Last week, I flew out of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport (AMS), which is one of the world's busiest airports.
When I arrived at the airport in a taxi, I saw massive lines of passengers snake their way around the terminal.
The overcrowding concerns are primarily due to security staffing shortages, which have become so severe that KLM cancelled bookings for flights over the weekend last week.
Some travelers said they had to wait up to six hours to go through security.
With photographs of wall-to-wall crowds inside the airport and snaking lineups outside, social media demonstrates just how lengthy the waits are.
I saw the lines, however my experience was somewhat unique. I trust by sharing it, I can save some of you some valuable time and allow you a superior opportunity of really getting your flights
How to Avoid Waiting
To avoid having to wait, I used two ways.
In isolation, either strategy would have worked.
First and foremost, I am a Virgin Atlantic Gold member.
I was flying with KLM from Amsterdam to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR), and I was given "Sky Priority" as a result of Virgin's connection with KLM/Air France.
This gave me access to the Sky Priority check-in area as well as the airport's priority security lanes.
There was no queue at all for check-in, and security was virtually as clear – only about ten people in front of me.
I also checked the KLM app for upgrading possibilities before travelling.
I had the option of upgrading to business class for only $62.97.
I wouldn't ordinarily do this for such a short flight, but I was desperate for more Virgin tier points to reclaim my Gold status.
In addition, I thought that my cabin classification would make my airport trip easier.
As a result, I took the risk.
Overall, there are three strategies to make your journey in these turbulent times go more smoothly.
Status
If you already have status, now is the time to put it to good use.
Even if the price is little greater, you may find that your airport experience has been transformed.
Flying out of Heathrow with British Airways silver (or above) status, for example, gets you special check-in counters and preferential security queues.
Flying the same journey on Ryanair with a standard ticket, on the other hand, would be a considerably less delightful experience.
When it comes to waiting through the anticipated delays, having access to the lounges will be beneficial.
Redesign
Check the cost of an upgrade if you're on a flight with premium cabins.
In the days leading up to a flight, British Airways and other short-haul heritage carriers occasionally offer very cheap upgrades.
My $63 business-class upgrade with KLM was a perfect example of this.
You must pay your own way.
For a modest cost, many airports provide access to priority security lanes.
This service is available at some airports for as little as $6.30.
If you're flying on a budget airline without a premium class, this is a good option.
I recently paid a tiny charge to use this lane at Naples airport, which allowed me to skip what appeared to be an hour-long wait.
Instead, it took me only a few minutes to get through security.
Primary concern
Travel will keep on being extreme for an abundance of thanks to long queues, and various deferrals and scratch-offs. You really should utilize a portion of the strategies framed above to attempt to make your outing somewhat less unpleasant.
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