In an unprecedented move, KLM is suspending future ticket sales this weekend as it faces mounting chaos at Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport (AMS).
KLM Suspends Tickets Sales From AMS Due To Continued Airport Chaos
Those who have recently flown out of AMS have encountered massive security queues, with lines during some periods stretching into the streets. The airport is facing a staffing shortage and the trade union representing airport security staff is now threatening to strike on June 1, 2022.
With security lines snarled, thousands of passengers have missed flights, leading to anger and disruptions.
Amsterdam Schiphol airport.. 3 hour line to get through security just to miss our flight, have to pay £500 to get new flights, wait 12 hours with no staff in sight to help & THEN we’re told the airport have lost our bags. Absolute joke @Schiphol pic.twitter.com/zVboxEkOiQ
— Megan Jane (@meganjanebd) May 24, 2022
@Schiphol Any update on crowd management at the airport today? The queue to get through to security has taken over 3 hours causing flights to leave the airport empty as everyone is stuck at security. This is flight KL0645 departing without the majority of its passengers… pic.twitter.com/lMcybyqF9q
— Felix (@BellsyB) May 23, 2022
In response, KLM is pausing future ticket sales from AMS until at least Sunday. A KLM spokesperson blamed the airport for its move:
“KLM is putting a brake on ticket sales for flights leaving up until and including Sunday because Schiphol can’t get its security problems fixed.”
KLM has also apologized on social media:
The temporary restriction on new flight sales is intended to clear the backlog of passengers trying to reach their destination after missing their initial flights. KLM has also issued a ticket waiver, such that if you are planning to travel in the next three days and your plans are flexible, you can re-schedule at no charge under the following conditions:
- Travel before 06 June: change fee waived and fare difference waived
- Travel after 06 June: change fee waived, fare difference applies
You can also request a travel voucher or if your flight was delayed more than three hours, a refund.
CONCLUSION
As Schiphol Airport continues to grapple from a shortage of security personnel, expect long lines and flight delays. If your plans are flexible, consider rescheduling travel. In the meantime, if you are looking for flights out of AMS this weekend and see no availability, now you know why.
image: @BellsyB / Twitter
Ouch!! Hope they fix Schiphol by July when I am connecting there.
I’m flying Delta/KLM in latter part of September and KLM has cancelled 2 flights connecting in U.S. with Delta, not going anywhere near AMS. Good luck on your travels, Sir!
This is the Airline that spent over two years avoiding paying back their debts to Customers whilst running them round in circles so to hang on to their money for their own benefit. Now they have realised that they can no longer pocket “free money” so to bolster their cashflow y selling Services they knew could not be fulfilled. Global Corporate dishonesty of the first order. They should be Fined and Charged snd put out of business, but they won’t be because AF/KLM is a State sponsored Enterprise.
The airport is having a staffing shortage not the airline.
Wow. If this is any indication imagine this summer. Really, by August this blog may be changing its name to “Live and Let’s Just All Stay Home.”
Untrue:
KLM will still sell tickets,
Just….
Only the expensive booking classes
Source from Dutch news:
https://nos.nl/artikel/2430314-mondjesmaat-klm-tickets-voor-schipholvluchten-luchthaven-komt-met-actieplan
This will make them complient in reducing passenger volume yet allowing increased revenue to compensate
Interesting.
200k miles per year ? I would be interested to know what you are doing to offset that massive carbon footprint.
Any insight on connecting flights? We fly from Paris through Amsterdam to Atlanta in mid-July. Will we be affected by these security lines or will we have bypassed them since we are simply connecting?
Thanks.
Connecting flights should not be an issue.
We are flying from teesside International back to the United States via Amsterdam on Friday 3rd June will there be any disruption to our flights and connections. Thanks
They might be as someone from outside of the Schengen area flying into a Schengen area, Amsterdam, to connect to another Schengen place, Paris, might have to go through immigration and security at the connecting airport.This happens at Frankfurt and isn’t good as it, under normal conditions,is very time consuming.
That is really intriguing. So if you want to travel the next few days on KLM be prepared to pay a premium fare. I’m not seeing how this could possibly wind down the chaos so fast, but a really wild strategy. It’s like surge pricing on Uber but in this case the seats are there, just not the ability to serve them.
Straight on. Just looked out of curiosity at a few sites to price out seats to AMS within Europe. All are pricing one way at $600-$1000 for quick hops from places like Paris, Munich and London. Hopefully this does not catch on with other carriers and they learn that, “Oh wow, we can still fill flights at even higher full premium fares!” The “Hawaii Effect.”
