“Heavily worthless,” said Tom on Tuesday morning as he waits with a face for a thunderstorm until he can pass the check-in, on his way to the endless string of passengers in front of security. He flies to Munich in the afternoon for a short trip and already regrets it.
“If only I had taken the train,” he says. „Longer on the road? Well, how much would it matter in the end? You will be there in eight hours. Now I am already taking into account being at Schiphol five hours earlier. Just because I take into account all kinds of problems. You are here at the mercy of the gods.”
At departure hall 1, one floor higher towards the panorama terrace, the immense queue of people waiting can be seen at the end of the morning. It is an abomination for travelers these days as there seems to be no end to it. Some travelers look bored at their phones, others have sat down on their hand luggage or have surrendered to the traffic jam on foot.
‘Concept’
While they wait, complain and sigh through the airport, our national pride, the announcement that the queues are longer, due to crowds and lack of staff. For those who didn’t know yet… “Thank you for your understanding”, says the announcer on duty.
Many travelers certainly do not have that understanding. Foreign tourists also complain about the crowds at Schiphol. “Never seen this before,” says a man with a strong American accent and red cap in the long line to get through the first ‘hurdle’, the check-in. It is according to the man a mess, a mess. “Unacceptable,” the angry man is clear. “Where can I make a complaint?”
Diplomats
Not only travelers wonder this. Several diplomats are also furious. Such as Mexican senator Bertha Caraveo, who arrived in Davos via Schiphol at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, precisely the place where Schiphol CEO Dick Benschop stayed when his airport was plunged into chaos for the umpteenth time.
The South American bobo boarded a flight from Amsterdam to Switzerland and found out that her luggage had been left behind in the Netherlands. Not everything goes well at the airport when it comes to baggage handling.
“I am publicly suing the drivers for the loss of my luggage, which is necessary to carry out my duties. I am aware that Schiphol airport is suffering from various strikes, but how do I get my personal hygiene products?”
On social media, she calls on Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra to intervene. “You should pay attention to this situation, which many diplomats are suffering from. The treatment is disappointing and humiliating.”