I will be transiting through AMS from BOM-AMS-DTW-TUL and I'm wondering if I can access the spotting terrace? From what I've read people usually access the spotting terrace before checking in but I'm curious to know how I would access it as a transiting pax?
You cant. You have to exit the transit area, it's entry is in the Netherlands (so to say) and not in the International zone. So if you want to visit (don't know how long you have) you have to exit/pass the border, go the spotting terrace, then pass the security/border again, Re-Entering the transit-terminal.
There is also a small outside garden at the Schengen-D-Pier, but you wont enter that as your not taking a schengen flight..
It's landside indeed, cannot be accessed from the airside.
Keep in mind that during bad weather (storm, snow, etc) the spotting terrace remains closed for safety reasons. I don't know when you'll be transfering, but at the moment it's freezing cold here in the Netherlands with strong winds so even if it's open I recommend to dress in warm clothes and not stay out there for too long.
Thanks to everyone who replied! Was passing through on Mar 2nd from 0900 to 1500 and asked someone working at the airport how to get to the spotting deck and they informed me that I couldn't access it from where I was in the airport! I did manage to get lots of shots of aircraft at the gate in the E pier but the spotting deck would have been better to avoid lots of window reflections! It was chilly in the airport but there were some bits that were freezing cold!