Elbegewa

Flying between Seattle & Italy. 2 Best choices are to change planes in either AMS or FRA. Questions:
1. Flying between US & EU: which of the 2 airports is "easiest" to transfer at?
2. Flying from US to EU: what is the procedure re customs & immigration? Does one have to claim baggage, go through customs, then recheck baggage? How fast is the norm?
3. Flying from EU to US: what is the procedure re immigration? I presume most may take place on arrival in US. Correct?
and most importantly...
4. Many (most) flight combinations show only about 2 hrs connection time. Is that really enough?

Kiwi Flyer

Welcome to Flyer Talk Elbegewa

1) The answer depends partly on which airline(s) you are flying into and out of the transit airport. In some cases this makes the difference between a very easy transfer and a horrible one involving change of terminals and lots of walking.

2) You will arrive outside the secure area in the non-schengen zone. (AMS used to have arrivals and departures co-mingling with security at the gate but I think this no longer applies.) You will need to get to the relevant schengen zone as well as clearing security. This means immigration check. However there is no need to collect bags and take them through customs - that is done at your final airport.

3) In reverse you have no immigration within the Schengen zone (i.e. a first flight from Italy to AMS or FRA does not require immigration) but will clear before boarding your flight to USA (or anywhere outside Schengen eg LHR). Immigration again on arrival at USA (or in Canada if flying via Canada), as well as customs.

4) Yes 2 hours is ample at both AMS and FRA, assuming you are flying on a single ticket instead of booking flights on separate tickets. Some connections are much less - around 50 minutes, although that is a bit tight for my comfort.

53flyer

All other things being equal, I prefer AMS over FRA.

milepig

If airlines don't matter, AMS with no question. A dream airport. FRA is a convoluted mess by comparison. I'm *alliance and so have been through FRA hundreds of times and I still haven't figured out. If you don't try to do so and just follow the signs you'll be OK but AMS is much easier. In either case you'll go though immigration into schengen but no customs and your bags will be transferred with no need to retrieve them.

airindia787

US originating flights do not need to reclear security at AMS, and I do not believe that is the case at FRA, so for going from the US to the EU you simply need to clear immigration. returning from the EU to the US, there is once again no security check, just outbound immigration. If your flight is operated by DL, you will need to go through a pre-departure check specific to DL operated flights, located at either D1, E4, or at the KLM Crown Lounge 52. At that check they will give you a receipt that shows the departure gate. This is the procedure at AMS, and I have never been through FRA so hopefully someone with experience going through there will be able to chime in.

And I should add that 2 hours at AMS is plenty of time. They recently switched to centralized security for non-Schengen flights and are experiencing some hiccups, but hopefully those will be resolved by the time you travel.

Aviatrix

The rule (except in the UK, which - as ever - has decided to be different) is that passengers do not have to re-clear security at EU/Schengen airports if they have cleared security

- anywhere in Schengen
- anywhere in the EU
- in a handful of places that are in some way affiliated to the EU (the Faroes, the Channel Islands, one or two others)
- in the USA

However, at some airports passengers need to re-clear security because of airport lay-out (i.e. if there is no sterile route between the gates). This used to be the case at AMS for non-Schengen transfers but is no longer the case now (as of the beginning of June). At FRA it seems to be hit and miss, depending on what gate you arrive at.

burbuja0512

For what it's worth, I really dislike FRA. I have to go there for business at least once a year and always end up with layovers there almost any time I go to Europe.

FRA is huge and crazy and half the time you don't even get a jetway on the planes. Just a stupid metal staircase followed by a crowded bus ride to the airport. Not a problem on a sunny day, but not so fun otherwise.

I've only been to AMS a couple of times, but loved it. The AMS lounge wasn't quite as nice as the Lufthansa lounge at FRA, but at least it was quiet.

LMB01

FRA can be intimidating the first time through, especially if it is at a very busy time. Another vote for AMS but as others have said, the airlines involved could influence decision.

Wilbur

I transit FRA at least once a quarter, and I very occasionally transit AMS, and I echo the sentiments above that AMS is a much easier transit airport than FRA.

This is especially true for a flight bound to or from the states, where the security and customs layers in FRA can become pretty onerous, depending upon what gate combinations your flights have.

Scrudgy

Really is a no brainer for me.

AMS is the one - even with all the upheaval of construction work its going through right now, still a far better option than FRA.

erik123

And if you get stuck - best to be in AMS.

Elbegewa

Thanks for all the replies ... making the choice easier ... I now notice that Delta has added a second daily flight SEA - AMS opening up a whole lot of easy connections w/ comfortable transfer times. (I sure wish that the Delta flights were still operated by KLM like they were several years ago).