Travel
Airways Galleries lounge in
Departures 3 for Oneworld alliance
members. All others can use the
Servisair Lounge in Departures 2.
Servisair Lounge is a fee-based
lounge open to anyone, no matter
which airline you fly or which class
of service. The fee for three hours
starts at a little more than $30,
depending on the exchange rate.
Servisair Lounge has free WiFi,
papers and magazines, wines, beers,
spirits, free snacks and hot food.
The lounge overlooks the airfield,
so you can watch planes come and
go while you wait. For an additional
fee, you can use the showers and
there are also smoking facilities
available. The lounge is open daily
(except for Christmas Day) from
5:30 am to 11 pm.
€270 (approximately $335) for
incoming or departing flights (an
additional €100 or $125 for each
extra person in your party). To assist
you with transfers—picking you
up from an incoming flight, taking
you to the lounge while luggage is
transferred and the flight boards,
then taking you to the connecting
flight—is €400 or about $500.
In addition to these regular lounges,
there are also two additional
facilities that cater to VIP travelers
and business travelers. Schiphol’s
VIP Service is available to anyone
arriving/departing from AMS or even
transferring at the airport. If you
book VIP Service for an outbound
flight, there is a special check-in
location away from the main terminal
(detailed directions are on the
website). There, the concierge greets
you, takes your baggage and your
passport to get you checked in, while
you relax in the lounge with free
WiFi, coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer,
wine, snacks and even showers. The
VIP service gets your bags on the
plane for you (you keep your cabin
baggage with you). Then, about
15 minutes before departure, they
escort you through a private security
screening and drive you to the plane
in a personal town car. The service
works the same way on incoming
flights—you are met plane-side,
escorted to the private lounge where
you wait in style while the concierge
collects your luggage. The price is
AMS consistently ranks in the top
airports around the world, in large
part because of the variety of food
you can find during a layover. As with
all airports, there’s an ample supply
of grab and go type food and even
the requisite McDonald’s, but for
those who want something a bit
more memorable and even healthy,
there are amazing options for
international cuisine at AMS.
Say Cheese and
House of Tulips
in the Central
Square of Lounge 3.
Photo by TJEP
Airlines, is the KLM Crown Lounge,
which recently underwent a major
renovation. The Crown Lounge,
shown above, is in Departures 2. The
lounge, open from 4:45 am until the
last KLM flight departs each night,
has rest areas, entertainment,
magazines and newspapers, snacks
and drinks, free WiFi, fax and
photocopiers, computers and
a designated smoking area.
Depending on which airline you are
flying, you may be able to use the
KLM lounge if you are on a partner
airline and/or Skyteam alliance.
British Airways operates a British
53
Finally, Airport Business Point is
a convenient lounge located outside
of security in the middle of Arrivals
Hall 2. The lounge, open 9 am to
6 pm, is ideal for meeting a driver,
business partners or other
associates. While you wait, you
can use the WiFi and relax out
of the fray of incoming passengers.
Restaurants & Bars
Café Rembrandt: This is an
authentic recreation of a typical
Amsterdam “brown cafe.” The
feeling is rich, with Rembrandt’s
work on the walls, wood floors,
dark red curtains, a large bar and
a sheltered and heated outdoor café
for smoking guests. This classic cafe
is open 9 am to midnight in Arrival
Hall 1, outside Passport Control.
Bubbles Seafood & Wine Bar: Munch
on caviar while sipping champagne at
this centrally located bar in Lounge
1. Be sure to check out the saltwater
aquarium in the middle of the bar.
Open 6 am to 9 pm.
Café Coco: An upscale bar that will