Traveling internationally can be exciting, but it also comes with its fair share of surprises. I learned this firsthand during my very first trip to the United States from Ghana, accompanied by a colleague who had made the journey before.

We flew with KLM, departing from Accra with a scheduled layover in Amsterdam before continuing to our destination: Houston, Texas. The itinerary seemed perfect, a smooth 3-hour layover in Amsterdam to catch our connecting flight. However, things quickly took a turn.  

Our flight from Accra was delayed, cutting our comfortable layover down to a stressful 30 minutes. The real challenge began when we landed in Amsterdam: we had to pass through security again, and the queue was incredibly long. Panic set in. Missing our flight felt almost inevitable.  

Thinking quickly, my colleague approached the security agent at the front of the line and explained our situation, pleading for permission to go ahead. Unfortunately, the agent couldn’t allow it, citing that many others in line also had connecting flights and were equally pressed for time.

We didn’t give up. Instead, we patiently stood by and kindly shared our story with the passengers at the front of the queue. To our relief and gratitude, they empathized with us and let us move ahead. We made it through security and reached our gate just in time for boarding.

What’s the key takeaway from this stressful experience? Always account for potential delays when booking international flights with layovers.

Travel Tip:

When traveling internationally, especially through busy transit hubs like Amsterdam, choose layovers of at least 3 hours – and longer if possible. Flight delays, unexpected queues, or additional security checks can shrink your connection window drastically. A seemingly safe layover can turn into a frantic dash through terminals. It’s better to have extra time than to risk missing your flight.

And remember – kindness and clear communication can go a long way when you're in a bind. We made it through thanks to the understanding strangers who helped us. 
 

Deborah Dankyi