Transitting Through Schiphol
 

We (4 adults and a teenager) are looking at booking flights to Rome from SLC next summer and the most cost effective seems to be going through AMS. There seems to be a few different choices available. The quickest route is SLC-AMS-FCO with 1hr20min in AMS. I am worried that would not be enough time in AMS. The flight is Delta to AMS and KLM to FCO all bought through Delta.

My other option is to go SLC-ORD-AMS-FCO with 1.5hr in ORD and 2hr45min in AMS. The ORD-AMS-FCO parts would be on KLM, but everything bought through Delta.

The first option is total travel time of 13ish hrs and the second is almost 18hrs. Both arrive in Rome at the same time.

What would be the general recommendation from those with experience in going through AMS?

Return flights are from Venice going through ATL so not really an issue.

Thanks!

AMS is efficient. US citizen can use the automated passport control (like EU Citizens and EEA members). Took me about 20 minutes from deboarding to my Schengen connection gate.

1:20 is plenty of time if the flight isn’t delayed. AMS is very easy to connect through.

Would there be any concern with going from Delta to KLM? I maybe wrongly assumed that luggage would not be an issue as its on the same itinerary.

US citizens can only use it when exiting the EU, not entering (at AMS).

Agree it's plenty. Flights from US don't need to reclear security. You will clear immigration at AMS. However they have a short connection line for thos with less than 60 minutes to connect.

As for bags SLC-AMS-FCO will no issue. You dont pickup bags till you get to FCO. SLC-ORD-AMS-FCO will be more error prone as DL/KL don't operate out of same terminal and it's a non-standard (meaning non-hub) connection. It will likely be no issue, but sometimes bags don't make it on these type connections.

Not at all. Your bags will be automatically tagged through. KL has a ton of transfer volume back & forth to DL flights at AMS, so it's a total non-issue. All the KL staff at AMS are extremely used to working with pax arriving into AMS on DL flights. As far as connections go, it's about as straightforward/seamless between airlines as you could hope for.

There are sometimes minor headaches with ticketing and such when DL and KL don't play nice, but that's a side point; it shouldn't be anything that it'll be an issue "on the ground" the day of.

Book the absolute cheapest flight possible for now. You WILL have plenty of schedule changes to get the most optimum itinerary which will certainly not be one of the options that you see today.

I would be much, much more worried about 1:30 to transfer in ORD than I would with 1:20 in AMS as you'll need to move from T2 to T5 which is not a seamless transfer, and your recovery options if you misconnect at ORD will be crappier than if you misconnect at AMS.

None of it matters. You'll likely have 5 schedule changes before then and the itinerary you end up flying will not resemble the one you book. pgh's suggestion above to book the cheapest itinerary is a good one. Next June, you can look at all the options and make a decision then, you'll be able to pick whichever option you like for no additional cost.

I was flying through AMS last week. We landed 30 minutes before the departure of my connecting flight.... we ran the entire way from Terminal E to Terminal B but we did make the connection our bags did not :/

It does work both ways. I'm doing this regularly.

Even if your flight was delayed, you'll be in AMS early enough that there will be another flight to FCO later. And, as others have said, this itinerary will change five times before summer.

I agree with others. 1:30 is fine in AMS and there will be no bag issue. If you are running late for some reason just let them know you have a tight connection.

and yes, there will be at least 5 schedule changes between now and then.

I have a knee problem and have been using wheelchair assistance [most needed in JFK T4], I'm flying JFK-AMS-ZRH, will my wheelchair request at JFK carryover to AMS, or do I have to contact KLM separately; my connection in AMS is a (legal) 50 minutes? I'm flying D1 JFK-AMS so I should exit at the start of deplaning.
[When I fly JFK-LAS, my WC request carries over to LAS.]

Yes carries over.