AMS Transfer Advice

Old Aug 4, 2022, 3:50 am
  #1  
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Question AMS Transfer Advice

Dear All,

Wasn't really sure where to post this so just picked my home forum ( admins please move if you know of a better home)

Whilst an FF of several years transfering isn't something we've ever done but finding such a great J deal on AY we couldn't turn it down. Looking for some advice on the process at the hell hole that is AMS and any hints and tips.

LGW-AMS on BA ( arriving 10:00 next flight not till 22:25 so come what may we've got time!)
AMS-HEL on AY
HEL-BKK on AY
BA & AY ticketed separately and neither BA or AY seem able to link/ associate the bookings.

We will have checked luggage as the trip is 3.5 weeks long. I know that BA won't through-check anymore but is there a way to avoid our luggage going to the arrivals hall, us having to pick it up and therefore having to clear into Amsterdam and then bag drop and queue to get back through security. If there isn't then as we'll have already checked in for the other flights will we be able to just bag drop and get to the lounge or is there a time-lock on how early you can pass through before scheduled flight time? Hell is it worth smiling sweetly at LGW and asking if they could check the luggage through. Trip isn't till end of October so hopefully things will have improved by then. If we can avoid having to touch our luggage at AMS are there any hacks for the transfer desks/ security. We're both Silvers so have priority security but I doubt that's a factor for transit desks/ screening.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 3:55 am
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There is little/no chance that BA will through check your luggage. Of course, you can ask but likely 99% chance the answer is no.

By October things should be fine. Flying out of Amsterdam in J is not an issue. I’ve flown out many times with BA during the mayhem of the last few months. I’ve never had to wait more than 20mins for priority security. Especially since you’re flying in the evening (if I understand you have a 10 hour connection?) I would check the bags in after picking them up and go enjoy Amsterdam for a day. The lounge (in the Schengen area as you’re going to HEL) is basic/mediocre at best.
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 7:50 am
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Have been through AMS a few times recently. And so long as you have status / J tickets you'll be fine. The lines are generally shorter than a few months back and will be better still by October. You should have plenty of time to head into the city if you like the sound of that. Or go to the beach for lunch!
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 7:58 am
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That makes sense for HBO travellers, but the OP wants to check in bags, and there is a risk that they won't be able to re-check the bags in AMS until 4 hours to departure.
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 8:08 am
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
That makes sense for HBO travellers, but the OP wants to check in bags, and there is a risk that they won't be able to re-check the bags in AMS until 4 hours to departure.
I am not sure who handles AY at AMS, but if they AY happens to have another flight anywhere between 11 and 2, the TO should have no problem dropping off their bags after arriving on BA.

Edit: I'm wrong, see cws's comment below!

Last edited by Chiller3333; Aug 4, 2022 at 9:56 am
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 8:16 am
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Originally Posted by Chiller3333
I am not sure who handles AY at AMS, but if they AY happens to have another flight anywhere between 11 and 2, the TO should have no problem dropping off their bags after arriving on BA.
At the moment travellers are held in the Plaza area until 4 hours before departure, they can only access the check-in areas when within 4 hours of departure, and ground handlers have been told not to ship in baggage early.
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 8:58 am
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Yes the being kept landside is until FT(-)X is a concern. The massive layover time is due to multiple factors at time of booking ( early Jan 22) where other flights had a price difference of, hold onto your hats folks, 800+ others being full and the rest not leaving enough 'Pete Tong Time' for us to have to take a later flight and safely get luggage, clear immigration, drop it again, go back through and make the flight. We like to build in some redundancy but not this much!

Having never been a transit pax before whilst I doubted it I have been living in hope that appearing at a transfer desk and providing them with luggage barcodes would allow the staff to have it located and placed in storage ready for the next leg thus removing the need for us to 'land' in the Netherlands. A wild fantasy it seems.

Maybe i'll have a look on the AMS site and look for left luggage facilities and pricing as whilst a fan of Amsterdam having visited the place a good dozen and half times if not more we weren't planning on going into town but it would probably be a better use of time if we're to be forced and kept landside.
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 4:34 pm
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V

Originally Posted by TWCLAM
Yes the being kept landside is until FT(-)X is a concern. The massive layover time is due to multiple factors at time of booking ( early Jan 22) where other flights had a price difference of, hold onto your hats folks, 800+ others being full and the rest not leaving enough 'Pete Tong Time' for us to have to take a later flight and safely get luggage, clear immigration, drop it again, go back through and make the flight. We like to build in some redundancy but not this much!

Having never been a transit pax before whilst I doubted it I have been living in hope that appearing at a transfer desk and providing them with luggage barcodes would allow the staff to have it located and placed in storage ready for the next leg thus removing the need for us to 'land' in the Netherlands. A wild fantasy it seems.

Maybe i'll have a look on the AMS site and look for left luggage facilities and pricing as whilst a fan of Amsterdam having visited the place a good dozen and half times if not more we weren't planning on going into town but it would probably be a better use of time if we're to be forced and kept landside.
VERIFY YOUR TIMES I BELIEVE YOU ARE MISTAKEN. 22;55 is a very odd departure times for ams hel and does not match!any schedule. Latest departure i could find is 1730.
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 7:11 pm
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Originally Posted by isveres
VERIFY YOUR TIMES I BELIEVE YOU ARE MISTAKEN. 22;55 is a very odd departure times for ams hel and does not match!any schedule. Latest departure i could find is 1730.
Indeed, a flight AMS-HEL departing 22:25 would arrive in HEL well past 2 in the morning.

