Steps in transferring in Schiphol to another flight

I've done this sort of thing at Schiphol a few times, as recently as last May.

You will pass through immigration ("customs" is a 10 second walk past the agents where you don't stop unless you have something to declare; most people don't). You won't have to pass through security again (used to but not as of last year). After immigration, you just walk on to the next gate, but it could be quite a walk.

1:15 is a tight connection at Schiphol. It's doable only if the line at immigration isn't that long, if your flight is on time, etc. I would be nervous about a connection that tight and I've done it (with a but more time) more than once, and I walk very fast with my carry-on bags. Expect to hustle, be off the plane as close to first as you can, etc. Remember, even if your flight arrives at the gate on time, you might not get off the plane for 10-15 minutes waiting for others to deplane.

I would never book something like this without knowing what my backup plan is. If you miss the flight KLM flight, what are you going to do? I assume KLM has later flights the same day but you probably shouldn't expect to get on one for free; expect to have to buy a new ticket at the expensive last-minute fare. If you have travel insurance of some sort - trip delay, etc., perhaps even through your credit card - it might pay the costs of a delay. Check into it.

If these are two separate tickets you must have a very high risk tolerance! You stand to lose your second flight entirely if you don't make this "connection." The airport in Amsterdam is well signed, but there can be fairly long walks involved between locations. The good news is that in first you will be getting off the plane first. You will go through immigration. That speed depends entirely on how many other international flights have arrived at the same time. I am not sure if you will need to go through security again since I have a low risk tolerance and have never tried to do any sort of international connection on two separate tickets......

Be prepared with a plan "b". What will you do if you miss your flight and lose the ticket? Remember, failure to show up for the first leg of a ticket results in all future legs being cancelled as well.

Passport control is very good about moving people with tight connections to the front of the line

It is only reasonable you'd make it if your flight from Atlanta arrives on time.

Maybe it is just individual terminology, but you don't go through "customs" in Amsterdam. Customs refers to the importation of goods, and import taxes, generally a non issue. If you were exiting the airport in Amsterdam, you would go through "customs", which is usually just walking out a door marked "Nothing to Declare".

You will go through Schengen Immigration as you go between the non-Schengen and Schengen sections of the airport. You get in line at the non-EU passport line. There is a separate line for people with EU passports. When its your turn, the immigration officer checks your passport and stamps it with a Schengen Entry stamp. Then you proceed to your departure gate.

If you are running short on time, like less then 45 minutes, bring it to the attention of the line monitor and they can move you up if there is a long line. You should have your boarding pass printed out ahead of time to facilitate this.

It is not reasonable to assume that your flight will arrive on time, but if you miss your connecting flight, you are on your own for getting another flight. Maybe KLM will be nice to you and put you on the next flight for no charge. Worse comes to worse, you can always go to the terminal train station and buy train tickets to Geneva. Its an 8 to 9 hour train ride.

We had a long wait time going theough immigration at Schipol recently. Tell the border agents your situation.

Many thanks to all of you who responded. We are still trying to decide if we should "bite the bullet" and change our ticket, pay the penalty and be assured of getting on a flight, or hope we can make the current flight. Best alternative right now (cheapest) is to take a 5:00 pm flight or spend the night in Amsterdam and fly out on Christmas morning.

Normally, I'd take the risk at this point - pay the last-minute walk-up fare if you miss it, instead of guaranteeing you'll arrive later in Geneva and paying some extra now.

But I just noticed you are flying Christmas Eve(!) - which make it more likely the later flights to Geneva might be booked on the day you arrive, so you might not even be able to get on the later flight at full fare.

Christmas Eve is a day you should expect lots of other people to be traveling as well, in an effort to get "home" (or whatever) in time for Christmas. I would not plan on lines being short. Also later flights may not have empty seats.

And any sort of delay, weather etc., really puts you at risk for a 75 minute connection.

Flight I took a couple weeks ago had to hold short of the gate on arrival, waiting for the ground crew to show up to guide the plane to the parking spot. Just an example of some random quirk that could sabotage you transfer plans. Every 5 minutes count.

Plan "B" of some sort appears to be in order.

This is what I would do: keep the current flight (it is paid for already). Then, buy a cheap-ish ticket to fly on the 26th, i.e., the day after. Right now I see a €59 flight AMS-GVA flight on Dec 26th. 7.30 AM (with EasyJet). Consider this your insurance policy, if you make the first flight, so be it, if not, you have locked in a very decent fare for the next day. Book, also, a hotel near the airport (the ones at the airport are expensive, the ones with shuttles nearby are reasonably prices) on Booking.com - pick one that accepts cancellation until the same day of reservation.

If you make the first flight, great! Cancel your hotel reservation as soon as you are up to board the original flight.

If not, you already have a hotel and cheap flights booked next day first thing in the morning. And you can also have a half-day to wander in Amsterdam as a bonus (hotel shuttles bring you back and forth to the airport where it is an easy train ride to central Amsterdam)

Yes, 1:15 is too tight because, first, it's not really 1:15. The gate on the flight to GVA could close 15-30 minutes before departure so you would really have under one hour. Second, your inbound from ATL could be late ESPECIALLY DEPARTING ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Sitting in Delta One without checked luggage is excellent by the way.

Is your flight between AMS and GVA roundtrip? If yes, if you miss your AMS --> GVA flight, your return flight to AMS is then cancelled.

So following Andre's lead, if the AMS - GVA route is roundtrip, I would bite the bullet and buy a roundtrip ticket on KLM or easyJet whichever is cheaper and gives you at least 3 full hours at AMS on the day you arrive in Europe which is December 25. Your Delta flight could be late arriving. If it's one way, then buy a one-way ticket as your insurance; you can still arrive at GVA on Christmas Day you planned.

The first 3 Delta flights from ATL arrive at AMS at 6am, 8:15 and 10:45 on Dec 25. There is no reason you can't fly out to GVA the same day. Even Delta's last flight to AMS from ATL arrives at 12:25pm. If you were to take easyJet, there is only one flight and it leaves at 9:05pm. You would have NO PROBLEM catching that flight. So if KLM is really too expensive (which is plausible), by the insurance on easyJet.