Amsterdam Connections with 1hr10min between flights to USA.

We finally have this trip put together. I ended up booking KLM for the afternoon before our Delta flight out of Amsterdam. Since we had previously joined KLM Flying Blue we were able to get a price break on the tickets as well as a savings on checking luggage. Since our carryons cannot weigh more than 12.5kg we decided to save quite a lot by paying for checked luggage now at a savings.vs the higher cost at check in. We also paid the additional $6 ea to reserve seats vs taking our chances at check in. Our checked luggage will not weigh anywhere near 50lb since we are doing a land trip by train and do not want to be dragging heavy luggage around.

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Excellent - I'm glad that you're sorted, and with very sensible plans.

:D:D

Where are you actually trying to get to?

 

And why are you tied to KLM and Delta? Are you being offered any options on other airlines, or with connections in other places? There are alternative routings to both Atlanta and Detroit that don't go through Amsterdam, so I'm wondering why you're being offered only these two.

 

If you must take one or other of these options, then they look to me like they're likely to be the following:-

 

BSL-AMS 1120-1250 KL1986

AMS-DTW 1520-1823 KL6019 (operated by DL139)

 

BSL-AMS 1120-1250 KL1986

AMS-ATL 1650-2020 KL621

 

I would have thought that you should normally have plenty of time to make either onward flight, although if the BSL-AMS flight is late there is clearly a little more risk; a useful test is always to ask what might happen if a flight is 1, 2 or 3 hours late. Depending on where you're actually trying to get to, the risk is one which I would personally be perfectly happy to take. If it all goes wrong on the day, that's just one of those things that happens in travel, and the airline is still legally responsible for getting me to my destination.

 

The other thing that would factor into my thinking (as a practical stranger to the Air France/Delta/KLM/SkyTeam airlines) is that the AMS-DTW flight is on an A330 in a 2-4-2 configuration (assuming you're flying in economy) whereas the AMS-ATL flight is on a B777 in a 3-4-3 configuration. I will personally do quite a lot to avoid the latter configuration.

 

But all of this planning would still be missing a vital ingredient: what the remainder of your travel looks like.

Thank you so much for your immediate response. I really have no idea on how to pick this flight. We are a party of 8 flying out from a small airport in Norfolk Virginia. Being that there are 8 of us flying for my Birthday on Thanksgiving I suggested we opt for The Viking Custom air to keep us all together. OurViking tickets only cost $395 per person with an added $50pp to choose flights they would allow. The 2 flights in question are the latest flights leaving at 1120 am all others depart at 6 am. I’m glad to know the Air bus A330 has a 2-4-2 configuration. We leave on November 20th with a deviation fee of $100 pp to assure we are not traveling on My Birthday which is also a holiday. Thank all of you so much for the advice on picking a flight and an aircraft. I’ve been obsessed with reading CC boards all night many a night with no comfort or confidence in this first river cruise booking. When All I had to do was ask and finally admit I was a virgin ( which oh by the way was very humbling concidering that I usually think I know it all when it comes to ocean cruising through putting all my faith and expertise in Cruise Critic members ) and Thank you so much. I feel like a weight has lifted and I’m feeling more confident to call custom air and get all of us actually ticketed so we have some chance early in the game to hopefully upgrade transatlantic seating. You fellow cruisers really are the bees knees. Keep on rocking and sailin the high seas my good friends most of all keep helping us in need of your travel knowledge support!

2.5 hours at AMS should be fine.

Thank you for your reply Waterbug!!! I appreciate it.

We are a party of 8 flying out from a small airport in Norfolk Virginia.

For the flight back from Basel to Norfolk, I would second Zach1213's suggestion of flying back from Zurich, with one connection at Washington Dulles. The options that you've been looking at all involve two connections. It will probably be as easy (if not easier) to take the train from Basel to Zurich airport (there's normally a direct train straight to the airport a couple of times an hour, taking about 1½ hours) than it would be to connect in Amsterdam and then connect again at a US gateway. To be honest, a car from Dulles direct to your homes in Norfolk could save you a little time compared to flying that part of the journey.

But whether this would work depends a bit on where you're going at the start of your trip, on the assumption that Viking may want to keep you on the same airline for both halves of the flying.

A little more looking at options shows that there are lots of one-stop options from Zurich to Norfolk: you could connect in New York (both JFK and Newark), Chicago, Philadelphia or even Miami.

I flew KLM from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam to Detroit To Cincinnati last November. I had 1+15 in AMS and made connection with no issues. The KLM flight was around the corner from the Delta flight.

Dear Globaliser:

I have been following your posts and I think by and large that you give sound advice,

My question(s) is relatively simple.

We are booked on a Lufthansa flight from MIA to FRA, connecting with another Lufthansa flight to PRG.

Q: Do we need to go through immigration/customs in FRA. If so, how long will this take?

How much connecting time will we need to make our flight to PRG?

Many thanks for your input.

Larry and Ethel

Boynton Beach, FL

Passport control at FRA, customs at PRG. Allow two hours.

