letsgook

We have early flight @ 7:45 am in J on BA out of AMS to LHR in May. Will do online checkin prior, and wondered if getting to airport about 6:15am ( first shuttle from hotel) is early enough to check in, security, etc. and drop bags? Have never yet travelled to/ from this airport. Thanks.

KARFA

I think you should be ok for that timing, although you won't get a huge amount of lounge time if that's an issue. Security may be a bit busy but you should have fast track. BA use the D gates around the D224-28 range. This is a decent walk once you get airside. Boarding will commence about 0715.

Cymro

Even with moderate security delays, and no fast track operating, I've done an airside to landside "connection" in AMS with bags in under an hour from take off (cancelled flight followed by rebooking and a delay in getting bags back).

It's a big airport but 90 minutes is perfectly reasonable.

flatlander

Should be fine. You get fast track security (as far as I know) and US passports may able to use e gates for exit immigration (ask the staff, don't believe the signs). Don't dawdle though.

AMS is large but reasonably efficient for passenger handling. After security go down one level and look by the end of the escalator for small trolleys for your carry on bags, they may help you move faster. Then there is, I'm afraid, a fairly long walk to the BA gates. If you reach the near end of the D gates before about 0705 then consider going to the lounge, otherwise go to the gate. The lounge has nice views but otherwise little you can't get on board or at a shop along the D pier; food and drink provision is basic.

flatlander

Boarding will likely begin about 0720 when about
half the passengers try to cram themselves simultaneously into the priority line:
AMS had more people with status and cabin priority than almost anywhere else (yes I know about GVA and sometimes NCE).

​​​​​

OttoMH

Plenty of time, though do double check the bag drop cut off, I think it is 60 mins nowadays.

At AMS, BA checkin is in Departures 3. Once you check in I would recommend walking to Departures 2 security land side because it is closer to the BA lounge and departure gates. Departures 2 Fast track is located just after/behind the KLM SkyPriority check-in desks next to the Previum lounge. Make sure you go through Departures 2, which is to the left hand side and upstairs as you face the Previum lounge. The more obvious security area to the right is Departures 1 which is for Schengen so don’t go through there.

Once through fast track and passport control you’ll be on the first floor of the atrium between E and D piers. If you look ahead and left, there’s a Starbucks. The lift/stairs to the BA lounge is behind Starbucks. Allow 10 mins walking to the gate, its a bit of a trek.

flatlander

I understand the "go to Departures 2" advice, but I would actually disagree in this case for someone who has not been to AMS before. The Departures 2 fast track is not that easy to find, especially without being impeded by a KLM guardian dragon.

Unless there is some huge queue at Departures 3, that is a much simpler way to go.

I personally don't bother with going to Departures 2 unless there is a serious problem at Departures 3 security.

letsgook: If your transfer to the airport is late, do not hesitate and go immediately to the BA checkin when you arrive (zone 3, on the far right end as you walk in the door towards the checkin counters). AMS has an unusual 1 hour checkin deadline, compared with the usual 45 minutes for most European BA flights. I would not expect the Aviapartner staff (who handle BA at AMS) to be helpful in any way if you are late, or even if you are not.

TheFlyingGeek

Every time I go through AMS the person at bag drop always redirects me to Departures 2 security, and I've never been able to find the fast track security there successfully! I think after my last trip and the previous messages I've got a better idea where it is now though... I assume it's into the Departures 2 security entrance behind all the checkin desks, then up the escalators with the BP scanners at the bottom, left at the top, and then is the idea that you try and get into the right hand most lane when you get to the big open area of tensa barriers (with security on the left and the edge of the mezzanine on the right), to go through the farthest away security lane? Think there was a bloke guarding that lane last time I was there, but he was dealing with a group of confused far eastern tourists when I reached him so I just went into the normal line as usual rather than waiting around! Normal security is now not terrible (through Departures 2 at least) in my experience, I have a figure of around 20-25 minutes in mind during pretty busy periods, but not sure how busy AMS is at the kind of time the OP is flying as I'm normally going through in the evening.

As you'll need to go to Departures 3 to check your bag in anyway, it's probably just worth asking (if they don't tell you) which security entrance to use - for checkin you want the escalators up to Departures 3 behind Burger King and Leon to get you as close as possible to the BA area (note that this is the end of Departures 3 nearest to the link to Departures 2, should you need it). It's only around a 5 minute walk from entering the terminal to check-in, maybe a little longer if you have heavy bags and need to locate a lift rather than escalators. I definitely agree with previous posters to beware missing the 1 hour checkin deadline - I've a couple of colleagues who missed it due to traffic by less than 5 minutes, and were denied the ability to check their bags (fortunately they had mobile BPs and small bags at least so it was only a few non-compliant items that were sacrificed to get their luggage on the plane as hand baggage). The upside is that with at least an hour to play with, unless you get lost you should have enough time to get to the gate on time after checking your bag, even if it is busy and you have to go through "normal" security.

BA lounge is indeed very close to the exit from Departures 2 security if you go that way (probably only a 2 minute walk, turn left when you exit and stay on the mezzanine level - if you end up at McDonalds you've gone the wrong way) - not that the lounge is amazing, but decent wifi and usually seats available even when busy. Drinks and food are available but pretty basic (food particularly - think cheese in plastic wrappers and bags of Doritos). Lounge is the one labelled as 40-41 on the departures map PDF from the Schipol website.

Agree also with previous posters to beware the walk from the lounge (or Departures 2 security as they are both the same - Departures 3 is a fair distance further by the looks of the map) to the mid-D20s gates BA typically uses (which are towards the far end of the very long gate corridor). I've never timed it but it sure feels like a decent walk, best part of half a mile I'd say - at least 8-10 minutes even if you're going for it, and the lounge announcements to board are often a little on the later side (i.e. the plane is likely to have started boarding by the time you get to the gate). AMS may be efficient at handling passengers nowadays, but they do like making you walk in the process - it's the same when you arrive (if flying BA certainly), be prepared for a long walk to security and baggage reclaim of 15 minutes or so (and watch out for the poorly signed transit security points which looks like exits but aren't). If however you are flying into AMS before a trip that starts from AMS, it does give you a chance to try and make mental notes, as arriving passengers aren't generally separated from departing passengers* (so the route you walk from the plane to the exit is via the departure lounge and therefore in large part the same route in reverse when departing).

* Except for the Schengen/non-Schengen and "clean/unclean" separations I know

letsgook

Thank you all for such good info,