Returning Flights...

[NavyCruiser]

Booking air thru HAL for our upcoming summer cruise in & out of Amsterdam.  Since it'll be our 10th trip to Amsterdam, 3rd this year, & we're doing a few days pre-cruise in Amsterdam, we don't need to stay extra days there afterwards.  

The earlier HAL allows departing flight is 11:30am, but all the direct non-stop flights back to Houston IAH are earlier than that time, with the latest being 11:05 am.  So we have booked/reserved returning flight for the next day, spending a night in Amsterdam.

Wondering if this strategy will work:  

After flight HAL officially "booked/ticketed" with the airline (United), maybe 3 months prior to cruise date, we can change the reservation on United website on our own, from day after,  to the same date as cruise ending date.  

We know it's a risk to do self-disembark & get to AMS airport asap, before the 11:05am flight.

But does HAL really care if we take that risk & change the flight date ourselves...?

[walnut99]

Even though you have no interest in spending more time in Amsterdam, why would you want to end a vacation that hopefully was enjoyable and relaxing by adding the stress of needing to get to the airport and through security to make an 11:30 flight.  I would much rather relax for one day and fly out the next morning.

[RuthC]

The last time I flew out of Amsterdam there was something going on that tied up traffic in town terribly. Then, at the airport, since you are going to America, there is another security stop you have go through, over and above the usual security. 
I wouldn't chance a flight that early. However, if you do decide to chance it, you should definitely do self-disembark. Is that even available in Amsterdam? 

[terrydtx]

I am not sure about Amsterdam but several years ago we flew home from Barcelona and waited in line for 3 hours to check in after our cruise ship disembarked and barely made our 11am flight. There were at least 3 ships disembarking that same day too which made congestion at the airport that much worse.

 

With the Covid check in procedures I can only imagine that the 3 hours, could now be much longer. We now always book return flights that leave later in afternoon or stay one extra night. We have a 1:30pm return flight in September from Athens after our Oosterdam cruise, the Flight Ease online site would not allow a return flight earlier than noon for a good reason.

Edited December 28, 2021 by terrydtx

[NavyCruiser]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, we'll keep the flights the same as is now, & just cut the front end pre-cruise from 3 days to 2 days & relax to stay in Amsterdam an extra night.

We had a close call flying back from London LHR last month, & forgot about extra covid procedures as arriving airport 3 hours early was still cutting it close...

Thanks,