We are flying on Delta from the U.S. to Amsterdam and have a 2hr layover before our EasyJet flight to Croatia. Does anyone know if we have to go through customs? I know we'll have to re-check our bags. We're not sure if 2 hours is enough time? Thoughts??
Thanks!
Customs is nothing really, just walk out the green door, but you will have to go through Schengen immigration to get to the luggage carousel. The real question is whether your inbound Delta flight will arrive on time. If it is late for what ever reason and you miss your Easyjet flight, you will have to buy a new ticket to Croatia, possibly for the next day.
Another consideration is that you'll have to go through immigration twice, an entry check when you arrive at the airport and an exit check before boarding the flight to Croatia, as it isn't a member of the Schengen Area.
I think it is worth buying a carry on sized bag so you don't have to check bags and go thru immigration twice.
Why would going carry-on only eliminate one of the immigration checks?
Last time in Amsterdam we noticed that there were special, shorter lines for tight transfers. I think to the left side but there was an attendant checking tickets. So try those lines if tight on time.
Why would going carry-on only eliminate one of the immigration checks?
It would eliminate both, not one.
Is it even possible to use the transfer lines with an Easyjet ticket or any two separate tickets for that matter?
Baggage has nothing to do with immigration/passport control. You would need to go through pass passport control even if you have no carry-on bags.
If anything, traveling too light could flag you for a boarder control check. A friend of ours would fly to Tokyo for an overnight stay on numerous occasions with just an overnight bag. Her husband was the captain of a SFO based Tokyo flight and she would accompany him on his route. Apparently flying 20 or 30 times in a year or so flagged her as suspicious to US Custom and Boarder Protection and she was pulled out of line and subjected to interrogation as to the nature of her frequent travels.
Is it even possible to use the transfer lines with an Easyjet ticket or any two separate tickets for that matter?
I don't know what a transfer line is, but what would restrict moving from a non-Schengen arrival to a non-Schengen departure? All the non-Schengen gates at Schiphol are directly connected. No immigration necessary except to pick up checked bags, then it's 2 trips through immigration plus the security line. That's a huge difference in time, 5-15 minutes vs 30-75 min. A person could check in with free WIFI right at Schiphol with the easyJet app if they forget before leaving home.
I would think that luggage is the issue, since you have to pay for that on easyJet for checked bags, They do allow a free carry-on 22" by 17 1/2" by 10", and surprisingly, no weight limit. If you get an easyJet Plus card, you can even bring on a smaller under-seat bag that is 17 1/2" by 14" by 8".
So pack light and it will speed things up.
We usually go carry on only. When we had to change terminals at heathrow, because we didn't check bags, we just followed the secure connections and only had to go thru security at the next terminal. If we had to pick up checked bags, we would have had to stand in line at passport check in order to get our bags. Our flight was not a connecting...it was separately booked.
I'm not sure the protocol at Schipol for making a connecting flight, and perhaps the UK is a different beast...?
