"Stuckholm" ontrafeld

Alweer bijna anderhalf jaar geleden zat ik een nacht en dag vast in Stockholm omdat ik mijn overstap op het vliegveld miste. Voordat ik daadwerkelijk naar Tampere vloog, ging ik terug om te zien hoe ik verkeerd had kunnen lopen. Het leek erop dat geen van de wegwijzers informatie gaf over de weg die ik had moeten volgen, zoals ik eerder beschreef: http://gielkens.blogspot.nl/2017/01/
Mijn voorspelling kwam uit: de correspondentie leverde niet meer op dan een schrijfexercitie. Ik probeerde in te spelen op het gevoel en het professionele imago van Zweden, maar zoals eerder ervaren is klantenservice wat dat betreft uiterst zakelijk: http://gielkens.blogspot.nl/2018/01/de-continuiteit-van-de.html

Op zich dus niks nieuws, alhoewel het vliegveld later een reactie stuurde met foto's waarop te zien was waar ik officieel het spoor bijster werd. Het blijft voor mij onaannemelijk dat een onervaren vlieger moet weten dat het bord "gates 1-10" de juiste richting aangeeft voor overstappers en niet het bord "terminal 4", als je gefocust bent op de 4. Intuïtief loop je zo met anderen mee de trap af en is er geen weg meer terug. Een kleine misstap voor de voet, een grote sprong achteruit voor het gemoed.
Bij dezen nog eens correspondentie van formaat:



Dear team of the Arlanda Airport,

At the first of January I was supposed to fly to Tampere to attend the mandatory introduction course of my international study semester. My New Year's Eve was quite uneventful because I was nervous for the half-yearly time I was about to leave, but also because I had never flown by myself nor with any layovers. Unfortunately I missed my flyover from Schiphol to Tampere at Arlanda in a sad way.

My ticket only said the number of the gateway, so as an inexperienced air traveler it seemed straightforward to just look for this number on the signposts. It was quite a long walk but I had heard of friends airports could be so big there were even shuttles traveling inside them. When I finally arrived at my assumed place of destination, I was told that I had to be at gate 4 of terminal 5, not terminal 4. Of course I had to be checked by the Customs again so even though I was running I arrived at a closed gate with 10 minutes left for departure, at 22:20. I asked around as quickly as possible but I didn't get much help of unconcerned employees. They referred me to the SAS airlines information desk which was already closed since 22:00 and the general information desk sent me to a non-responding baggage department. When I came back they only simply said I had to come back tomorrow. I didn't even know where to stay the uncertain night that was ahead of me.

After a sleepless night I was able to book the only available flight to Tampere and because it was in the evening, I had plenty of time to wander around the airport. I wanted to see which path I would had have to walk in the first instance to get on my layover flight. I was really shocked about the guiding signs. I couldn't go any further back than the baggage pick-up, but from there I made pictures of the signs as one would follow in the correct way: the first ten do not mention gates at all, and after the trolley parking, gates will be mentioned for the first time which even excluded the right gate 4b. It already feels wrong to walk through the trolley parking since its so quite there and even then one will turn around due to the absence of a signpost for gate number 4 (and all other numbers besides F5, F-26-69 for that matter). Afterwards one is supposed to go through the Customs check again which will finally lead to the first sign of gate number 4: a path no one could ever find without knowing better.

Experienced flyers do know better, but I think they will know better regardless of the signs and therefore the signs seem to be especially important to non-experienced flyers. First I felt very ashamed and stupid since I couldn't just follow the correct signs but after I had to book another flight and saw the succeeding signing boards again, I felt like it wasn't just me getting wrong.


It happened to me even more unexpectedly since everything else at the airport seemed so well designed and organised and Sweden is known for its sublime organisation in general. Tired of the nervousness before but finally a bit relieved of the first flight which had been going well, I felt like falling in a deep helpless hole when I missed my flight while the airport services' were closing. I only received my big baggage and was left alone with three pieces of luggage to drag with me and the message to just come back the day after. Regardless of the additional costs and missing time of my study introduction, it already was a shockingly unpleasant experience.

After you have seen the pictures I hope you will realize it's indeed quite strange and confusing for inexperienced and exhausted customers to get to their correct flight by innocently trying to get there on their own. And I suppose independent traveling is not something you aim to discourage.

I'm looking forward to a response and I would really appreciate some kind of compensation for this encountered ambiguity and unsympathetic experienced service.

Best regards,

Hub Coumans
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Dar Hub,

We are hereby reverting with a decision on the matter.

Upon looking in to the matter; we regret to learn that root of the occurred instead is that you followed the wrong directions once you had entered the terminal building upon embarking the plane from Amsterdam which parked at gate 15. As you may see in the attached photographs as well as the document consisting of the key map of Terminal 5; you should have gone to your left following the signs for gates 1-10 and F26-F69. Instead, you, although by mistake, walked straight and took the stairs towards the baggage claim area and terminals 2, 3, 4. Incidentally, this is what caused and resulted in a missed connecting flight to Tampere.

The boarding pass of which you have sent us a copy states clearly that the flight to Tampere was being boarded from gate 4. There was no information stating that gate 4 is at another terminal than 5, same as where you arrived. As you may also see on the attached photographs; there are information boards as well as information screens where terminal description, gate overviews and flight information is provided.

Regrettably and based on the above stated; it´s believed that the signs in the terminal building are clear enough for at traveler to find the actual gate for boarding flight. ; Accordingly, Swedavia as the Airport owner is not liable for the occurred incident and thereof you cannot be compensated in regards of your claim.

Should there be any further questions, revert accordingly.

Kind regards,

[Swedavia]