Pix13

I am traveling from Atlanta to INverness with a 75 minute connection in Amsterdam. Arriving on Delta at 10:45 am Thursday in June and the flight to Inverness is on KLM scheduled to leave at 12pm. Is this enough time for people and bags to make the connection? We are traveling with two children (7 and 11) but they may be faster than the adults! Thank you for any input.

nomad1972

75 minutes should be plenty as long as the inbound flight is not late by more than 15-20 minutes.

As a non-Schengen connecting passenger you don't need to go through passport control and can proceed directly to the gate for the INV flight which is in most cases located at pier D. Since you arrive from the US I suspect you will also skip the incoming security checkpoint (I never had to go through it but I fly from Canada).

Your bags are also likely to make it to the second flight - AMS seem to have better control of their luggage operations than most North American airport.

TheMadBrewer

I agree with nomad -- I wouldn't hesitate on a 75 minute connection in AMS and I am usually going US -> Schengen so have a passport check as well. I would only hesitate if my connection was the last one out (or only one) of the day. Plus there is a good chance the inbound flight will be early so you may have more time.

With the reconfiguration on AMS in the last year or two you won't have to do a security (TSA style) check.

Pix13

Thank you for the input!

nomad1972

AFAIK there's only one direct flight a day from AMS to INV.

Never happened to me, but I've heard of passengers arriving from the US being routed through Schiphol Central Security (they were routed through the upper floor of the pier to the security checkpoint) - it may be a 'random' thing just like Global Entry secondary inspections.

KLouis

You got it wrong, or you forgot what your friends said: The upper floor of pier D (the only pier that has an upper floor!) is for intra-Schengen flights, the lower one for extra-Schengen "housing" both US and UK flights (and more). You just walk from the arrival to the departure gate without anybody stopping you for any reason and certainly not a secondary inspection.

nomad1972

I never said they were routed through the upper level of pier D. Central Security is by pier E and serves flights arriving at piers E, F and G that are not deemed pre-cleared.

Analise

I do not agree with the majority here as I would never do this itinerary especially with young children.

Many what-ifs like in this thread:

• What if your DL flight is late?
• What if you're in the back and it takes you 15 minutes to deboard which is much worse if you're late?
• What if the INV flight closes 15-20 minutes before departure?
• How quickly can you all run with carry-ons to the connecting flight while keeping track of everybody?

If you miss the connection, how many flights are there for the rest of the day to INV in which they can reseat all of you?

I wouldn't do this itinerary simply because of the 1st reason alone let alone the rest. I would change the itinerary to an earlier DL or KLM flight to AMS from ATL.

Ditto

A flight can always be delayed, it shouldn't really be a factor when booking flights on a single ticket.
75 minutes is 25 minutes more than the minimum connection time for AMS, and OP only have to walk gate to gate, no security or immigration to pass.
Easily avoidable by pre-selecting seats in the front (for a payment if needed)
Gate closes 15 minutes before departure is a given, not an if.
For an adult, that will take max 10-15 minutes, let's assume 20-25 minutes for 4 PAX with kids, still plenty of time...
None, there is only one daily flight from AMS to INV...

KLouis

Pier D is the only one with an upper floor. Thus, if they were routed through an upper floor, as you wrote, it can only have been pier D!

Central Security is not by pier E but in front of pier D. You can only access it, though, coming from the CI, etc. area, as it is separated from the non-Schengen sterile area from the immigration booths. When deplaning you are in the sterile area where shops, lounges, etc. are located and you can walk freely without any controls from pier (gates) D to pier (gates) H. For piers (gates) B-C you do have to go through immigration as well as a "smaller" security check.

To have a putative secondary inspection, one would have to be met by the immigration officers at the gate. At any rate, any passage through the upper floor implies an arrival from a Schengen country. I link here to the official map of Schiphol airport where one can see what I described. The graphics are really bad, mind you...

nomad1972

I stand by my recollection, but I will double check next time I make it to Schiphol.

Ditto

That is not correct, other piers have an upper floor, where PAX arriving from most non-Schengen destinations (excluding UK, US and some others) go out to, from there you have to pass through security to get to your connecting gate...

KLouis

Which piers other than D (gates D59-87, all Schengen)?

Ditto

At the very least E & F, I can't recall the layout of G as I only arrived there once, but I suppose it must be the same to accommodate the non-Schengen "not-secure" arrivals.

KLouis

We have a saying in Greece: a picture is worth a thousand words . Look at pier D; an upper floor runs all the way along the whole pier (actually, the last two gates furthest away from the main building only have one floor). From that upper floor, that is within the Schengen zone, you access the same gates in pier D as from the main floor (differently numbered, though) through a "staircase". Each gate has its own staircase! Look at pier E; nothing above the jetways! An upper floor, though, is present on the main building, the one that houses lounges, etc. Piers B/C, E, F, are only accessible through the main floor called departure hall in the airport's maps, while D has one additional one. I can't say anything about G, I've never departed/arrived from/to that one.

I can't offer any more arguments than this picture, next time you're at AMS check for yourself.

PS The picture is accessible in full size here.