Air connections - GOA to CDG to DTW.

[Lucy Jane]

:confused: Anyone familiar with the flight from Genoa to Charles DeGaulle airport? My flights plus going on to Detroit. I'm on Air France all the way, but 1st leg is AF but operated by Brit Air and 2nd leg is AF also but operated by North West Airlines. I will have only 1:10 in between Paris and connecting flight to Detroit, and to make matters worse, deadline for check-in is 10 minutes after I arrive in Paris.

I know the airport in Paris has a cave-in problem a year or so ago --so the other questions is, how far is the domestic from the international terminal or are they all in the same vicinity?:eek:

GOA to CDG to DTW

[Rala]

I just posted on the "Help-nervous about Med. cruise by Wannavaca about this very subject. If you can avoid it, I would NOT go through Charles De Gaulle airport. We did make our connecting flight (we had only 45 mins layover which was scheduled by Air France), but only because the connecting flight was delayed due to high winds. Getting to that connecting flight took two shuttle buses, literally running through the airport(with carry-ons), having to go through security again and boarding(again with carry-ons) out on the tarmac up steep metal stairways in the pouring rain. I really am a pretty easy-going sort most of the time, but this airport fiasco was enough to try the patience of a saint....just horrendous and the rude, unhelpful airport personnel did not help the situation.

 

I hope I haven't scared you. You may have no problems...I hope you don't, but fore-warned is fore-armed! Good Luck!

[Lucy Jane]

Rala,

Thanks for the info. Since Costa did my air, I will have to leave it as such. I didn't think it would be possible after receiving flight info but who knows, maybe the "winds" will be with me. The cruise won't be over till near end of April--I'll just hope for the best!

[hillslife]

I have read bad things about CDG airport on CC also and a little worried since we only have 1 hour between flights. They are on FF miles, so not much flexibility but they are all on Air France - so they should know we are getting off one AF flight and will be 'running' to catch the other to Venice - does that help with connections since they are both on AF and both international?

[Lucy Jane]

:D Hillslife, Mine are also on AF but both operated by different carriers (if you can understand what I mean). I beat you by 10 minutes. I think I will equip myself with a layout of the airport and try to find out the gates ahead of time to plan dash. I was in this airport maybe 10 15 years ago, but the airlines were much friendlier then. Ha!

[hillslife]

Thanks Lucy Jane - I think I will take your advise and try to study the floor plan before arrival. There will be 3 of us with carry on luggage - so don't want to waste time trying to figure it out when we get there...

 

Best of luck to us all on making our connections:p

[Lucy Jane]

Crossing my fingers, but I think I will call Costa and see what they can do to help!:eek:

I see you are doing the world cruise and am very jealous. I was on Star Princess in December and January, 37 days and thought that was long. I have the "elite" status on Princess so there were some really good freebies. A year ago, I started paying bills on line just so I can go and get away for a longer period of time. My problem is that I usually travel solo so the cabin price is not very good, and besides that I like outside cabins and balcony.:D

[cruisemom42]

You REALLY need 2 hours in CDG between flights. I've flown in and out of that airport numerous times, and I still worry. There are several reasons why you need this much time:

 

1) planes often "park" on the tarmac and ferry passengers via shuttle to the main terminal. This takes more time than parking and debarking as usual in the US.

 

2) once in the main terminal (usually Terminal 2), you will often need to transfer to another area of the terminal (e.g., 2E to 2C, for example). This necessitates getting on a second shuttle to take you around to your area. Shuttles run constantly, but again it takes up time.

 

3) when you get to your terminal area, you will need to clear security again. Depending on scheduling, this is often the real time-taker. Last time I was there (less than a month ago), it took about 45 minutes. If you are on a tight schedule, show someone your boarding pass and they *may* expedite you through this line.

 

4) once past security, you may still face a long hike to your actual gate!

 

 

 

I think booking a connection with only 70 minutes to spare is likely to result in you missing your flight. However, if it's your return flight, try not to sweat it......after all, they are responsible for rebooking you if you do miss it! I'd worry more if it was at the beginning of your trip....

[photographia]

Sorry to be negative, but De Gaulle is notorious for a lot of reasons, and you're going to be cutting it REALLY, really, close. If I were you, I would (a) get a map of the airport, figure out your gates, and be prepared to run like mad to your connection; and (b) check the schedules of later flights, so that IF you don't make it, you'll at least have some information already in hand when you run to the desk to get yourself onto another flight.

 

If possible, you might also try to get a seat assignment as close as you can get to the plane's exit. That might save you a precious couple of minutes.

 

I would also make a point of packing enough in your carry-on to tide you over if your bags don't make it to your final destination right away. De Gaulle is infamous for its baggage problems too... :( Expect the worst, and then you can only be pleasantly surprised!

[Rala]

Not that you probably want to hear this, but both our flights (main and connecting) were on Air France and it didn't seem to help the confusion at all. What CRUISEMOM42 detailed above is just exactly what we went through plus an additional stop on one of the shuttles to check our passports.

 

If there was a bright spot it was that they didn't lose our luggage!. Be grateful for small favors!

[Lucy Jane]

Rala, I chatted with Costa yesterday and they told me that 1:10 hours was enough time in between flights. Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone have any idea where I can find info on the layout of the C.DeGaulle (CDG) airport in France,with gate info and position of domestic and international flights with AirFrance. The did have an alternate for me routing me thru Munich and Madrid, etc. but I decided to take my chances. Was I wrong? Have to stay calm and in good humour!

[Rala]

Lucy Jane, I was able to get some info by googling "Charles De Gaulle airport."

[Lucy Jane]

Hello everyone,

I've just decided to take it one day at a time. The air coordinator for Costa told me that the one hour and ten minutes in between flight was the legally accepted time between flights. LOL Little does she know about the DeGaulle airport--and going between domestic and international, but we will see, if I miss it I miss it but will get another later flight. Have to have a good sense of humor. Bon Voyage!

[Lucy Jane]

DeGaulle Airport,

Any updates of flights on time? Since it will be an intermediate stop and after cruise and not before, I'm not worrying too much, but would like to get home sometime soon and not hang out in airport. Anyone transit DeGaulle lately? Thanks.

[hajekfam]

We flew Air France ORD to CDG to Venice with an hour between flights and had no problem meeting our plane. We even had a few minutes to spare.

[Globaliser]

Any updates of flights on time?

This is going to be different from day to day, and often from hour to hour. There is seldom any consistent pattern to whether flights are going to be on time, and it's dangerous to try to look for any patterns. What is happening yesterday, today or tomorrow is almost certainly going to have absolutely no bearing on whether your flights are going to be on time or not.

[Lucy Jane]

True, Thanks for the info. I just am hoping for the best!

Thanks again,

Lucy Jane