Pandra

Can anyone advise on connection times QR to BA at AMS please. We are due to arrive at 1220 from DOH, and am hoping we will we be ok to get the 1410 back to LHR. It will be separate PNRs and we are hoping to interline our baggage from HKT to LHR. We were on the 1500 flight but BA have just cancelled it and we don't really want to get the 1610. Many thanks

Cymro

I've done just that, and the inbound was about thirty minutes late, which is not unusual.

My bags were interlined and the connection was tight-ish, but I was never in any danger of missing the plane.

On separate PNRs, unless you're prepared to stump up the cash or avios for a single, and especially at AMS where agents can be very forthright and strict with the rules, I'd want a longer connection to avoid the risk of missing my flight.

Without interlined baggage, I'd be nervous (60:40) of completing the connection, even if on time - unless hand baggage only of course. I don't think you'd have any problems with QR although HKT is a small airport and I'm not sure how QR operates there (my journey through DOH and AMS started at BKK).

Milnio87

We arrived into AMS from DOH at 1400 and connected to BA service at 1620 last October on the way back from Bali.

The flight was slightly early into AMS (in J) and we had lots of time, despite a protracted debate with a G4S employee at transfer security regarding our duty free which was incorrectly packaged in DOH for transfers. So long as your QR flight is on time I doubt you'll have a problem.

Bags interlined without issue in that time too.

PS - remember to wear practical shoes, really long walk from QR arrival gate to BA departure gate!

Lefly

I would do the same and go for the later flight. If something goes wrong, I would hate the feeling "Ah, if only I had choose differently..." and I would prefer to wait a bit more instead

kt74

I've done this connection and if QR is on time, it's very do-able, albeit a long walk... Notwithstanding another live FT debate right now, QR is normally quite good about interlining bags

However, as with all separate ticket connections, you do need to resign yourself to the fact that there's a 1-in-[10? 20? 100?] chance that you'll end up missing the connection and having to shell out for another ticket. For me, that's a risk I'm willing to take to benefit from lower ex-EU fares, but YMMV. Just make sure you're suitably Zen about it if sh-1-t actually happens

LondonElite

Just feel I should point out that this is not a connection, it is two separate flights. Whilst you may be able to interline, I wouldn't rely on it for your plan. For that reason alone, but also considering that your inbound may be late, I'd allow myself extra time.

When people tell you "don't worry, you'll be able to check your bags through, and if you miss your BA flight you'll automatically be put on the next," you need to consider whether these statements, which are opinions and not facts, are much help to you when you're trying to check in on DOH.

AndyFlyer

Sage advice, LondonElite. I would advise to have a longer connection to be on the safe side. Afternoon transit security (the new, upstairs bit) at AMS tends to be quiet, but all it would take are some delayed inbound to cause you to miss a tight connection. You can always relax for an hour or so in the lounge, before hiking to the gate for your onward connection. Better to relax than sweat it out on an inbound from DOH.

msm2000uk

Surely take the later BA Flight, and spend some time with Dutch at the QR desk (I think he's there but not absolutely certain).

M

Pandra

Thanks everyone that's all really helpful, and have taken your advice and got BA to move us to a later flight.

And thanks for the tip about Dutch, msm2000uk!

msm2000uk

You may want to PM Edwin and just double-check he's still there!

Safe travels,

M

BlackBerryAddict

For my upcoming trip I am booked on the 16:20 out of AMS. QR actually changed the timing slightly of the inbound flight from 12:35 to 13:10, so I am glad I left some extra time.

flatlander

Does QR use the G gates at AMS? If so the walk from QR gate to BA gate (ends of pier D) is the longest gate to gate walk in the entire non-Schengen zone. Put your bag on a trolley, it means you can go faster (even if you ordinarily carry it).

darthlemsip

I can be the counter point to the sage advice - and that's coming from a worrier.

I did this in Feb from KUL via DOH and on seperate tickets - including Mrs Lem and I being on seperate BA tickets too. Everything was handled in KUL and bags were checked through.

We had roughly 2 hours between flights

Got off the flight from DOH, went through the new transit security where there was absolutely nobody ahead of us at all - looked like staff were waiting around for our flight - and was back in the main bit of the terminal within 10 mins of getting off the plane.

It worked for us because the QR flight was on time, the agent in KUL knew what they were doing and I held my nerve when QR retimed the DOH-AMS flight and made the connection time tighter. I spent the DOH-AMS leg wishing I'd booked the later BA flight - although it obviously transpired I didn't need to.

However, if I were to do it again? I'd probably book the later flight. It's more waiting around, and that's horrible when you've already had a connection (we'd had 8hrs in DOH), but I didn't feel comfortable on that leg from the moment the plane didn't take off exactly on time

flatlander

Is that the new transit security near the ends of the G/H piers? If so, that has always looked very quiet when I go past. I rarely go through it, but I go past it a lot to access Easyjet flights from H gates, and I have never seen a queue.

I suppose if there was a massive queue and you could enter the Netherlands, you would have the option to go down the stairs by the entrance to this transit security and past Netherlands Immigration, then up to the landside security. You can check out the queue and go back up the stairs (if questioned "I'm sorry, I'm in transit, I went the wrong way" ). I would estimate that it would take about 5 minutes from leaving the immigration point near G/H to being upstairs at the T3 security point, so if there's a 5 minute wait for inbound immigration and a 10 minute trip through security and outbound immigration you're looking at 20 minutes round trip. I would guess minimum possible is about 10 minutes (zero immigration queues or Privium card, zero security queue or Privium card).

darthlemsip

Yep, that's the one