They have to leave J/Y open for rebookings. They don’t expect to sell any tickets
We get the same story in the UK media every time BA has one of it’s frequent meltdowns!
The website says this applies to travel to, from or through AMS from 5/25 to 6/1, to be rescheduled by 6/6. I wonder if the 6/1 date will be extended. Anyway, I am to be connecting on KLM through AMS on 6/4. Reports indicate that (1) this is also affecting transiting passengers connecting non-Schengen to Schengen in AMS – maybe not as much as the delay getting into the airport and checking baggage, but still a concern with a short connection – and (2) that delays vary wildly depending on the time of day. Also unclear how much SkyPriority helps. So we shall see. I am also a little nervous about my bags getting through to my final destination. If they extend the dates, I may change to CDG or some other connection on DL.
It is too bad. I like KLM and AF, and normally AMS is a cinch, and a great airport to enter the EU from.
If only we were more like Europe.
How so? We are having melt downs and these issues all the time now here as well. This is a global problem and coming to a city near you.
Stuart. off topic, but where is the drop in your profile photo? Looks fun.
If I remember right it’s one of the bigger drops towards the end of Canyon Creek in the Pacific NW.
Is that Canyon Creek in Mt Baker N.F. North Cascades near Glacier Washington? I used to hike xc ski and bicycle on forest road parelleling that creek. Don’t remember white water kayacking there. Maybe different Canyon creek.
@DM Actually no, and there are a number of Canyon Creeks up there lol. This is the one that is actually a local run for PDX paddlers. When there it’s easily accessible and like an hour away…one of the runs my friends take me to that live there. I think it’s on the WA side but I never pay much attention to exact GPS. It got flooded out for a number of years and was a logged choked mess as a result. It recently cleaned up again. The put-in is trash filled though and sad, but once in the canyon it’s super remote and beautiful. I’d rate it a soft class five…NW boaters might rate it 4+
Hey it’s just Memorial Day holiday travel….oh wait it’s Europe 🙂
The UK and some other countries also have a holiday on Monday, just not Memorial Day.
On 13 May it took over 2.5 hours to get through passport control on the way in. On 21 May we showed up six hours early so we would make it through for sure – it took 2.5 to get through check-in, security and passport control (no complaints at all about the extra time, it was worth it to be stress free). Friends who arrived a few hours later were over four hours early for their flight – which they missed! Until AMS gets its act together, I’m flying into Brussels instead.
Anyone travelling from Schipol these days is looking for trouble. Alternative airports such as Brussels and Dusseldorf are easy to reach from NL, better run and more reliable
Look at all those people bunched together like sardines in a can…and not one mask in sight…. here comes Covid cases !
You’ve read my mind.
Is this just KLM, or are other airlines and terminals at Schipol a mess? Flying to Frankfurt on Lufthansa Sunday….
It’s all a mess.
Flying from AMS Sunday, I’ll keep you posted! J seat KLM – AMS to YVR – reporting live from the front line !
Am flying Air canada tomorrow from AMS. I may just get there at 5am.
We flew from AMS this past Monday and it was absolutely chaos. It took us over 3 hours to get through the security. We flew Aer Lingus and they were awful as well; rushing people to get on the plane only to delay the flight an hour and then charge people 3 euro for a bottle of water. The security personnel were hand checking every carry on bag so it gave the impression a lot of this is planned as part of the planned work stoppage. If you can avoid this airport do so even if it means taking a train to some other venue. It was insane.
Thanks for the information, I will stay away from AMS and the Red light District!
Well now, let’s not get carried away! Nothing wrong with the RLD…
Hardly skilled workers. Can’t they employ a few more?
Just employ a few more. Well ok but you need government vetting to get an id pass that takes time or an increase in government staffing. You need the role to pay an attractive remuneration (remember all the staff who were let go during the pandemic. People blaming the airlines!) And you need trained staff. So are you willing to pay more for your ticket?
The “Great Resignation” which is really a worldwide phenomenon now, not just restricted to North America, will ensure these proposed solutions are not going to be effective. Even the workers that stay on and enjoy pay increases, permanent job, benefits etc. may resign abruptly down the road perhaps after months of hire creating brand new shocks. These events and economic shocks will surely happen again.
Flew AMS-CDG 27th. SkyPriority.
From entering the terminal to my gate took 7 minutes.
They moved the red light district snd now this? F Amsterdam!
