The Best Airlines To Fly Into Amsterdam, Netherlands

Ah, Amsterdam – the laid-back yet lively capital of the Netherlands, where history meets hipster vibes and canal views, and some of the best partying in Europe.

The city is iconic for its cobblestone streets to the buzzing café culture and world-class museums. Whether you’re strolling along the iconic canals or exploring the eclectic neighborhoods, there’s no shortage of excitement in this city.

Given the cities status as one of the most popular in Europe, there are plenty of travel options from the US to arrive.

We will break down how to fly into the city and the best airlines offering service.

Airports Near Amsterdam

Amsterdam is primary served by one international airports, welcoming more than 61 million travelers a year. Almost everyone will have passed through the main terminals that has also lead to capacity issues in the past.

Schiphol airport is the main hub for KLM but also welcomes all major US carriers as well. The airport is located only 9 km from the city center with various options for travel by taxi, bus, or train.

Amsterdam has plenty of traffic during rush hour but its usually pretty easy to get in and out of the city whether on a visit or just a layover.

Airlines Flying To Amsterdam

If you are departing from the US, there are many options if you want to fly direct to Amsterdam. The airlines that offer service include the flag carrier KLM but also Delta, United, American, Jetblue also offer service. The good thing about so many partners is it makes it easier to do codeshares when booking with their partner airlines.

The airlines offer nonstop service to many US cities including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles, Portland, Salt Lake City and more. This gives you plenty of options and if you are connecting your ticket may even be cheaper than flying direct.

Airfare to Amsterdam

Ticket prices to Amsterdam can vary depending on season but given the amount of airlines offering service you can expect $300 – $600 roundtrip in economy. During peak season of summer this can go up pretty significantly to around $800 – $1,000. We like using Skyscanner to find the best deal and their compare page makes it easy.

Here is a breakdown of average round trip prices by month.

There is also a tool that can run a compare of various cities if you have set dates or months in mind. All you need to do is enter a timeframe for departure and Skyscanner does the rest.

You can find all Skyscanner tools on this page here and utilize this info to find the best flight deal.

Best First Class

Unfortunately no airline offers a true first class product from the US to Amsterdam. This is a bit disappoint since some airlines first class are the best airplane seats you can buy.

You can get a first class flight if you travel with a layover on Lufthansa or British Airways, but in our minds that’s not worth it when there are plenty of good business class options available. In our opinion, getting a lay flat bed is usually good enough especially for red eye flights, and the first class isn’t always worth the upcharge.

Best Business Class

Not all business class are made equal so if you are willing to pay a premium for comfort (or shell out some points) we’ll tell you what option would be best. Given the premium that comes with first class, business class cabins on this route can be almost as luxurious as first and easily stand above many other business class offerings around the world.

1. KLM Airlines 787 Business Class

Given the amount of cities they operate too its hard not to pick KLM as the best business class option. The flag carrier of the Netherlands, KLM has a minimal style with touches of their signature blue. While they don’t have the most modern cabins, travelers still enjoy good food and service on flights into Amsterdam. They also operate flights to most of the major US cities making it easy to find a flight that can work.

2. Jetblue Mint A321R

Jetblue Mint is the new comer on the scene and only recently launched flights to Amsterdam in the past few years. They have done so in a big way offering arguably the most spacious business class in the Mint Studio. While many airlines are offering business class seats with doors, Jetblue is offering a true suite you can step into. Also given Jetblue consistently ranks highly for service and food, this is an incredible new offering to fly into Amsterdam.

3. United Airlines 767 Polaris Business Class

United Polaris Business Class is one of the most comfortable hard product to fly to Amsterdam. We’ve flown it multiple times from Newark to Frankfurt and indulged in the amazing Polaris lounge prior to takeoff. United flyings the 767 nonstop to Amsterdam from a few different cities and has plenty of premium space aboard these aircrafts. You can expect a 1-2-1 layout but still giving each seat its own aisle access but don’t count on much when it comes to United food.

4. Delta Airlines A330

Even with so much competition on this route we still feel the signature new Delta One Suites is one of the best business class to fly. You’ll want to make sure your flight has the redesigned cabin since it’s a huge upgrade to the old A330 design we flew from Paris to New York in 2019. In our opinion these seats are unmatched against any US airlines business class (even United Polaris) and if you can snag a seat on this route you won’t regret it. The reason we rank it below United is because it only operates from New York or Atlanta and is one of the most expensive options to fly to Amsterdam. Note, points redemptions don’t come cheap on this route so the only downside is finding a reasonably priced ticket.

Best Economy Class

There usually isn’t a major difference in economy class hard product but there may be items some airlines do better than others. However, on long haul routes to Amsterdam, many airlines like KLM, United, and Delta offer Premium Economy, which is certainly a step above a standard seat. While many premium economy seats are similar, we especially like those offering comfortable seats and reasonable food to make us pick one over the other.

1. KLM Premium Economy

KLM Airlines offers a premium economy cabin on their 787 in a 2-3-2 format. Elevated from economy class, you can expect a larger seat, extra recline, foot rest, and elevated food. This is certainly a better experience than an economy cabin but it does come with a reasonable up charge. Given a flight to Amsterdam from the US is a redeye booking in premium economy will certainly be more comfortable.

2. Delta Premium Economy

We also have to give it to Delta again flying their new premium economy seats on a nonstop flight to Amsterdam. While the unfortunate news is these seats are not cheap and do not offer complimentary upgrades from main cabin, they are still the most comfortable way to fly outside of business. You can expect a more spacious seat with a partial recline and an elevated food offering from Economy.

3. United 767 Premium Economy

United also started offering Premium Economy on many of their long haul aircraft and is very similar to Delta’s. The good about United is they make it much easier to upgrade into with either points, cash, or plus points. If you are booked in Economy you can expect to pay about 20,000 points to upgrade to this seat or 20 plus points. In our mind its worth it especially for a red eye to get a more comfortable seat to cross the pond.

4. United 767 Economy

United is a standout with the plane flying to Amsterdam looking to have the most comfortable economy class. The layout is a 2-3-2 while most others offer a 2-4-2 layout. Again this won’t make a major difference, especially if you are able to snag one of the 2 seat sections on any of the other airlines. We’ve taken this flight many times including from London to Chicago. However, on a full flight you will definitely notice a roomier cabin even if the plane is a bit smaller compared to an American 787.

Award Flights to Amsterdam

Airline miles and credit card points are some of the best way to get a cheap if not entirely free ticket to Amsterdam. If you are unfamiliar with this process read our guide on credit card points and miles.

The fastest way to get airline miles and also the biggest benefit to credit card points is the ability to transfer them to airline partners. If you are looking to increase your balance for a flight to Amsterdam see the latest offers in our guide to the best credit cards for every traveler.

There are multiple airline partners that fly to Amsterdam but not all are created equal. If you are planning a trip you will want to consider booking through:

• Air France / KLM: Booking options on KLM the flagship carrier. Points can be transferred from Chase, American Express, Citi, and Capital One.
• Air Canada Aeroplan: Booking options on United Airlines. Points can be transferred from Chase, American Express, and Capital One.

While there are many more programs that offer points bookings to Amsterdam, we believe the above two have the most to offer for the best price.

Summary & Takeaways

Amsterdam as a travel destination is one of the most popular in the world and with that there are many options for airlines to fly into the capital. We always prefer to fly the flag carrier, in this case KLM, with the most offerings and the best choice in our opinion.

You can’t go wrong with the major US carriers and luckily they operate some of their best planes on this route. If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam you can get a direct ride from many cities or with a short connection onwards.