Amsterdam airport connection question
 

We are doing research for our fall trip to Croatia, from either SFO or LAX. Going outside our usual AA/Oneworld alliance and exploring other options. One of the return possibilities is on Croatia Airlines/KLM, leaving Dubrovnik and connecting in Amsterdam. The connection time is one hour,which seems very short to me. Being unfamiliar with the airport in Amsterdam, wondering if anyone can comment on this.

That is too short a connection, even for Amsterdam. Croatia isn't Schengen so you will land in the non Schengen zone of the airport, meaning no passport check, but security check is at the gate and the gate closes 40 minutes before a US flight normally.

That probably is a legal connection at AMS. But Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is very efficient. I think I've done a similar connection time before (from Paris, then flying home to the states from AMS) and it was fine. I've never had an issue at AMS.

However, I did have an issue with a Croatia Air flight once: the flight I was booked on from Split to Paris was canceled a few days before departure. I was automatically put on a 6am connecting flight via Zagreb instead - not an issue for flying home (because I was staying in Paris a few days) just a major inconvenience.

I don't see Croatia Airlines as a part of Skyteam or another type of codeshare with KLM. Are you booking these two legs as independent reservations? And do you have checked luggage? If not codeshare partners, you have to check if you can check your luggage from Dubrovnik to USA without having to retrieve them at AMS. If you have to retrieve luggage at AMS, there is no possibility of making the connection.

Going into the Schengen area, I am comfortable with one hour layover at AMS using all codeshare airlines where I don't retrieve luggage at AMS. Coming out of Schegen area, I want 1.5hrs at AMS even with the codeshare airlines because I have to go through the general passport control to exit the Schengen zone, then a security interview for boarding a plane bound for USA, followed by a body scan machine to get into the waiting area of the particular US bound flight.

Thanks for all the information. We are generally not comfortable with an hour, and since we no longer can sprint through airports, will probably choose another option.

I don't believe there are gate interviews for KLM flights. I thought the security interview was only for US flag carriers. Has that changed? The OP should only have to walk from one gate to the other (which can sometimes be long at AMS even if staying on the non-Schengen side) and go through gate security. I also believe Croatia and KLM do interline bags so I personally would feel comfortable with that connection.

I would think the gate interview would be a requirement by the US government for all flights flying into the US, not a requirement imposed by the airline.

It hasn't been that way in the past. We were only interviewed when flying Delta but not KLM back to the US.