Just got a schedule change for AMS-MAN-AMS and my 1.5hrs layover is now 40min on the same plane coming in. Anyone know if this is doable? Or should I try to change this to a longer time again? I won't have any checked luggage, US-AMS-MAN-AMS-EU was cheaper than US-AMS-EU direct and more miles of course!).

40 minutes shouldn't be an issue in MAN. All KLM flights depart from Terminal 2. I used to fly AMS-MAN all the time when I lived in UK, and I found that most AMS bound flights were always delayed anyway.

If it's the same plane, what does it matter if it's 40 minutes or 40 seconds? The plane can't leave until after it arrives.

I don't know the layout of the airport and if I'd be forced to go through security again. In some places they keep departing and arriving passengers separated. Other than that it's probably safer to return on the same plane in case of delays.

Wow... I'd be a little bit concerned...

I am not an expert at EU immigration rules, but I think that AMS-MAN is non-Schengen, so all deplaning passengers would be routed directly from the plane to an immigration counter. If you had to go all the way out, and come all the way in through security, I would be nervous. I flew out of Terminal 2 at MAN the other day, and this is the same terminal that has a lot of the vacation/charter type flights. I flew on the early CO depature (something like 8:30am, I think) and the security lines were very long. (It looked like something in some of the busier US airports.)

I think it might be worth a call to KLM... unless someone on the board here has better information than I have.

I can't believe I forgot about this! Thanks for jarring my memory.
You're right. Every flight I took AMS-MAN, you had to march right to the immigration line, and then you'd end up in the arrivals hall, and you'd have to go upstairs to go thru security again.

I have never connected at MAN, so I almost forgot about that. The KLM flights to all leave from T2, but the fact that you have to go thru the immigration line almost negates that.

Could you not stay in the transit area and check in
at the transfer desk without going through immigration?
I did this a couple of times, alhough not in MAN.

My home airport is MAN.

MAN T2 is a single long terminal with the gates laid out on one side.

When you exit the aircraft, you will be in a sterile corridor that runs along these gates, one floor below the departures level.

This corridor has the immigration hall in its centre.

But directly opposite immigration is a small corridor for transit pax.

I have never done it, but once I had a 4-hour layover in MAN because it was cheaper to fly MAN-AMS-MAN-EWR-MCO than MAN-EWR-MCO and more miles of course!

Since I didn't feel like hanging out at the Air France lounge (pretty decent BTW) for 4 hours, I decided to go through immigration again.

But not before asking the gentleman guarding the corridor if I could go through for my flight to EWR.

He said no problem, just go through the Transit corridor and it takes you back up to departures level.

I believe there is a security screening but it's highly unlikely there will be any queue, I've never seen one there.

So, in short, you'll probably even have time to get a drink and some pastries in the Salon Air France!

That is excellent information, thank you very much! I'll try the transit option and hope to make it to the same plane back to AMS. It will save me another 2 hrs in MAN and the security line. I have some room for delays later that day so it should be fine.

Ok, now I get it. Thanks.

Thank you, TrayflowInUK. I had not seen that transfer door, but of course it makes sense that it exists. And I second the comment about the Air France lounge - I couldn't find free wireless internet (and the computers in the AF lounge, of course, were not working), but the lounge itself was fine for a short stay.

Did the first day with a turn at MAN today. The choice was a good 4 hour layover or 40 min. and with the recent turmoil I decided to go the long way. Glad I did.

I found the transfer door across from passport control but it was locked. Someone came out and asked for my boarding pass. I had not been able to print this from klm.com, the Schiphol kiosk or lounge, just a printed itinerary. Got a solid njet on that one.

Well, with 4 hours to spare I wasn't too worried, but no way could I have made the quick turn. The security line put the morning lines for Southwest at LAX to shame, the fast lane was used for people with flights leaving within the hour. Even the fast one ran the length (or width) of the terminal, the regular line went several loops the length of the terminal and then out into the ticketing hall. An hour wait I was told.

After waiting for the late morning US flights to leave the fast lane became available and I had the remaining time at the AF lounge. Only paid wireless and no working computers, the Servisair lounge (one final use for my idle Diners Card!) was also paid access.

Got upgraded both ways on KL, nice, I don't think these were operational upgrades, is this a new policy in the making?

BTW, Flyertalk tag worked, nice to meet you go go girl! Enjoy your cruise.

So, if you'd had the boarding pass, you could have used the transit door?

robbert, sorry for the headache you had.

Unlike many international or US airports, I don't believe you can get boarding passes issued within the secure area at MAN, at least, not on KL or CO. Perhaps AF can since they operate the lounge?

Did you ask at AMS about getting the return boarding pass? I'm sure they'd say "schnot possible" as a starting point, but I imagine this should have been doable?

I'm really shocked you had so much trouble; if you check out the Trip Reports forum, I just did a trip report about starting a journey from MAN and I had no issues. But this was Sunday morning travel, so that might skew things a bit.

Congrats on the op-up. AFAIK they are not policy, but I do get op-upped on MAN-AMS flights maybe 25-30% of the time. They are frequently overbooked both ways, so they compensate by either moving the business class curtain or simply op-upping.

If done SQ turnaround at MAN a couple of times. That is scheduled at 90 minutes. I only had 5 minutes or so in the lounge before it is time to board. So I would say 40 minutes is too tight. Unless the airline sends ahead info on connecting pax, the transit security is unmanned so there is a long wait for them to get the officers. The security check is quick and easy - it is getting the officer that takes the time. SQ is able to issue BP at the gate - I presume KL can also? There is a transfer desk right by the security check, however I dont think they can issue BPs - they seem to just check pax are eligible to transfer and call an officer for the security check if needed.