Icelandair Flies Baggage Handlers To Amsterdam

This actually isn't super uncommon in regards to understaffing situations. I was a cross-trained agent (meaning both ticket counter/gate and ramp ops) for AA and we were routinely offered temporary duty assignments in understaffed airports, including both day trips and multi-day assignments. We flew positive space when doing one of these assignments, so AA must have deemed the extra labor worth losing some revenue. Glad to see Icelandair doing something to reduce pressures at AMS.

Back in winter 2007 when we were leasing a 757 from Loftleidir (a subsidiary of Icelandair), we did similar by flying a pair of rampers up from Ghana to assist with the loading at Gatwick. It was a short term issue (about 2 weeks) due to combination of staff shortages, heavy loads and short turnarounds but it helped keep us largely on schedule and around 12% more bags loaded on average per flight as a result.

Logistically the rampers are classified as crewmembers on the general declaration and are therefore allowed to operate only "within the aircraft footprint". They also couldn't operate any machinery for insurance reasons, but they were very useful just to have an extra body helping with stacking in the holds.

Northwest did the same thing years back by sending US ramp employees to Amsterdam to assist KLM during the summer rush. NW had not problems getting volunteers and the addition of experienced ground staff at AMS really helped to keep baggage moving.

Why stowaway anymore if you can volunteer to be bag handlers, LOL.

You even have extra space on the way back.

Was it inside the US only?

A SITA badge, at least in the US, gives access to most of the airport tarmac and security side company facilities and is individually issued by each airport. An aircraft crew member typically has the right to work only in what we called the shadow of the aircraft. This is how a pilot does walk around to inspect a plane, but doesn’t have a SITA badge for each of potentially hundreds of airports he or she might operate a flight to. I would imagine this is how baggage handlers from another airport could work close to a plane, but wouldn’t be allowed to wander around the airport as security conscious employees are required to challenge anyone seen without proper credentials. I am not too familiar with European security protocols though.

Good for Icelandair - I flew them in May JFK-Stockholm with a layover for 2 days in Iceland on the way. Booked Saga Premium for under $1000 r/t last year. As you know - no sleeper seats but food, service and liquor/wine selection was great. KEF airport definitely is running well and doesn't seem overwhelmed at all. Just a guess but assume Iceland doesn't have as much of an issue w COVID and also likely has higher pay to retain workers. Also, flight volume is limited since mainly Icelandair and Play flights with connections and all other carriers terminate there.

Also, if you haven't been to the Saga Lounge at KEF I highly recommend it. One of the nicest lounges I've ever been in. Huge with nice food/beverage selections. Even has an Icelandic elf rock in there

I’m also an AA cross-trained agent based in Guadalajara Mexico (GDL), last year a group of agents from various Latin American airports were sent to help with staffing issues at DFW and CLT. I spend two months working the never ending line at the customer service desk in DFW’s terminal A. It is also really common, for GDL agents at least, to be assigned to Cancun during the peak season.

This isn't all that uncommon. I've implemented expense report software for airlines that was used in part to reimburse gate agents and baggage handlers that travel to other airports to cover staff shortages. Interestingly, the airlines (I dealt with) did not pre-arrange hotel rooms and ground transportation the way airlines do for crews. Workers had to pay out of pocket and then get reimbursed.

When I flew from AMS on Icelandair on 3 July, the baggage for the flight was loaded by the pilot and copilot. My impression was that there was nobody else to do it.

I like this concern from Icelandic and speaks volume on their desire to become a world class airline with exceptional service .
Ive passed through Schiphol 5 times in the past 2 months and the luggage problem is terrible ;the worst I have ever seen,
I cannot with a clear mind blame KLM for the issues of Schiphol .I do like KLM
although I am not a business traveler.
My suggestion is come early ;if things dont go as planned and if you are on holiday as part of your holiday experience,
YOU dont have to be somewhere at certain time for a meeting.
I take a 5mm BO medicine and my BP went up every time but guess what ?
I wont pass up another chance of a 2 pt hike in my BP.Life is good!
Bethoven with all the issues he had in his life ,wrote some of the most beautiful sonatas,!! Listen sometimes;even while you are standing outside the building for 2 hrs or more just to get inside the building on may 30 while enroute to Helsinki.and on to Delhi.