EZAir - what would you do?

[suec12]

So I booked a flight from the US to Venice that has a connection in Amsterdam, very pleased with price, has since increased by hundreds of $$$. After booking, the connection time was changed from over an hour to 50 minutes - seems tight but booking did not change. On the airline website, it advises the connection is tight and I MIGHT miss next flight. Soooooo - leave it alone? call EZAir? call airline? I really don't want to lose the price I got. I am NOT arriving DAY OF cruise so there is margin for rebooking. Anyone have experience like this? And if I miss the connection, I will deal with airline? or EZAir? we do not usually have cell phone service once we leave the States. Thanks for any input.

[VMax1700]

50 minutes is the official Minimum Connection Time (MCT) at AMS Schiphol airport.

Are the flights confirmed on one ticket or separate bookings? (important if you miss the connection!)

Do you mean 'Flight Ease' (EZ Air is Princess or perhaps some consolidator)

Flight time may change either way again before departure.

Which airline?  Scheduled arrival time in AMS?  (are there more flights the same day?)

[wesport]

The first thing I would do is see how many flights leave from AMS to Venice on your airline or partners of your airline. 
50 minutes is tight, and why be stressed out on your trip over.

also, how many days ahead of your cruise are you leaving?

worst case is you miss the connection, leave later or spend the night in Amsterdam. Not a bad case scenario. 
if it were me, I would probably leave it alone. It could change again. 

[wyobean]

I don’t know what EZ Air is. If it is an online TA like Expedia then you will be dealing with them, not the airlines. I did that once...never again. 

[suec12]

Oh I meant the HAL flight partner - FlightEZ? - Yes on one ticket and early morning arrival to AMS so several more flights to VCE thru out the day. I am leaning towards just leaving it alone - and as someone said, it could change again before our trip in May! Thanks for the input.

[drowelf]

12 minutes ago, suec12 said:

Oh I meant the HAL flight partner - FlightEZ? - Yes on one ticket and early morning arrival to AMS so several more flights to VCE thru out the day. I am leaning towards just leaving it alone - and as someone said, it could change again before our trip in May! Thanks for the input.

Since its that far out and with multiple flights for the day I'd just leave it alone for now. Another important fact I have not seen, is whether this is a day of departure flight or are you getting the Venice 1 or more days early? 

[vicd1969]

Where from the US are you departing? Some US airports - ahem NY area and ORD - see more delays than others. If you aren't flying from those airports and the difference is more than $100, you are right to wait. AMS and most major airports have free wi-fi, I would download a VoIP app like Skype or Vonage in case you need to call the Flight Ease support in Europe. HAL and Princess air booking sites use the same reservation engine and interface, so don't worry about using their name interchangeably. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by vicd1969

[RuthC]

Since there are several more flights from Amsterdam to Venice, why not check out the prices now, and change your flights if the price is right. It would be easier than having to do it on an emergency basis. It's at leat worth looking into in advance. 

[voyageur9]

I'd take the risk (assuming it's a single USA-AMS-VEN ticket then airline is required to rebook you) but also make sure you understand the immigration/customs process. Both The Netherlands and Italy are Schengen-area members so you will almost certainly clear customs/immigration at your first point of entry (i.e. Amsterdam) and then the connecting flight will be the equivalent of a 'domestic' flight inside Schengen (which isn't the same as the EU although often confused with it.)

 

In any event, if you need to recover your bags and clear customs in AMS before putting them back into the luggage system for the onward leg to VEN, it will have an impact on your connection chances.

 

 

 

 

[BSinPNS]

I would try to change, but not be disappointed if they won't do it for free.  (if HAL won't change it, you can try the airline directly.)  You are still several months out and Delta/KLM may change the flight from the US to AMS.  As VMAX said the MCT in AMS is 50 minutes.  If DL/KLM moves the US-AMS flight a few minutes, you would go under the MCT time and they would have to rebook you.  If it goes the other way, you get more time.  AMS is very efficient, but big and you will have to do the Schengen immigration which is laying your passport on a reader, look at the camera for an entry photo and then get your passport stamped.  It moves very quickly.   As you point out, there are several KLM flights from AMS-VCE later in the day.  Besides, you probably wouldn't be able to check into your hotel early anyway.  We did this a year ago and had a great cruise.  

[Hlitner]

I would not be comfortable with the 50 min in Schiphol.  It is one of the more efficient airports in Europe, but you would really need for your flight from the USA to be on time (or early).  What to do?  In your situation I would be a proactive.  I would call the cruise line's usual number and politely insist on being transferred to the real EZAIR folks.  The clerks at the cruise line will do what they can to handle your problem and you might get some resistance on getting to the real EZAIR folks.  But it is the EZAIR folks who truly understand the air reservations system and they also have contacts with their contracted airlines.  It may be that you will be told that since your transfer time meets the published minimum there is nothing to be done.  On the other hand, they might be able to get you changed to a later flight (to Venice) with no change in price.  You have nothing to lose but some time (on the phone).  

 

The other trick used by many frequent flyers is to educate yourself on the flight options so that you are prepared in case you miss the connection.  When it comes to dealing with the airlines, knowledge is power.   In your case we would want to know about all the later flights to Venice.

 

Hank

[rhblake]

If you are required to clear customs and /or immigration in Amsterdam I would doubt that you can make a 50 minute connection.

Edited November 28, 2019 by rhblake

[BSinPNS]

The MCT includes clearing immigration.  It's very simple and quick, unlike entering the US.  Additionally you do not reclaim your checked luggage, it's just gets loaded on the next flight.  

[BarbarianPaul]

One other factor you might not have considered. Since your connection is so tight, even if you made it to the plane on time, there’s a good chance your luggage won’t. I've lost luggage on tight connections and will never book a trip with a short connection again.

 

That would mean you’d have to spend some of your time in Venice tracking your bags down, filling out the paperwork, and worrying that your luggage might either get lost or not make it to your hotel on time because who knows how efficient the system in Italy actually is.

[rhblake]

14 hours ago, BSinPNS said:

The MCT includes clearing immigration.

Again I am only guessing but I would think that Minimum Connection Time (MCT) is for domestic or Euro zone flights not international.

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, rhblake said:

Again I am only guessing but I would think that Minimum Connection Time (MCT) is for domestic or Euro zone flights not international.

MCT for international is 50 minutes.

MCT for Euro/Schengen flights is 40 minutes.