Minny_COYS

Hello,

I and family will be flying into AMS from USA on DL and then onward to LCY on BA. Can someone help to explain the transfer process? We will be checking our bags on the LCY flight. I realize going back through security may be involved which adds in extra time.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

NWIFlyer

Minny_COYS, welcome to the BA forum.

We’ll need a bit more information from you to fully advise you.

You’ve said you’ll need to check bags for the LCY flight. Does this mean you’re on separate tickets, and you know DL won’t interline them all the way through to LCY?

If that’s the case, you’ll need to clear immigration, collect your bag, walk through customs and re-check it at the BA desks. Then it’s back through passport control (because you’ll be going from Schengen to non-Schengen), security and to the BA gate.

If you’re on a single ticket, or can otherwise persuade DL, your luggage will be checked through to LCY. You can then stay airside, there won’t be any passport check because you’ll remain outside Schengen, and you’ll just undergo security before going to the gate.

Mwenenzi

How much time have you all this? [Assuming flight are on time]

tgv2

No security check when arriving from the US and staying airside.

LondonElite

Are you on one ticket or two?

NWIFlyer

Ah, thanks - it's a trusted country now then? It's been a while since I did a standard US-UK transfer there, and it would have been on KLM out of the D6 bus gate.

Minny_COYS

It will be two seperate tickets at this point. We should have 2+ hours if not more which I think is more than plenty? I know AMS very well but have never used it as a transfer point.

Globaliser

That's living very dangerously.

You only need to ask yourself these questions: What if your inbound flight is an hour late? Two hours? Three hours?

Remember that if you miss the check-in deadline for the second flight, in theory that would be the end of your onward ticket, and you would simply have to throw it away and buy another one.

clarkeysntfc

With 2 separate tickets, your bags will only be checked as far as AMS so you will have to clear immigration, collect bags, clear customers, reach departures and check in for your BA flight from scratch.

You will also have no protection if your DL flight runs late and you miss the BA flight.

LondonElite

This is way too tight for my liking. A small delay will cause you to no-show for the LCY flight, meaning that entire itinerary will auto-cancel. I'd change the LCY flight to a much later one. Do you understand the risks of separate tickets?

Minny_COYS

Thanks for all the input! This is something I would easily risk just on my own, but with Mum & co about.. I will look at later flights.

UKtravelbear

Minny_COYS

I may try and not check any bag on DL ( I know they will fit in the A330 bins) That in theory would allow us to go direct to the counter.

Globaliser

If your bags are within DL's size limits so you can carry them all on board, they should be within BA's size limits too as BA's limits are bigger:-

• [*]

If you get on board the BA aircraft and a bag won't fit, it can be gate-checked at that point - but you would not have needed to go landside after getting off your DL flight.

So is there any specific reason why you would have to go landside to check the bags for the AMS-LCY flight, if your bags are carry-on for the flight to AMS?

If you don't have to go landside at all, then your plan is much more feasible - although it would still be a bit tight for my liking given that you are on separate tickets and a relatively small delay (60-90 minutes) could still make you very uncomfortable.

Minny_COYS

So just to confirm, remaining airside IS an option with bags in hand. Or does the Schengen to non-Schengen nature of this route require leaving airside. I think that is my bigeest concern.