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Old Sep 25, 2011, 6:17 am
  #1  
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Malaysia to Cancun connecting flight Amsterdam 2 hours

Hi guys! please help me

So Im an International student going to Cancun, Mexico. Im from the Philippines. I got my Mexican visa already and Im planing to leave anytime this October. Im planing to book a flight in Malaysia Airlines and my itinerary will be from Manila to KL, Malaysia then Amsterdam then Cancun, Mexico. From Manila to Amsterdam i will have one Airline which is Malaysia Airline but from Amsterdam to Cancun it will be a different one its Tui Airline.

I will only have 2 hours before my connecting flight cause I will arrive in Amsterdam at 5:45am and my flight to Cancun will be 7:55am. Do you think its okay? Or it is kinda risky? I dont have a choice but to pass through European Cities like in Amsterdam or Madrid cause If I have to pass USA I will need a transit visa while in EU countries they said its ok as long as I dont go outside the Immigration. The flight in Madrid Spain is more expensive while in Amsterdam not really. So do you think 2 hours is okay for a connecting flight in Amsterdam? Is the international Airport really big? Im pretty sure I dont need to pass in immigration in Amsterdam for a connecting flight in Cancun mexico but in case Im wrong please let me know..

Thanks!
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Old Sep 25, 2011, 11:05 am
  #2  
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You are at some risk here. 1) I am not 100% sure that MH will interline your checked bags to TUI (you should call MH and ask if they will do this - and even if this is true, TUI will most likely not interline to MH on your way back), and 2) whether you can check in for TUI airside (since TUI pax are unlikely to be in transit from outside Schengen) or online. you may well need a Schengen visa unless you are doing carry-on only and TUI will allow online checkin.

2 hrs to transit in AMS is more than sufficient normally but since the above two are unknown, it is a risk.

What I would suggest is flying to PVG or NRT and flying AM to CUN via MEX if the visa issue in PVG and NRT is less of one (should be), and the fares are comparable. It'd also save you 3000 miles each way of flying. AM and your choice of PR, Chinese and Japanese airlines will most likely interline your bags (especially if you fly MU since both MU and AM are SkyTeam airlines).

Last edited by YVR Cockroach; Sep 25, 2011 at 11:11 am
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Old Sep 25, 2011, 11:43 am
  #3  
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Welcome to FlyerTalk!

I hate to break it to you, but TUIfly does not serve AMS. And even if it did, it does not have an interline agreement with Malaysia Airlines, so you would need a transit visa to enter the Netherlands, collect your baggage, and recheck it with TUIfly. And by then you'd be at risk of not making the connection.
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Old Sep 25, 2011, 3:59 pm
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Originally Posted by stifle
Welcome to FlyerTalk!

I hate to break it to you, but TUIfly does not serve AMS. And even if it did, it does not have an interline agreement with Malaysia Airlines, so you would need a transit visa to enter the Netherlands, collect your baggage, and recheck it with TUIfly. And by then you'd be at risk of not making the connection.
I'd never before heard of TUIfly, but it look me about 3 minutes to determine that it does serve AMS, with flights to several other destinations in Europe. Perhaps what you meant to say is that TUI doesn't offer non-stop service between Amsterdam & Cancun?

Edited to add: I suspect the OP will have to connect in DUS, FRA or MUC.
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Old Sep 25, 2011, 4:33 pm
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Originally Posted by stifle
I hate to break it to you, but TUIfly does not serve AMS.
Don't scare the kid with misinformation. It does too. The problem here is not that TUIfly does not serve AMS, but that two hours in AMS is probably not enough time to get checked in for the TUIfly departure and also collect and wrangle checked baggage. You can check in with TUIfly on the web in advance, before leaving Manila, for at least the first segment, AMS-DUS/MUC/FRA. I'm not sure about the second as the TUIfly website does not recognize Amsterdam to Cancun as a thru itinerary. The only Cancun nonstops are from those three German cities.

What is more, if your flight into AMS is late and you miss the TUIfly flight, will they rebook you on a subsequent flight? Or do you lose all the value of our ticket, as is the case with some lower-tier airlines, and have to buy another?

In short, I would not risk a two-hour transfer time. I would book my onward flight to Cancun for the next day, Priceline a cheap hotel, and have a nice stress-free evening visiting Amsterdam. That way it won't matter if the Malaysian flight is late or not.
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Old Sep 26, 2011, 12:04 am
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Apologies for the confusion on TUIfly, not sure how I managed to get that messed up.

