Time needed to transfer in Amsterdam

Your apprehension should be directed at the chances of the plane being late. Nothing can prevent that, or predict it. Two precautions: First, check and copy the schedule of the airline carrying you to Greece so you can see what the next service might be if you miss the intended connection. And second, more iffy, make your trans-Atlantic crossing a day earlier.

For the mid-June date I'm looking at, KLM only has 2 flights to Athens a day, 12:20 pm, which appears to be the one you are on, and the next flight is at 8:55 pm. Looks like you might have the option of taking an earlier flight out of MSP, but then you would have a 4 hour layover in Amsterdam.

On one ticket, going home, I would do it. Actually, I have done it in Amsterdam. Worst case scenario is you get an extra day of vacation .... in Amsterdam .... at the airline's expense.

Thanks guys.. I think we are going to do the first leg to JFK and do our 3 hr layover there. Seems like a better idea..

Steve, will it be on one itinerary with no change of terminal at JFK?

If you must change terminals not including transiting between Terminals 2 & 4 which can be done airside via jitney, you’ll have to go landside and take the air train. You’ll then have to go through security again. If that is the case, you will need more than 3 hours unless you have TSA Pre-Check with the airline you are flying internationally. Then three hours should be fine.

Given a choice between AMS and JFK I would choose AMS, hands-down! (This is our preferred stopover airport from PDX--and I have experienced connecting through JFK.) Making a transfer at AMS is a much more organized process; my experience has been that there are always KLM ground personnel available (iPads in hand) to direct passengers to gates, lines for short connections, etc. But, I also understand time constraints. If you MUST be back in the US the day after your return is scheduled then you may be more comfortable with the longer layover at JFK.

The advantage of changing in Amsterdam is that you only have to go through passport control (and maybe security, I'm not sure). The disadvantage is that there are only a few flights from AMS to MSP per day, so if you miss yours, you can have a wait for next available seat on a flight home.

The advantage of changing in JFK is that there are many flights per day from JFK to MSP, so if you miss your flight, there's a good chance you'll get one later that day. The disadvantage is that upon arrival at JFK, you have to go through immigration, then customs, then security. All of these can have bottlenecks at any time of day, as multiple flights are constantly arriving from all over the world. (It was a shock when I landed in MSP from Tokyo an hour early, and the immigration desks weren't staffed because they weren't expecting an international arrival at that time!). As said above, you should allow at least 3 hours for this transfer.

Your choice.

Sorry for the confusion.. the 3 hr wait at JFK terminal is on the way to Athens.. On the way back we are transferring in Amsterdam... I just thought the transfer time in Amsterdam to Athens seemed short, and problematic if our plane is late... I will check on the JFK transfer-good idea