Connection in AMS [merged thread]
 

Hi there, ive looked and looked and looked and cant find the answer. As soon as the restrictions are lifted, i need to fly to JNB on business and my plan is to fly Qatar from AMS>DOH>JNB and back.

Using the online tool, i see i dont require any short term visas or anything but im wondering how it works out with my cases as it looks like my only option is to fly KLM from UK to AMS.

With the way everything is at the moment, are there rules that allow luggage to be tagged onto final destination even if bookings are all separate and with different airlines or "Clubs"

Im not sure i will be allowed to exit airside to pick up case then recheck in without hitting any quarantine rules ?

Any help would be appreciated.

It is not quite clear and I am not sure what you mean by "club", but presuming that you are flying on two separate tickets: #1: UK-AMS and then #2: AMS-DOH-JNB. KL will not check bags across separate tickets. Thus, you will need to meet whatever the requirements are as the time of your travel to enter the Netherlands, claim your luggage, take it to the QR counter and check it in there.

Thanks for the response and "club" was meaning different alliance ie if i think if i was on separate tickets with BA and Qatar then it could be checked through but wanted to know if Covid had changed check through with different non linked airlines.

So from above it looks like if im KLM to Qatar then i need to pick up cases which essentially means I will be treated as NON TRANSIT and have to go land side and be subject to any quarantine rules that exist in that circumstance which i think at this point would render it not possible.

I believe you are making this unnecessarily complicated. When travel restrictions from the UK are life’s, and you can enter South Africa, it would be wise to buy a single return ticket, possibly with a transit stop. Anything else would be foolish.

Business Class from UK to JNB is coming in at over £2400 with Qatar. Flying to Amsterdam changes the price to £1400. So my options are Economy from UK or Business from AMS and therefore AMS wins.....if its possible.

That would require you to be admissible to the Netherlands. Otherwise you will be denied boarding in London and lose the value of you business class ticket from AMS. Whether you are admissible to the Netherlands will depend on the regulations at that time. Note that you will not be in transit, regardless of whether you have checked luggage or not.

The separate tickets only work if you do not check luggage and you fully understand that if your xLHR flight is delayed or the schedule changed, you will lose your QR ticket and likely have to purchase a new one.and may also find yourself returned to the UK.

This simply is not the time to travel on separate tickets unless there is no alternative. You do have an alternative.

OP must also be admissible into the NL, which may or may not be the case. If he isn’t he’ll de denied boarding in UK.

BA also wouldn't check through to QR [unless that's changed during the course of the pandemic?]. QR would on the reverse [same caveat].

You might want to research other good departure ports for South Africa, e.g. OSL. I recall from a discussion 6-9 months ago, that Norway considered your type of travel to be "transit" for the purpose of covid regulation. But rules may have changed since then.

AMS Transit - Do I need a 4 hour Rapid Test
 

Soon to fly ATL-AMS-DXB. In addition to RT-PCR test results done within 72 hours, do AMS airport needs Rapid testing within 4 hours of boarding even for transit passengers?
Does ATL Airport do Rapid Testing?

Currently you have a couple of options (USA is a high-risk country);

If your journey includes a transfer in the Netherlands or another country, the rules are as follows:

• If you start your journey in a safe country and change planes in a high-risk country
  without leaving the airport, you are not required to present a negative test result. If you leave the airport, however, the negative test result requirement does apply to you.
• If you start your journey in a high-risk country and change planes in another country
  the negative test result requirement applies to you, even if the country where you change planes is a safe country. This means you must present a negative NAAT (PCR) test result based on a sample collected no more than 24 hours before boarding. Or you can present both a negative NAAT (PCR) test result based on a sample collected no more than 72 hours before arrival in the Netherlands and a negative rapid test result based on a sample collected no more than 24 hours before boarding. The result remains valid during the layover and in the event of a delay.
• If you start your journey in a high-risk country and change planes in the Netherlands you will only need to show the results of an NAAT (PCR) test based on a sample collected no more than 72 hours before arrival in the Netherlands.

Safe countries with a low COVID-19 risk

Safe countries outside the EU/Schengen area

• Australia
• New Zealand
• Rwanda
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Thailand
• China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau). Only if China lifts entry restrictions on European travellers. Travellers from China are not required to present a negative COVID-19 test declaration.

Safe countries within the EU/Schengen area

• Iceland
• Portugal

Safe countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands

• St Maarten
• Saba
• St Eustatius

Thanks. Looks like I don't need the 4 hour rapid test based on the option below

Just flew through AMS two weeks ago to IST. No test required to transfer in AMS. In fact, no one in AMS or IST even checked for my COVID-negative test They left it to Delta check-in at the airport in DTW to confirm I was good to go.

Thanks for the confirmation