Silver air, connecting time in Vienna

[silkismom]

I just found new flts for our Silver Spirit ATH-ATH in Nov. They have us going from DEN-EWR-VIE-ATH, what I'd like to know from air experts. There only is 1 hr 15 in Vienna, I assume we will have to go thru customs and who knows what else coming from the US, is that even possible????   I just emailed my TA to check on it. Opinions?? 

[FlyerTalker]

Vienna is a relatively small airport for connections.  Since you don't mention airlines (which matters), I checked the general MCT for VIE and it's 45 minutes.  You should be OK, but don't dawdle.

 

You will not do customs in VIE, but rather at ATH.  You will do inbound Schengen immigration at VIE.  (And know that there is a difference between customs and immigration)

[silkismom]

Thank you 

[MJN1]

As Flyertalker mentioned, you only go through passport control in Vienna and 1h 15min should be enough.

Time needed for passport control depends on the number of non-Schengen flights (i.e from the UK, USA, Middle and Far East, etc.) arriving at the same time. E.g. Austrian Airlines from Newark arrives at 7:50 a.m. during the summer months and the earlier non-Schengen arrivals should be out of the way by then. (I can't check other arrivals in November when your flight arrives at 8:15 a.m. , but you can do that in early November).

The bigger issue may be going through security required for all connecting flights, which can be lenghty if you don't have access to the priority lane.  Do ask to get to the front of the lane in this case (although we had shouting matches to do so in the past...)

The one unknown in November will be the weather, i.e. potential snow and or fog upon arrival and thus potential delays.

Unfortunately, the next flight to ATH is only in the evening (or the next morning) in case you do miss your connection. I assume you do plan to arrive at least one day earlier in ATH before the ship departs, so this won't be a problem in such a -  hopefully unlikely -  case.

 

[silkismom]

MJN1 thank you.  After discussions with my TA yesterday, she booked the SS hotel in Athens (more expensive than we are used to) and she requested  BA DEN-LHR-ATH flts change. The above flts were what SS gave us--arriving the day of the cruise which was my big concern. I was worried about flying in the day of the cruise--never do that--but originally the flts were DL from DEN-JFK (for 4 hours) then ATH with DL arriving at 10 am which would have worked, but DL canceled the flt for that day. My Silversea shows the new hotel but not the flts yet--so we wait and worry.