Only have 1:05 between flights. There is a later connection, by one hour. Will Lufthansa allow this free of charge in the event we do not make the original connect?

Are your flights on one ticket? If so, yes, but it's doable in an hour.

I flew KLM from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam to Detroit To Cincinnati last November. I had 1+15 in AMS and made connection with no issues. The KLM flight was around the corner from the Delta flight.

Before folks start hoping for this on their connections in AMS, one point to note.

TLV-AMS-DTW is an "Extra-Schengen" to "Extra-Schengen" connection. Much different than a connection involving a flight within the Schengen Zone. The latter operate from a distinct and separated section of the airport terminal, with passport control between sections. A typical flight from a Euro cruise port to AMS won't come in at the same area where the North America bound flight leaves from.

Only have 1:05 between flights. There is a later connection, by one hour. Will Lufthansa allow this free of charge in the event we do not make the original connect?

It sounds like you have already booked the short connection. Unless you're prepared to pay now to change the ticket to give yourself a longer connection time, then what you need to do is to ensure that you don't dawdle when you get to FRA; in addition, don't expect to have the luxury of much time to shop or relax during the connection process.

If you haven't yet booked, then do think about picking the longer connection. You might simply find it less stressful, even though the chances are that you would make it to the onward flight with the shorter connection.

As always, the question about how much connection time you need is best asked before the ticket has been bought.

Question Is it doable to make a connecting flight in Amsterdam to the USA with a 1hr10min between flights. We only have two options 1hr10min or 1hr20min. We will be connecting to the USA from Vienna Austria. We’re not feeling real great about this. Do you think we stand a decent chance of making it and not loosing our good seats?

 

 

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Pre-retirement, I flew internationally often and there is no way I'd do a short layover abroad. I prefer a 3 hr layover and would never do less than 2 hrs.

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When we booked the flight to PRG, Choice Air automatically gave us the flight with the short connect.

We are not youngsters and it appears that the outbound flight from MIA to FRA arrives at the Z gates, while our ongoing flight is at the A gates. Of course, this could change, but most likely it will not.

Our seats are at the front of the cabin so that we will be among the fist to deplane. Still, how far are the A gates from the Z gates at FRA?

Just wondering.

Thanks for everone’s Input.

Larry and Ethel

Boynton Beach, FL

Still, how far are the A gates from the Z gates at FRA?

The aircraft stands for the A gates are basically the same as those for the Z gates, so many of those stands will serve both an A gate and a Z gate. The A gates are used for Schengen flights and the Z gates for non-Schengen flights. In theory, you could disembark an aircraft at a Z gate, go through the connection process and board the exact same aircraft on the exact same stand for your next flight through an A gate. The difference between them is the streams through which they direct you after you disembark or before you embark.

What is more relevant is the length of the path for the streams that you need to use. You will disembark, walk to immigration, clear that, walk to security, clear that, and then walk to the onward gate. The fact that the gates are in the same place doesn't mean that the total walking distance will be short because you could visit many parts of the terminal building during that process.

It would need a FRA expert to tell you any detail about what you can expect.

I have to say, though, that being forced by Choice Air to take a shorter connection than you would have liked rather seems to ignore the word "Choice" in it. Airline reservation systems will usually offer the shortest connection time because for most people the shortest overall journey time is a big plus factor. But I had thought that Choice Air allowed you to pick what you want.

Thanks, Globaliser, and the others for your input. I guess we will keep our original flights and hope we can make the connection. If not, we will take the later flight and assume that our luggage will be waiting for us in PRG.

Safe travels to all.

I guess we will keep our original flights and hope we can make the connection. If not, we will take the later flight and assume that our luggage will be waiting for us in PRG.

If you do misconnect, then the best result is that your luggage flies on the same flight that you are actually flying on, but it is possible that it will come later. With so many flights between FRA and PRG, the chances of the bags being long delayed are pretty slim.

Before folks start hoping for this on their connections in AMS, one point to note.

 

TLV-AMS-DTW is an "Extra-Schengen" to "Extra-Schengen" connection. Much different than a connection involving a flight within the Schengen Zone. The latter operate from a distinct and separated section of the airport terminal, with passport control between sections. A typical flight from a Euro cruise port to AMS won't come in at the same area where the North America bound flight leaves from.

Duly Noted, thanks. To me it was not a big deal; if I missed my connection I catch the next one. But I know for most people they don't want to miss their connections.

Only have 1:05 between flights. There is a later connection, by one hour. Will Lufthansa allow this free of charge in the event we do not make the original connect?

If you have one ticket covering both halves of the connection and you misconnect, then the airline is contractually obliged to reaccommodate you on another flight.

Bigdawgs, please note that Globaliser's reply correctly states that in that circumstance, yes, they'd have to reaccommodate you on another flight. BUT... that may or may not be the one an hour later. If that flight is full, you won't end up on it.

Good point. We will make every effort to “hustle” to our connecting gate and hope for the best.

Many thanks for everyone’s input.

Perhaps I should go to the Frankfurt Airport’s website and see what it says.

Good point. We will make every effort to “hustle” to our connecting gate and hope for the best.