Stuck in Amsterdam — twice! The first time because our travel agent majorly screwed up our tickets and now a few hours later because snow is dumping on Amsterdam for the first time like this in 20 years — over 14 inches so far. The Schiffel airport is not prepared for this blizzard, unlike Detroit.
Every flight is delayed and many cancelled. Our flight to Beirut is delayed again and we sit and wait. Snow continues to dump on the airport.
Earlier we were informed we did not have valid tickets — though the travel agent lady assured us we did. After frustratingly waiting and moving from one desk to another we were told we would need to buy new tickets here in Amsterdam to the tune of €8,000 (Euro) which equates to over $10,000. In the end we told them our tickets had been lost and they printed new ones for a replacement fee of only €65 (roughly $90).
So, blessed be God, we were free to fly — until the snow began to blow!
Now we sit in the first snowstorm like this here in 20 years wondering if we will spend the night in the KLM lounge. Should we rush to secure a room in a hotel before they quickly disappear or hope to be one of the lucky ones to get out of Amsterdam?
Update 4 hours later: After de-icing the plane, we finally flew into the face of the blizzard and are now high over Germany on our way to Beirut. Left 4 hours late and should arrive at 4:30 AM. We will be up bright and early since we have much to explore.