Anyway to dodge long layovers in AMS?
 

I'm looking to book a flight from LCY to PTY (via AMS). Unfortunately on the return flight, the connection to LCY is poor (a 5hr wait in AMS!). Ideally i'd like to book the return leg from AMS to LCY with BA. Has anyone done this before, what's the best way to approach?

Could i call up and try to book only 3 legs with KLM? Or on the day ask that they check through my bags to AMS only, so I can pick my bags up and get on an earlier flight with BA (do they allow this?)

I'd be keen to hear if others have tried anything like this.

KL and BA do not sell tickets on each others' flights between London and Amsterdam.

If you want to book such a ticket, you would have to get a travel agent involved. Note, however, that booking an open jaw London - PTY - Amsterdam, followed by a one-way on BA, will likely be several times more expensive than the ticket you currently don't like because of a 5-hour layover.

Why not simply return to Heathrow? If getting all the way across town doesn't sound like fun to you, then maybe the 5 hour wait at AMS for your LCY flight is already starting to sound much better.

You will NOT be able to have your bags short-checked to Amsterdam - there is a €275 fee, per bag, to have bags short-checked to Amsterdam (except where there is an overnight stay at AMS, or where the next "flight" is by bus or train).

Ok thanks for the info.

I'm finding their winter timetable very awkward, mid-day flights from AMS to most cities in the UK are largely absent (Aberdeen, Southampton, Birmingham, LCY, Leeds, Durham, Humberside, Norwich, Bristol, Cardiff) and it means lengthy layovers in AMS for any morning Atlantic arrivals. Literally only Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and LHR have a flight at lunchtime and they're stupidly expensive already.

KL959 to NCL departs at 12h25. Lunchtime in my book.

Johan

You're talking about a winter timetable - so I presume you're looking to book flights after the end of October?

Do bear in mind that winter timetables haven't yet been finalised - they will be finalised in around August. What you're seeing in the system at the moment are (automated) extensions of the summer timings, except in those cases where a decision has already been made (as will almost definitely be the case with the fourth NWI flight which has been a summer-only service ever since it was introduced four or five years ago). Two a day to SOU is the norm all year round, and KLM flights to/from LCY have always been thin on the ground outside the morning and evening peak.

Have you tried booking your flight as an open jaw? I've booked open jaw where one leg terminated at AMS, but it's been the outbound (say - LCY-AMS, HAM-LCY), I don't know if you can do the same with the return. If not then then the only options I can think of are separate tickets (though I wouldn't recommend that), or travelling with hand baggage only and skipping the last leg on the return.

All very complicated - if that was me I'd just go for the five hours, it's not a big deal.