What's a doable connection in AMS?
 

Hi,

I am doing MSP-AMS-NCE next month. I have a 70 minute time between flights. That seems agressive but doable to me. But I am meeting a colleague in AMS who is flying DTW-AMS-NCE. His connection time is only 50 minutes, with the DTW-AMS flight arriving 11:15 AM and the AMS-NCE flight leaving 12:05 PM.

This seems like a recipe for disaster. Is a 50 minute connection in that big mother of an airport doable?

Thanks!
TP

I'd say DOable is 25 minutes, running, with no crowds and just in time before the door closes.

I've done 35 with time to spare.

Last time I connected in AMS, I had a 60-minute connection and it felt like I had all day.

I agree with the previous posters - 30 minutes may feel a bit crunched, but anything over that is usually fine. They now even have special customs lanes if you're late for your flight connection that are supposed to be 'express' - haven't had to use them, but at least it's an option.

Thanks for the feedback! Good to know we should be in good shape.

I've even managed 15 minutes once - mind you they knew I was on a very delayed flight so had not proceeded to offload me. I had handluggage only. Far D-gate to far D-gate (Schengen to non-Schengen) with passport control on the way.

50 minutes to transfer is plenty of time. The only thing - on long haul flights the wind can make a difference. I've had flights to/from Europe that were an hour longer, others an hour shorter (not very often, but it does happen).

(I always go for long connections in AMS that also allow for a quick walk through Amsterdam. It's the only place I know where you can be in the center of the city within 45 minutes of landing.)

Doesn't it also depend on whether you have to go through passport control?
When we came back from MAD via AMS it took 30 minutes to get through.

I would think so too. Earlier this month I did MSP-AMS-CDG (and then BSL), and in AMS I had to go through passport control. I had a 70 minute connection, but the MSP-AMS flight landed way early and I had no trouble. Still the passport/security process took time - although I enjoyed the good natured abuse about "Americans always wanting to take their shoes off" from the guards.

If I had to clear security for CDG, I'd think we'll have to do the same for NCE

You do have to clear passport control - how long it takes to get from the international side of Schipol to the domestic (EU) side varies, but 30 minutes seems like it's on the longer side of the spectrum.

I thought every flight out of ams you had to go throught at least security again. At least is not the TSA.

Having flown in and out of AMS a bunch of times, lemme think...

I think all gates for non-Schengen destinations on piers D/E/F have their own secure areas, with screening when you enter the gate area.

There's screening when you go from the non-Schengen part of the airport into the Schengen part (but not vice versa, I think).

I forget whether there's screening when you come in from landside (only done that twice) but I presume there must be.

I don't recall whether there's screening at each Schengen gate (B/C/D) or not.

piers G/H where EasyJet and such fly from, I think there's a screening point before you get to the gates.

Basically, if you fly in and out of AMS, you will be screened, but it will be done quickly and professionally and will generally not cause you to be late for anything. AMS is a good airport. ^

some what off topic
 

Last time I flew through AMS on my way back to the states and I have noticed when I get to the area for the security check I hand them my passport and put it through some type of passport reader. What are they checking with this device? Always been curious to ask but KLM out of WAW has made it so I always have to run from D to mid to far E.

Are you referring to the scan that only happens before flights to the US? With the laptops on little rolling stands? I don't know exactly how connected those are, but last time I did that, the screener pushed his laptop around to show to a few co-workers before letting me in, so I think they're looking at quite a bit more than just name and photo. ;)

(Amusingly, about a week before that happened, I was inside the beltway, chatting with someone who works for an Agency, and they told me flat-out that how much I fly, and where I fly, "would not have gone unnoticed." Guess they weren't kidding.)

Screening coming from landside is only done when entering the Schengen area. Within the Schengen area, there is no screening at the gates.