---
October should not be particularly busy at AMS so OP should have no trouble re-checking their bags by then. Also, even if it is busy, the chaos is all in the morning and early afternoon. In the later afternoon to evening it should be smooth sailing.
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 8:11 pm
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Originally Posted by TWCLAM
Yes the being kept landside is until FT(-)X is a concern. The massive layover time is due to multiple factors at time of booking ( early Jan 22) where other flights had a price difference of, hold onto your hats folks, 800+ others being full and the rest not leaving enough 'Pete Tong Time' for us to have to take a later flight and safely get luggage, clear immigration, drop it again, go back through and make the flight. We like to build in some redundancy but not this much!

Having never been a transit pax before whilst I doubted it I have been living in hope that appearing at a transfer desk and providing them with luggage barcodes would allow the staff to have it located and placed in storage ready for the next leg thus removing the need for us to 'land' in the Netherlands. A wild fantasy it seems.

Maybe i'll have a look on the AMS site and look for left luggage facilities and pricing as whilst a fan of Amsterdam having visited the place a good dozen and half times if not more we weren't planning on going into town but it would probably be a better use of time if we're to be forced and kept landside.
Your problem is you are not a transit passenger. You have 2 different end to end tickets and unfortunately must suffer the consequences of that.
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 1:59 am
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Originally Posted by TWCLAM
Dear All,

Wasn't really sure where to post this so just picked my home forum ( admins please move if you know of a better home)

Whilst an FF of several years transfering isn't something we've ever done but finding such a great J deal on AY we couldn't turn it down. Looking for some advice on the process at the hell hole that is AMS and any hints and tips.

LGW-AMS on BA ( arriving 10:00 next flight not till 22:25 so come what may we've got time!)
AMS-HEL on AY
HEL-BKK on AY
BA & AY ticketed separately and neither BA or AY seem able to link/ associate the bookings.

We will have checked luggage as the trip is 3.5 weeks long. I know that BA won't through-check anymore but is there a way to avoid our luggage going to the arrivals hall, us having to pick it up and therefore having to clear into Amsterdam and then bag drop and queue to get back through security. If there isn't then as we'll have already checked in for the other flights will we be able to just bag drop and get to the lounge or is there a time-lock on how early you can pass through before scheduled flight time? Hell is it worth smiling sweetly at LGW and asking if they could check the luggage through. Trip isn't till end of October so hopefully things will have improved by then. If we can avoid having to touch our luggage at AMS are there any hacks for the transfer desks/ security. We're both Silvers so have priority security but I doubt that's a factor for transit desks/ screening.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance
You're not a transit pax. You have two separate bookings. Due to this, BA won't check through your luggage. You'll have to go through, collect your bags, and hang around until bag drop reopens (4 hours prior to departure) or head into 'Dam with bags and then return. This shouldn't be too cumbersome in Oct. as it is looking better now.
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 2:06 am
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There are baggage storage options at Schiphol:
​​​​​​https://www.schiphol.nl/en/at-schiph...uggage-storage
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 7:43 am
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Originally Posted by Upupintheair
There are baggage storage options at Schiphol:
​​​​​​https://www.schiphol.nl/en/at-schiph...uggage-storage

Thank you for this. Was something I was going to look into but the link saved me the time looking.

Regarding the "your not a transit pax" whilst I agree and the BA flights are positioning ones made at the same time albeit separately I was, maybe wrongly as it turns out?, under the impression that both BA & AY being OW carriers there would be some way to link the bookings as I thought that was one of the 'things' that alliance partners did. BA said they couldn't and well AY's live chat CS is a lottery of either utter incompetence or passable basic knowledge from my experiences with them.

As someone who's never done this, preferring instead to always go point-point, the help and advice has been immensely helpful in furthering my knowledge so hat tip to you all.
I will live in hope that by the back end of October and it being outside of school holidays that some semblance of normality will have returned to AMS and the 4 hour rule will be done with and out the door queues/ hold zones will have become a thing of the past but now at least I have a better understanding of things thanks to you lovely lot.
Lastly on the "are you sure on your AMS-HEL timings" you were quite right. I'd done a cursory glance and quoted the HEL arrival time with the departure from AMS indeed being at 17:30
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Old Aug 5, 2022, 9:42 am
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Originally Posted by TWCLAM
Thank you for this. Was something I was going to look into but the link saved me the time looking.

Regarding the "your not a transit pax" whilst I agree and the BA flights are positioning ones made at the same time albeit separately I was, maybe wrongly as it turns out?, under the impression that both BA & AY being OW carriers there would be some way to link the bookings as I thought that was one of the 'things' that alliance partners did. BA said they couldn't and well AY's live chat CS is a lottery of either utter incompetence or passable basic knowledge from my experiences with them.

As someone who's never done this, preferring instead to always go point-point, the help and advice has been immensely helpful in furthering my knowledge so hat tip to you all.
I will live in hope that by the back end of October and it being outside of school holidays that some semblance of normality will have returned to AMS and the 4 hour rule will be done with and out the door queues/ hold zones will have become a thing of the past but now at least I have a better understanding of things thanks to you lovely lot.
Lastly on the "are you sure on your AMS-HEL timings" you were quite right. I'd done a cursory glance and quoted the HEL arrival time with the departure from AMS indeed being at 17:30
BA doesn’t even check through bags when transiting BA to BA on separate bookings, There is zero chance,

Generally the check in for your AY flight opens 3 hours in advance, but they might accommodate checking you in early if the desk is open for an earlier flight. This of course is assuming AMS let’s you get to the check in desk early in October. I have some doubts the situation will be normalised by then.

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