The OP would need a Schengen visit visa to enter the Netherlands and stay overnight. That is a non-trivial exercise.
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Old Sep 26, 2011, 10:03 am
  #7  
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Thank you so much guys for your advice.. My parents told me that the safest or best way probably is to apply for a transit visa in USA and pass through America. Aside from the fact that I will save more from doing this, this will the most smooth way... I might also try or inquire about the Aero mexico flights from Shanghai or Narita but most of the flights still have connecting flights to USA then to cancun so I might probably need a trasit visa...

I just hope everything will be easy...
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Old Sep 27, 2011, 12:41 pm
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Originally Posted by sssssaidychance
My parents told me that the safest or best way probably is to apply for a transit visa in USA and pass through America. Aside from the fact that I will save more from doing this, this will the most smooth way...
If you are open to a USA transit (not the easiest route for foreign nationals right now I know) it would be far easier and cheaper to fly via Los Angeles as follows:

Philippine Air MNL-LAX
Delta or United LAX-CUN

It's economical and simple -- the only wrinkle is, you'd have to overnight in Los Angeles. The flight from Manila arrives in early evening and the Cancun flights don't depart until the next morning.

A simple two-stop routing with no overnight required en route would be:

Hawaiian Airlines MNL-HNL-PHX
US Airways PHX-CUN

You would pass through US Customs in Honolulu, but only once. No second scan in Phoenix. And you'd have decent, reasonable layovers in Honolulu and Phoenix, so much less worry about missing flights.

Much less stress, I think, than flying MNL-KUL-AMS-DUS-CUN.

Alternatively, if you can get yourself to Shanghai or Tokyo, you can fly Aeromexico PVG-MEX-CUN or NRT-MEX-CUN. But the Shanghai flight only operates twice a week, Tokyo 3x/week, and both look rather expensive; bargain fares already sold out for October. Traveling via Los Angeles or Hawaii would be easier.

Good luck!

Last edited by BearX220; Sep 27, 2011 at 12:48 pm
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Old Oct 1, 2011, 9:01 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by BearX220
If you are open to a USA transit (not the easiest route for foreign nationals right now I know) it would be far easier and cheaper to fly via Los Angeles as follows:

Philippine Air MNL-LAX
Delta or United LAX-CUN

It's economical and simple -- the only wrinkle is, you'd have to overnight in Los Angeles. The flight from Manila arrives in early evening and the Cancun flights don't depart until the next morning.

A simple two-stop routing with no overnight required en route would be:

Hawaiian Airlines MNL-HNL-PHX
US Airways PHX-CUN

You would pass through US Customs in Honolulu, but only once. No second scan in Phoenix. And you'd have decent, reasonable layovers in Honolulu and Phoenix, so much less worry about missing flights.

Much less stress, I think, than flying MNL-KUL-AMS-DUS-CUN.

Alternatively, if you can get yourself to Shanghai or Tokyo, you can fly Aeromexico PVG-MEX-CUN or NRT-MEX-CUN. But the Shanghai flight only operates twice a week, Tokyo 3x/week, and both look rather expensive; bargain fares already sold out for October. Traveling via Los Angeles or Hawaii would be easier.

Good luck!
Thank you so much for the advice.. I really appreciate it.. I just hope everything will fall into place and it will not be that hard to obtain or have that US transit visa cause my goal is to reach Cancun Mexico and if I had another easy or not critical choice I will prefer to avoid USA so that I will not take another process again like applying for a transit visa even just for a 4 hours or 6 hours stop over... Wish me luck!
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Old Oct 1, 2011, 2:09 pm
  #10  
 
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just a thought, but why cancun?

i much prefer adaman coast to gulf of mexico... or sebu, or gulf of thailand, or cambodia, or vietnam...

Just a thought. Seems like a long trip for something that you can get nicer, cheaper and safer close to home.
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Old Oct 1, 2011, 2:28 pm
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If you want to avoid transiting through the U.S., then Philippine Airlines to Narita, Aeromexico to Mexico City and Cancun would be your best bet.

Transit passengers have to go through security but not immigration as long as they stay airside.
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Old Oct 4, 2011, 12:10 am
  #12  
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Hello Guys! I just want to thank you again for all your tips and advice. Anyway, my US transit visa was approved today.. So I can pass by USA with no worries and some of my friends said that its a good thing cause usually consuls give 29 days maximum of stay in USA for transit visas but Im still thinking if I should visit my friends in USA.. As of now all I want is to go to Cancun!

Thanks again!
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