Do-able connection in AMS?

We're flying from Cincinnati into Oslo this summer, and home from London to Cincinnati. We had a great nonstop from EWR to OSL but United cancelled it. None of the United alternatives are great but we can cancel those flights with refund since they cancelled us first.

Looking at Delta (which controls the Cincinnati airport and where we have medallion status) instead, we found this option:

CVG to Detroit (75 minute layover),

Detroit to Amsterdam (60 min layover)

Amsterdam to Oslo, arrive 8:45 AM (hope our hotel room is ready!)

The 60 minute layover in AMS worries me but there is another flight from AMS to OSL 2 hours later (and every two hours through the day). Those flights are on KLM.

My question is: Are we okay taking this flight combo with the 60 minutes in AMS?

I doubt it. You will need to do passport control and customs- and AMS is huge! And inter-Europe flights are probably in a different concourse.

We left from AMS in September and the airport is really nice with lots of shopping and restaurants. But when we left the area by security to walk to our gate for flight back to the states, we walked fairly quickly and it was at least 30 minutes.

Why not schedule for the next flight and enjoy a little of AMS?

This would also get you to your hotel a little later so more chance the room would be ready.

Whatever you do have a wonderful time!

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I'm no regular AMS flyer, but every time I flew in from the US and connected to a Schengen country, gate to gate took my 15 minutes. (although my connecting time was over 2 hours)

Tight connections that include immigrations are always a risk.

Personally, I never book a ticket with a short connection time, but if you do, be sure to walk a fast pace and grab seats as much to the front of the aircraft as possible.

Take the longer connection.

In fact, on international connections you can have up to 24 hours for your connecting flight without "breaking" the fare. So, you could get in some time in Amsterdam if you wanted. Or just enjoy the airport (which is worth enjoying, especially the Museum).

Airline reservation systems often just show you the shortest connection, even though you can take others. Just do multi-city to plug in the separate legs.

Take the longer connection.

I assume a 75 minute connection in CDG is out of the question? That would be on a flight from Cincinnati to Paris and then a flight on HOP! to Oslo 75 minutes later. The next later flight for that one isn't until 4 hours later, so an unappealing backup. (These are connected flights through Delta, not independently booked.)

Connections in CDG are much worse (ie, slower) than at AMS (IMHO). Stick with AMS and go for the longer connection unless the connection in DTW is a concern (been a while since I was in DTW). No point in starting your vacation off dealing with stressful connections and dealing with missed flights.

Both AMS and CDG aren't the worst place in the world to hang out. As mentioned, spending a day in AMS is kind of fun with the airport being a short 20 minute train ride into Amsterdam.

The big issue with your CDG question is that the smaller regional service is not from the main AF terminals, 2E and 2F. I can't recall the name right now (believe 2G) and it is a bus ride away from the E/F complex. That in and of itself argues against a close connect - you can walk between E and F, but not to G.

Check out a map of CDG to see what I mean. Also, the AF website provides info on your connection, so you can see what's involved.

 

Looking at Delta (which controls the Cincinnati airport and where we have medallion status) instead, we found this option...Amsterdam to Oslo, arrive 8:45 AM (hope our hotel room is ready!)...My question is: Are we okay taking this flight combo with the 60 minutes in AMS?

60 minutes would be tight; I'd look at booking one a little later, so that you hvae 3 or 4 hours at AMS. If you are gold medallion or higher, you will access to the KLM arrivals lounge even if you are flying in coach. They have showers, so you can get a nice shower and relax over breakfast and coffee before your connection.

Your room probably won't be ready when you get to Oslo, but you should be able to leave your bags with the bellman and go out to explore the city until check-in. (Another reason to book a longer connection at AMS so you can shower instead of waiting to get into your hotel room at what might be much later in the afternoon!)

I assume a 75 minute connection in CDG is out of the question?

Personally I prefer a minimum of 2 hours at CDG.

60 minutes would be tight; I'd look at booking one a little later, so that you hvae 3 or 4 hours at AMS. If you are gold medallion or higher, you will access to the KLM arrivals lounge even if you are flying in coach. They have showers, so you can get a nice shower and relax over breakfast and coffee before your connection.

 

Your room probably won't be ready when you get to Oslo, but you should be able to leave your bags with the bellman and go out to explore the city until check-in. (Another reason to book a longer connection at AMS so you can shower instead of waiting to get into your hotel room at what might be much later in the afternoon!)

 

 

 

Personally I prefer a minimum of 2 hours at CDG.

We booked the longer layover in Amsterdam, per everyone's advice. I appreciate the good counsel. Also the heads-up about the KLM lounge is great news to get freshened up after the long flight so we'll be able to hit the ground running in Oslo.

Happy holidays everyone.

Also the heads-up about the KLM lounge is great news to get freshened up after the long flight so we'll be able to hit the ground running in Oslo.

 

Great! As I said, if you are gold medallion or higher, and flying in any class on DL, or if you are silver medallion and flying in business, you'll have the lounge access. When you go in, go in and around and to your left is a round desk with several agents. You can get a shower "ticket" with a number on it. There's a lighted overhead sign that will flash the next number whose turn it is. Go back to the desk when your number flashes and you'll get a key to a numbered shower/dressing room. You'll find soap, shampoo, towel etc and they have hair dryers, although they're the European ones that look like a wall-mounted vacuum cleaner and I find they always take longer than my dryer at home. Each room is cleaned and restocked with fresh towel etc. between uses. We find this to be a great alternative to waiting for our hotel room to be ready. As you said, you can hit the ground running after dropping off your bags! Just hightail it to the lounge and get your shower number as soon as possible. Once all the TATL flights start arriving from the states, the wait list can get pretty long.

I assume a 75 minute connection in CDG is out of the question? That would be on a flight from Cincinnati to Paris and then a flight on HOP! to Oslo 75 minutes later. The next later flight for that one isn't until 4 hours later, so an unappealing backup. (These are connected flights through Delta, not independently booked.)

I wouldn't do it. As much as I like CDG as an airport (I do most of my connections there), I do it with as much connection time as possible. Your DL flight (it is DL metal even if you booked the AF flight) come into CDG at Terminal 2E. Your HOP! flight departs from Terminal 2G. To get there, I believe you will have to follow the transfer lines from 2E to Terminal 2F in order to catch the shuttle to get to Terminal 2G (it's a remote standalone pier). I would want 2.5 hours minimum. With that 4 hour connection, you can have a nice little leisurely meal inside T2E/F and even do a little shopping. Depending on your status/flight cabin, you can hang out at the excellent AF lounges, too...