Looong layover in AMS amongst other travel concerns

[Pearl64]

We are booked GSP to ATL to AMS to Nurnberg on August 7. Three flight changes later from what I booked. Booked through Delta in comfort plus. Is 2 hours 20 minutes enough time in Atlanta? I know it used to be but not sure about these times.  I was worried about connecting in AMS but KLM just cancelled our flight today but put us on a flight at 16:30 some 10.5 hours later. I guess I should be happy they put us on another flight but what to do for all that time. In previous times we could take a tour but that would mean going through security again. I don’t think that is a good idea. So after an all night flight we are open for suggestions. We have no status other than my husbands Amex Delta card. I don’t think that will get us anything. I have a free United lounge pass but the Star Alliance lounge is closed. Restrictions on lounges as far as time even when paying. Also, am I entitled to any benefits for the changing of flight? Are there any food options at AMS? We have transferred many times through AMS but usually have not a lot of spare time. I hope I have given enough pertinent details and appreciate any advice given. Thank you.

[Zach1213]

43 minutes ago, Pearl64 said:

We are booked GSP to ATL to AMS to Nurnberg on August 7. Three flight changes later from what I booked. Booked through Delta in comfort plus. Is 2 hours 20 minutes enough time in Atlanta? I know it used to be but not sure about these times.  I was worried about connecting in AMS but KLM just cancelled our flight today but put us on a flight at 16:30 some 10.5 hours later. I guess I should be happy they put us on another flight but what to do for all that time. In previous times we could take a tour but that would mean going through security again. I don’t think that is a good idea. So after an all night flight we are open for suggestions. We have no status other than my husbands Amex Delta card. I don’t think that will get us anything. I have a free United lounge pass but the Star Alliance lounge is closed. Restrictions on lounges as far as time even when paying. Also, am I entitled to any benefits for the changing of flight? Are there any food options at AMS? We have transferred many times through AMS but usually have not a lot of spare time. I hope I have given enough pertinent details and appreciate any advice given. Thank you.

 

All right, let me tackle these via bullet points:

 

- 2h20 should be enough in ATL, yes. It's huge, but fairly efficient. You'll need to change terminals most likely, but not security. Easy to do via train. 

- 10.5 hours at AMS does give you plenty of time to get...well, halfway across the country and back with plenty of time to spare 🙂 I would definitely take the time to get out of the airport and go to Amsterdam, go to some other smaller town/city...do something. You can spend several hours in the city or elsewhere with no concern due to the outstanding rail links straight from the airport. 

- With note to the above - you will need to re-clear security at AMS anyways. In either case, whether you sit at the airport or not, you will (a) clear Schengen immigration, and (b) clear security. So, don't take that too much in to consideration. 

- There are lots of food options of AMS, of course. Not as good as those outside of AMS though. 

[Zach1213]

OK, despite having gone through European security a few times over the last two months, and its associated headaches, my pea brain still didn't think about it when I said that security wasn't a big issue. It definitely is something to consider. With 10.5 hours, I still think it would be worth leaving, but perhaps not as much "worth it" as it was. Yeesh...can you tell I am still jet lagged? I also say, keep an eye on it because things can change a lot in a month and it could get a lot better...or a little better...or worse. 

[Pearl64]

Thank you Zach. If we decide to head into Amsterdam what do we do with our luggage? Will our checked luggage continue to go through or do we need to claim it? We just can’t do carryons. Fortunately we are coming in several days early before our Insight Oberammergau tour.

[LHT28]

AMS  has a Museum & restaurants  shopping  & I think a casino

Depending on what you want  & how tired you are they also have a place to rest  if you do not want the hassle of going back through all the check points

JMO

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/at-schiphol

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/schiphol-lounges/

 

 

[MSUjohn]

10.5 hour layover means 8 hours in Amsterdam.

[rkacruiser]

6 minutes ago, MSUjohn said:

10.5 hour layover means 8 hours in Amsterdam.

 

That's enough time for a canal cruise at least.  

[MSUjohn]

18 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That's enough time for a canal cruise at least.  

and a walking tour.

[FlyerTalker]

50 minutes ago, MSUjohn said:

10.5 hour layover means 8 hours in Amsterdam.

 

That calculates into 2.5 hours for the round-trip train ride, purchase of those tickets, navigating out of the airport, coming back in for security screening and processing to your gate.

 

I'd say more like 6.5 to 7 hours in the city.  Especially with the issues processing into AMS now.

[waterbug123]

On 7/7/2022 at 3:48 PM, Pearl64 said:

Thank you Zach. If we decide to head into Amsterdam what do we do with our luggage? Will our checked luggage continue to go through or do we need to claim it? We just can’t do carryons. Fortunately we are coming in several days early before our Insight Oberammergau tour.

As long as everything is booked on one itinerary with Delta/KLM, your luggage should be through checked all the way to your final destination; that will be confirmed when it's tagged at GSP. 

And as long as you have no mobility issues, 2.5 hours is more than enough time to transit ATL.  A "legal" connection there is 35 min for  domestic-domestic flights, and due to delays I often end up with less than 30 min and usually still make it (traveling alone, with no carry on luggage but a backpack, and able to walk quickly)   So again, barring delays and mobility issues, 2.5 hours is more than enough; you should have plenty of time to make a restroom stop, leisurely make your way to the gate, and even stop and get a snack if you want.

[Pearl64]

Thank you, Meg. We have flown into ATL many times so we know what to do. We may be a little slower but we keep up. We will have a backpack each plus a CPAP machine. My concern was the actual flight from GSP making it on time. I really don’t want to drive to Atlanta and then we would have to go through security in Atlanta on a Sunday. GSP should be much easier. There are earlier flights but since the KLM change we are talking 30+ hours of travel and that is without any hiccups. Just trying to plan our options.

[SFCAcruiser]

On 7/7/2022 at 10:10 AM, Pearl64 said:

...I have a free United lounge pass but the Star Alliance lounge is closed.....

As a point of information for future travels, your United lounge pass is valid for United lounges, only United lounges, and nothing but United lounges. It seems to be a common misconception that these free passes gain access to Star alliance lounges

i hope you enjoy your time exploring a little bit of Amsterdam

[6rugrats]

9 hours ago, SFCAcruiser said:

As a point of information for future travels, your United lounge pass is valid for United lounges, only United lounges, and nothing but United lounges. 

Yes, and many are not allowing admittance with day passes right now because of congestion.

[Lois R]

 Be glad it is such a long layover......be very glad.

I just returned home from Europe and made my connection in AMS with 5 minutes to spare. And that was with wheelchair assistance due to unforseen issues on my cruise. If I had needed to walk, I would never have made it.

I will take the 10 hours.

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, Lois R said:

Be glad it is such a long layover......be very glad.

I just returned home from Europe and made my connection in AMS with 5 minutes to spare. And that was with wheelchair assistance

 

Why so close, Lois?  

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Why so close, Lois?  

My flight from Barcelona ended up being delayed by 1 hour.........we were ready to go and then someone got stopped about their luggage........had to off load everything then put it all back. I only had an hour layover to begin with. So everything got pushed back.......luckly, the wheelchair assist came through because when I left the ship I still could not fully walk. 

[iancal]

On 7/8/2022 at 1:52 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

That's enough time for a canal cruise at least.  

That is exactly what we did.   Train into Centrale.