Amsterdam layover-how much time needed?

[Chesie]

Hi everyone,

 

Taking Delta JFK and have a layover in Amsterdam. I can go with a 2 1/2 hr or 4 hr layover.

 

What's the skinny on time needed in Amsterdam to change plans from a Delta to KLM? How much time do I need and what is the procedure in the airport?

 

Tx!

[Hunter22a]

Schipol Intl airport is one of the easier European airports to get around in. I have traveled through it several times as we lived in Europe for 5 years when I was posted there with the Canadian Forces. 2 1/2 hours is plenty and will leave you enough time to explore a bit yet not be bored to tears. Have a good trip.

[fbgd]

Where are you flying to from AMS? That affects your "procedure".

[ab0si]

Assuming you are going from AMS to a Schengen zone country (this includes Italy, Spain, France and Greece along with may others):

 

1) get off plane

2) get your board pass if you don't already have it. You do this at the automatic kiosks or, if you like waiting in line, a transfer desk.

3) Go through passport control

4) Go to you boarding gate

 

Along the way you will pass a huge duty free shopping area, expensive Internet areas. a casino with some of the worst odds in the known world and a wonderful art museum (an extension of the Rijksmuseum) along with the usual food, drink, book etc. outlets.

 

Note that you will not need to retrieve your luggage at Schiphol.

 

To repeat: the above assumes a flight to a Schengen zone country (and assumes a single ticket).

 

You can also go to the Hotel Mercure on the 3rd level and get a shower (complete with towel for 15 euros).

 

2 1/2 hours is more than enough time. This assumes your arriving plane is not horribly late. I always assume my plane is going to be late and avoid both tight and what sane people consider easy connections. I spend lots of extra time in airports (hence my knowledge of where one can grab a shower) but seldom have to scramble to get rebooked.

[UKBayern]

Minimum connecting time in which Schiphol and the airlines guarantee that you make your connection is 50 minutes (I worked there for many years as a gate and transfer supervisor, so that is how I know). I would say that is cutting it a little close, but 2,5 hours should be more than enough. I certainly would not know what to do there for 4 hours.

[Chesie]

Thank you all! We are leaving from JFK and our end destination is Abu Dhabi. Does that make a drastic change on the procedure from Delta to KLM in Amsterdam? Since KLM is a Delta partner, wouldn't I already have a boarding pass for the KLM portion when I check in at JFK for the Delta portion?

 

Thanks for any responses!

[Globaliser]

We are leaving from JFK and our end destination is Abu Dhabi. Does that make a drastic change on the procedure from Delta to KLM in Amsterdam? Since KLM is a Delta partner, wouldn't I already have a boarding pass for the KLM portion when I check in at JFK for the Delta portion?

If you're booked on one ticket for the entire journey, then the chances are that you will have boarding passes for both sectors.

 

In that case, then basically all you need to do is to go from your arrival gate to your departure gate. There will be no passport control. Security is done at the departure gate when you get there, or at a checkpoint serving only a few adjacent gates. If you have plenty of time before your next flight, you should be able to wander freely through the non-Schengen part of the terminal.

[UKBayern]

Thank you all! We are leaving from JFK and our end destination is Abu Dhabi. Does that make a drastic change on the procedure from Delta to KLM in Amsterdam? Since KLM is a Delta partner, wouldn't I already have a boarding pass for the KLM portion when I check in at JFK for the Delta portion?

 

Thanks for any responses!

 

The circumstance that you are not entering the European Union makes life very easy for you, since you do not have to clear passport control in Amsterdam. I am very glad you did not go for the 4 hour option. If I and others would have known straight away, we could have given you better advice.

Delta/KLM always checkin on each others flights. Because the systems are linked, the question if you have everything in one ticket does not apply in this particular situation. Just ask when checking in at JFK if they can label your luggage through to Abu Dhabi and provide you with the boarding pass. Sometimes the second flight will not be open for checkin yet at the time of checkin in JFK, and then they will tell you to pick up your boarding pass at the transfer desk in Amsterdam. Luggage through is almost always possible.

[Chesie]

If you're booked on one ticket for the entire journey, then the chances are that you will have boarding passes for both sectors.

 

In that case, then basically all you need to do is to go from your arrival gate to your departure gate. There will be no passport control. Security is done at the departure gate when you get there, or at a checkpoint serving only a few adjacent gates. If you have plenty of time before your next flight, you should be able to wander freely through the non-Schengen part of the terminal.

 

Thank you. Do you recall if the non-Schengen part of the terminal has food?

[Chesie]

The circumstance that you are not entering the European Union makes life very easy for you, since you do not have to clear passport control in Amsterdam. I am very glad you did not go for the 4 hour option. If I and others would have known straight away, we could have given you better advice.

Delta/KLM always checkin on each others flights. Because the systems are linked, the question if you have everything in one ticket does not apply in this particular situation. Just ask when checking in at JFK if they can label your luggage through to Abu Dhabi and provide you with the boarding pass. Sometimes the second flight will not be open for checkin yet at the time of checkin in JFK, and then they will tell you to pick up your boarding pass at the transfer desk in Amsterdam. Luggage through is almost always possible.

 

Thanks. Sorry, but what is a "transfer desk"?

[UKBayern]

Thanks. Sorry, but what is a "transfer desk"?

 

KLM has desks all through the terminal for transit passengers who have questions and/or need to still pick up a boardingpass. If you already have your boardingpass, you do not have to go there.

[FlyerTalker]

Thank you. Do you recall if the non-Schengen part of the terminal has food?

You can re-read post #4 for information on the many, many things to do at AMS. Food is one of them.

[mikewrit]

We got stuck with a four-hour layover in Amsterdam in 2008. Without much fuss or trouble and not a high price, we got a two-hour tour of the town on a 10-passenger van. We arrived back at the airport in plenty of time for the flight to Istanbul. We still consider that off-the-cuff venture as one of the best times during our Med cruise.

[Globaliser]

Do you recall if the non-Schengen part of the terminal has food?

IIRC, most of the terminal is non-Schengen.

[Retirement]

We got stuck with a four-hour layover in Amsterdam in 2008. Without much fuss or trouble and not a high price, we got a two-hour tour of the town on a 10-passenger van. We arrived back at the airport in plenty of time for the flight to Istanbul. We still consider that off-the-cuff venture as one of the best times during our Med cruise.

How did you find this tour? We will have a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam enroute to Venice this fall.

[Chesie]

Thanks to everyone!

[mikewrit]

"How did you find this tour? We will have a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam enroute to Venice this fall. "

 

There's an excursion desk on the concourse just inside the terminal. I think several services were sharing the operation. Another time I would search the airport site and other Amsterdam excursion hits on Google, but we did very well with our last-minute urge to spend the layver time more productively than sitting in a booth along the food court.

[UKBayern]

"How did you find this tour? We will have a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam enroute to Venice this fall. "

 

There's an excursion desk on the concourse just inside the terminal.

 

The desk always used to be between E- and F- pier.