R
emember the days when the
thought of an airport layover
brought shudders and a sense
of dread? Today’s airports are
breaking out of that mold—
and breaking all the old rules — to
offer bespoke services to modern
travelers. From luxury lounges,
modern spas and art museums to
wine bars, gourmet restaurants and
markets filled with fresh produce,
airports around the world are
revolutionizing the travel experience.
Discover a new place each month
for your next luxe layover.
Amsterdam
Airport Schiphol,
The Netherlands: AMS
Automated departure lounge for
KLM at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Photo by Guislain Mary
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
(pronounced shki-pole) had its
beginnings back in 1916 when a
little military two-seater flew into
a field outside Amsterdam. Just four
years later, in May of 1920, KLM
Royal Dutch Airlines landed the first
commercial plane there, with two
journalists from England on board
the plane. Over the next half-dozen
years, Schiphol earned the nickname
“Schiphol Bathing Resort” because,
more often than not, the field was
a mud bath due to heavy rainfall.
The airlines even hired big burly
Dutchmen to carry passengers off
the plane on their backs. In 1926,
the city of Amsterdam took
ownership of the new airport in
anticipation of the 1928 Olympics,
and created an impressive system
of tarmacs to prevent planes and
passengers from sinking.
All the advances in what was then
one of the world’s most modern
airports were destroyed during
World War II. After The Netherlands
was invaded by German forces,
Schiphol’s modern airport — only
minutes by air from England —
became a major threat to the Allies.
In one 30-minute stretch during
December 1943, US bombers dropped
more than 400,000 kilos of bombs on
the airstrips, leaving them unusable
for German troops. The Germans
then destroyed anything remaining,
effectively annihilating Schiphol.
Following the war, however, the
industrious Dutch quickly rebuilt
their airport, opening the first
terminal in 1949. By 1950, more
than 350,000 passengers flew
through Schiphol every year. To
handle growth demand, the city
of Amsterdam and The Netherlands
joined forces to begin operating the
KLM Fokker 100 on
the Panorama Roof
Terrace at Amsterdam
Airport Schiphol.
Photo by Calflier
airport and to expand it based on
designs of Jan Dellaert. On April 28,
1967, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol,
with a revolutionary new oneterminal concept and modern
conveniences, opened. Today, AMS
serves 99 airlines, flies to 323 direct
destinations and welcomed 52.6
million passengers in 2013.
into four “lounges”—Lounges 1, 2, 3
and 4. The B and C gates are in
Lounge 1; D and E gates are in
Lounge 2; while the F, G and H gates
are in Lounge 3. All of those lounges
are connected and you can move
between them easily. Lounge 4 is
home to the new M Gates, which
serve the low-cost carriers of
BMIbaby, Flyby, Easy Jet, Jet-2 and
Air Berlin. While there are restrooms
in Lounge 4, there are no other
services in that area.
Today, AMS is known as an
“AirportCity”, with a city park, art
galleries, library, free WiFi, shops,
restaurants, hotels, spas, a museum
and even a casino. Here are a few of
the things you can find to keep you
busy on your next layover at AMS.
For those who have previously
traveled through AMS, you might
remember clearing security, walking
through shops and restaurants, then
needing to go through security a
second time to get to the gates. This
has always been a bit inconvenient,
and you couldn’t take some items
through second level security. As
part of its major redesign, AMS is
centralizing security through five
checkpoints—three in the Departure
Halls and two for transfers. After
the remodel is complete in early
2015, you will clear that one
security and be free to shop, eat,
make purchases and find your gate
without any additional security. Due
to these major renovations, much of
the airport is under construction
through mid-2015.
Understanding
the AMS Layout
Unlike most airports, AMS continues
to have a one-terminal concept. The
Arrivals hall and Schiphol Plaza, with
most of the shopping, are on the first
level of the airport. You will also find
baggage claim, airport hotels and
transportation on this level.
When you depart AMS, you will go up
to the second level. Depending on
your airline, you will find automated
baggage checks and ticket counters
in Departure areas 1, 2 or 3. Once
through security, you will notice
that the Departure level is divided
52
Airport Clubs & Lounges
As with most modern airports, AMS
has its share of lounges, where you
can relax while you wait for your
flight. The most popular lounge at
AMS, because it serves as the
headquarters for KLM Royal Dutch