First Solo Trip - immigration/customs questions for AMS and Rome

Is the Rome to Florence flight on a ticket you bought separately?

If you cannot check in for your final flight before you depart SEA, you should be able to do so at AMS.

I usually fly Seattle-Amsterdam-Prague. Amsterdam is very efficient airport (comparing to Heathrow and De Gaulle). Passport control will happen there. Usually does not take long (unlike Heathrow). I don't have to go through the security again in Schiphol. I assume that is the same for Rome, too. Customs in Rome (and elsewhere in Europe) is just a breeze. Unfortunately I don't know if you have to go through the security again in Rome. If you have all legs of your journey on one ticket you are safe. They will have to put you on the next available flight. If not, pray that there is no delay.

The big thing is "did you book the flight on all one ticket?" vs "did you go online and book one or more segments independently?"

But even then, I can affirm some things.

Arriving in Amsterdam as you exit the plane and continue on through the terminal, since you have no checked bags, how you booked the tickets does not matter. You will wander through the terminal and look for the connecting flight signs. If you were to go to Amsterdam, you would head out the final destination line, but for connecting flights, you head for a separate immigration line. Immigration should take no more than 30 to 60 minutes, no additional security unless you get in the wrong line and wind up outside the secure zone.

In Rome, you will arrive on a domestic flight, probably at Terminal 1, and your flight will leave from terminal 1. So if all on the same reservation, no issues, you will have boarding passes, if not, a service desk will issue them. If you booked separate tickets, then there may be issues, but you still should be able to use a service desk in the secure zone to check in.

The flight to Rome is on miles/points. I bought a separate ticket for the flight to Florence.

Once you land in Rome, likely at Terminal 1, you will exit through Customs, but that will be a Green door (nothing to declare) so no delay. [legally I should add that if you are carrying more than $10,000 USD or carrying excessive alcohol, tobacco, other other items subject to duties, then you should head to the Red portal to talk to the customs people to sort out] Otherwise, I would seek out an Alitalia or FCO service desk to check in. If all else fails, exit through security and go to an Alitalia check in desk, even with needing to go back through security, you have plenty of time.

Perfect! That's what I needed to know. Thanks very much for your assistance, one and all.

Deb

Can't you check in online or at an agency desk while in AMS? If you have time to spare try it. Is you US flight a code share with Alitalia? If so, then on arrival AMS stop at the gate desk and ask.

Maria, I'm not sure what the terms "code share" and "agency desk" mean. Please explain so I can continue to figure out this situation. thank you.

Code share...... some American and international airlines will share a route.
Alitalia is part of the Sky Team family, so is Delta so the little desk you walk by as you leave the plane may be able to check you in. Otherwise, airports have customer service areas or agency desks for some airlines. In your case, it would be an Alitalia agency desk.
To make it easy on yourself just ask as you leave the plane at the little desk if you can check in somewhere. If not, then go to the plan suggested upon arrival in Rome.

Ahhh...thanks for explaining. I understand now. Yep, it’s a code share flight from Seattle to Rome, flying Delta to AMS and Alitalia on to Rome. That’s where the points/miles flight ends. I’ll go thru customs in Rome and then board the flight I had to purchase to get to Florence. When I finally decided to start the trip in Florence, I called Delta to see if I could simply extend my points/miles ticket all the way to Florence. After all, it’s a quick flight between Rome and Florence, right? Well, Delta wanted 40,000 more miles to make the change! Crazy!