) gates. After 5 flights not once did I have to wait longer for security then 3 minutes. The H-gates offer only a small overpriced place where you can buy drinks before boarding as do the vending machines at the gate area The M-gates offer a small lounge with possibility to buy a few items but don't go in there too early since there is not much to do you better of in Schiphol plaza. H or M gates use preboarding which means you are put into a holding pen but as they only open the gate when the flight is due to arrive you not have to spend ages. Trainstation is below Schiphol it offers easy connections to Amsterdam or other cities.

Transit via Amsterdam on return to LHR from GRU. Someone told me Schiphol was a great airport and especially easy to navigate. Well that aspect might be true but everything else was awful. The worst thing is there's just nowhere to sit - there are about 20 seats by each gate (hardly close to being enough!) and we couldn't find any anywhere else. I guess they want you to have no option but to wander round the many shops (the same repeated over and over) and spend your money! Starbucks was packed with people who'd finished their coffee and stayed in their seats because there was nowhere else to go. Then 'boarding' started - except they re-screen all your hand baggage before you can go through and with only one person and one x-ray machine it was absolute chaos! They did apologise for how long it took but we couldn't see how with that system it could ever take any less time! Be warned - take a cushion and be prepared to be late!

I had the misfortune to travel through Schipol on my way to Boston. When we landed we were stranded on the plane for over 4 hours because we could not get to a gate apparently due to the snow. Once inside the filthy airport our connecting flight to Boston was cancelled but only after we had gone through security and forced to wait in the disgusting holding pen with no flushing toilets for hours. From the holding pen we were told we needed to rebook our tickets and that there were no vouchers available for food or hotels. At this stage nearly all the flights in the airport had been cancelled and there was queue literally a mile long waiting for rebookings. I waited in this queue for over 12 hours I slept in the queue I even met new people in the queue. There were contradicting stories being given by ground staff. There were no blankets or beds provided. The floor was filthy. It was the worst experience I have ever had. The worst part of my story is that when we finally got to the front of the queue the next morning we were told we could use our boarding pass from the previous day and just go to the gate. They made us stand in the queue for 12 hours for nothing! I will never set my foot in Schipol ever again.

Two recent experiences connecting at AMS for onward flights to the UK (LHR MAN). Totally inadequate staffing of the security check at the gate both times - only one lane open security therefore so slow that flight departures delayed by ~30 minutes. This is unacceptable and KLM should press Schiphol to make gate security in the non-Schengen area much quicker.

I have been through Amsterdam many times and know the airport well. My main comments today (2010) is that it is a fairly easy airport to use great shopping lots of airline lounges if you have time between connections and are a privileged member of a frequent flyer programme plenty of toilets / rest rooms some left luggage safes restaurants internet access etc. It has the advantage of not being as big as London Heathrow or some of the large USA airports (JFK or Chicago) and having lots of flights all over the place. I have used the Yotel (airport hotel where rooms are booked by the hour) and it is useful if you arrive late at night and leave the next morning. The airport has 2 main sections - international (Gates D - H) and EU (Gates B -D). Note that some of the D gates are in the international section and some in the EU section. The biggest problem with Amsterdam airport is if you are connecting between a EU flight and an international flight you might have quite a walk and will most likely (unless you are very lucky) have to wait in a ridiculous immigration queue to get from one section to the other. There is a separate queue behind each immigration officers desk so if you get stuck behind someone who is being questioned you could have quite a wait. They also never have enough immigration officers for the amount of passengers passing through here and so they have now started a first / business class separate queue. Basically this bit is a mess. Someone else's comment about security at the gates meaning you can't buy water after security is a good point. Just take an empty bottle and fill it on the plane. Also if you buy any liquids in any other airport make sure they seal it in a an approved EU plastic bag seal otherwise you will leave it behind in Amsterdam! Overall it is an easy airport to use. Pity about the immigration mess!