Air France

[Pat848]

I am looking at 2 flights on Air France from Boston to Barcelona connecting at CDG. One flight gives me 1 hour 25 minutes connecting time going and 1 hour 10 minutes coming home. Is this doable. I should imagine I would have to change terminals.

The other flight only gives me 50 minutes connection time - this is on the way home. Should I chance it?

Thanks for any information.

[kevinsac]

As long as it falls within the minimum legal connection time, it SHOULD be doable. However, I always prefer to give myself a bit more leeway.

 

I fly 100,000 miles a year and have seen too many people miss flights, which is especially bad if you are flying across the pond, since there may not be many available options that day.

 

(I guess I always play it safe.....I fly into our cruise departure city a day ahead AND I book myself home the day after cruise disembarkation.)

[Pat848]

I am going 2 days early and staying in Barcelona. I am returning same day cruise ends. I usually do give myself more time but these are the only 2 flights I see and the connection is in CDG.

[cruisintwinsmom]

We flew Air France from Cincinnatti to Barcelona going through CDG--there was someone waiting for us as we got off our plane who escorted us to our connecting flight; put us in a car and drove us to the other terminal. We were the last people on the plane and our luggage did make it. I can't remember the exact layover time, but it was supposed to be about an hour. We came home from Venice on a charted flight (Celebrity did our air). Hope this is of some help to you.

[critterchick]

We're flying to LA through CDG and the default combination has only a 45 minute layover. The reservation agent said she wouldn't do it, so we booked an earlier departure from BCN and have an hour & 45 minutes to enjoy the Paris airport. We're leaving the day after the cruise disembarks because we don't think we would make a 9:30 flight.

[Pat848]

The times flying out of Barcelona are fine - one is 10:30am and the other 12:50. It is just the connection times that are tight. Going isn't as bad - that is 1 hour & 25 minutes. Coming home is only 1 hour 10 minutes.

[Globaliser]

There are two published connections each way on each day. This means that you should actually be able to mix and match between them to pick the times that suit you best. You should in fact also be able to mix and match between flights in and out of CDG - there's no reason why you have to accept the shortest connection although for obvious reasons that's what the computers will offer you first of all.

 

How important is it that you get home the day that you were planning to? The shorter connection on the way back is the earlier of the offered trips, if I've read it right. So if you were to miss that you'd have a shout at getting on the later flight and getting home anyway. If you were to take the later flights and miss the connection, then you might be in for an overnight delay - or the airline may reroute you indirectly to BOS via London or New York.

 

But if you're really worried, you could ask to take the 1030 Barcelona to Paris and then the 1555 Paris to Boston - that would give you a connection of 3:30 at Paris which would soak up almost all delays there could possibly be.

 

If you aren't that concerned and happy to accept a small layer of risk, though, 70 minutes should be fine at CDG.

[Pat848]

Thanks - knew I could count on you. The 10:30 flight out of Barcelona is the one I wanted and then if I could get the 1555 that would be great.

How about going - I would have 1 hour 25 minute connection time. I am going 2 days early so have time to play with but really want that time in Barcelona. Do you think that will be enough time.

[Globaliser]

How about going - I would have 1 hour 25 minute connection time. I am going 2 days early so have time to play with but really want that time in Barcelona.

Going is not a problem at all, because even if you were booked on the later of the two connections (depart Paris 1000, arrive Barcelona 1145) and you missed it, there are five more AF flights to Barcelona later in the day - so you're pretty much guaranteed to get there. There would only be nervousness if for some reason you were arriving the same day you sailed, but you're not.

[Pat848]

Thanks for your advice. I just booked Air France for my flight to Barcelona. I booked the 10:30 return with the connecting at 3:55 which gives me 2 1/2 hours connecting time.

Going I only have 1 hour 25 minutes. We land at 2C and have to get to 2F for connecting flight. Is this walkable or is it by bus?