Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam has pledged to reimburse hundreds of travelers who missed flights due to lengthy lineups at airport security checkpoints.
After being threatened with legal action by a Dutch holiday complaints program, the airport operator has promised to pay the bill, which is expected to total hundreds of millions of Euros.
The reimbursement program will be available to travelers who showed up at the airport on time for flights between April 23 and August 11, 2022, but were unable to board due to unreasonably long security checkpoint wait times.
Schiphol has committed to paying for a wide range of expenses, including rebooking fees, alternate travel arrangements, and lodging costs. Although thousands of customers are likely to be covered, the airport did not immediately disclose how much it anticipated the compensation system to cost. However, expenses might mount quickly.
“A lot of people have really been looking forward to their holidays abroad, especially after two years of COVID. We’re extremely sorry that some people have missed their flight due to the long security control queue,” commented Schiphol’s chief executive Dick Benschop.
“They’ve had to miss out on all or part of their holiday, and we really sympathize with them,” Benschop continued.
However, it wasn’t until popular travel rights broadcast MAX Vakantieman explored the issues in-depth in a program that aired in late July that the airport made the decision to take action. When Schiphol refused to commit to covering the costs of missed flights, the program threatened to sue the airport.
“We’re proud to have been able to contribute toward this solution through our action. The trial process is now over, as people are being compensated,” explained Jeanine Janssen from MAX Ombudsman.
Passengers have until September 30 to request reimbursement for expenses related to Schiphol’s chaotic summer of travel.