Great we don’t need the likes of you here good riddance.
THATS DELTA’S PARTNER!!
DELTA FLIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED!
How do they expect me to get to the Red Lihjt District to see my “Friend?”
Coming in on the 10th was a mess. Waiting for passport control, rerouted to another passport line. Buuuut, leaving on the 13th wasn’t a problem 2 hours early arrival. Returning on the 21st wasn’t bad but no passport control needed. Leaving international on 24th was looking like chaos, but really not bad. It did seem understaffed. Some of the same problems happen at US airports, Dallas was terrible, cancelled flights,passengers left behind, heard similar about Houston and Atlanta.
I flew through Amsterdan on 5/25. I guess I was lucky that my flight was only delayed for 1 hour! Anyways, because of that I lost my connection flight in NY. Again, got lucky flying ONLY 3 h later.
Flying to AMS from PDX in a few weeks. Then on to Madrid. All flights are Delta. I’m hoping we won’t need to go through passport control or security since it is a connecting flight but I’m out of practice with international travel. Does anyone know?
Just got through AMS from ATL on Monday. You will need to go through passport control first, then go to your connecting gate. Learn from my mistake, and pay extremely close attention to your next step… DO NOT take the exit on the other end of baggage claim. This will take you straight into airport Hell! You’re looking for your connection, which does not require additional security checks. Lack of security personnel is mainly where the delays are coming from. Your baggage gets transferred to your connecting flight automatically. That flight will likely be delayed waiting to fill up with passengers originating at AMS.
Hi, this all depends on where you arrive from and where your departure is. If you arrive in the Schengen area, gates B, C and D and your departure is to a Schengen country, gates B, C, and D, then you simply proceed to your destination gate without security or passport control. However, if you are in transit from a Schengen arrival Gates B, C and D to a non-Schengen area departure (International) such as gates E, F, G, and H, then you must go through passport control and vice versa, the inverse is true. It is a bit of a tricky concept to understand but it is really a nice airport despite the current issues and next time you transit through Schiphol, you will understand your navigation a lot better and what is required on your part.
Last time I flew from DET to CPH through AMS I needed to go through passport control. Its not a baggage check though. Just passports. There was a line for non EU passports, however it was around 20 minutes.
I’m still wondering how bad it is for connections. I see they have extended the travel alert through June 5.
I fly through Ams on June 4th connecting to ARN from BKK. I do have a 36 hours of manageable time before I commence another flight out of ARN. So I hope I don’t get completely screwed.
SkyPriorty save me on Monday, 30th May!
Was just connecting through AMS from ATL, took the wrong exit, and entered a special airport Hell. Walked towards the end of the line for about a half mile before observing with a bit of panicked horror that the churning sea of people went outside, into the rain, about twice as far as I’d gone thus far before I would reach the back!
Took me about 90 minutes to then track down the incredible agent towards the front of the line who recognized that I had paid for the privilege (SkyPriority) to skip the queue almost entirely!
Counting my lucky stars today…
JT – I did that once at the old Tegel Berlin airport, but it was not that hard to get back at the time.
If you have a chance, I don’t suppose you can describe a picture of what is the right way to go after passport control so some of the rest of us don’t make this mistake jetlagged. I’m sure I’ve connected through AMS before, but my memories of EU airports pre-COVID are all a blur.
Or Matthew – maybe put up a helpful photo of the area if you have one?
Hi Arthur,
I wish I could describe the correct way to go; I’ve played it back in my mind a few times since that fateful day, and I just do not see it! I think that was part of the problem—that it just wasn’t clear enough under the circumstances where I was doing all that I could just to navigate through the frothing sea of frantic travelers that I did not look up at the signs often enough to notice. That’s where my best advice came from: just pay better attention to the next critical steps after exiting Passport Control, and ask for direction from an official before going through any openings resembling an exit…haha! I was feeling rushed, not knowing that every single flight was getting delayed by an hour or more due to the massive waiting lines on the Domestic side.
I’ll be connecting in AMS from chicago to Venice in early October with my husband and 2 kids. Our layover is 2hrs 20 min. I’m hearing horror stories about lines at that airport! I’m wondering if the chaos affects connecting flights in terms of security, passport control, etc. We will either have luggage checked all the way through, or will just have carry-ons, so I don’t think we’ll need to deal with baggage there. We’re flying KLM. Any input you can offer would be most appreciated.
I’ve a question, Is the exit (check-out) line also crowded? or it’s crowded only in check-in gates?