Acceptable layover times for flights

[gailellen12]

I just received my air confirmation for my August 6 Norwegian Cruise Lines flights. On my return flight in shows only one hour and fifteen minutes at Charles De Gaulle to make my connection to Atlanta. I have contacted NCL air and the agent told me they go by the minimum of one hour and fifteen minutes and the maximum of five hours for connections  I am pretty sure that one hour and fifteen minutes will not work. Does anyone have any experience with their short  connection times?  Thanks in advance 

[9tee2Sea]

6 minutes ago, gailellen12 said:

I just received my air confirmation for my August 6 Norwegian Cruise Lines flights. On my return flight in shows only one hour and fifteen minutes at Charles De Gaulle to make my connection to Atlanta. I have contacted NCL air and the agent told me they go by the minimum of one hour and fifteen minutes and the maximum of five hours for connections  I am pretty sure that one hour and fifteen minutes will not work. Does anyone have any experience with their short  connection times?  Thanks in advance 

i haven't been to Charles De Gaulle airport in quite a few years, but 1 hour and 15 min should give you time to get to your new gate.  Since you are still in Europe, I don't think you will have to go thru customs ( my opinion, not fact).  You may not have time for a relaxing meal during your layover, but you should have time to get to your gate.

[cwtravel]

Just flew thru CDG in May going to Athens from DC Dulles and based on my experience that is a very tight connection for you and your luggage. Fortunately our return flight was on Delta thru Atlanta.

 

You probably will need to switch terminals and will need to go through immigration (get your passport stamped as you are leaving the Schengen zone) at CDG.

 

 

 

[RD64]

Yes that is a very tight connection - August in European airports is sheer bedlam, because everyone in Europe is on holidays as well.

[mking8288]

Overseas non-stop to the US, as a general rule, requires extra security & documentation (passport) check as part of the (extra time & "extra early") boarding check process ... and unless the gates your connecting flights are close to each other - it could be a rather long walk.  Posting what airline & looking up the on-time performance of the specific flights might be useful as well.  That is on top of possible security & x-ray screening (leaving/entering non-EU secured < non/Schengen > area within the airport).  I highly recommend that you go to the European forum here & post the question for CDG (airport code) and see whether anyone recently transiting thru can help you with this.  Is there a CC roll call for your cruise, a good chance someone there might be experienced transiting thru and can advise.  

 

Last but not least, go to Flyertalk forum, CC's equivalent/counterpart and the frequent flying experts there can help you with both airport / transit details, as well as airline's typical protocol at that airport.  Be advised that while you might be able to run to the gate as they announced (final) boarding for your flight, and board the aircraft - typical cutoff is 45 minutes before scheduled international departure or losing your assigned seat(s) - your checked luggage might not make the connection & not get transferred or loaded in time.  

For example - take a look at this post over at FT - https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/france-monaco/2113388-cdg-terminal-1-terminal-2e-2-5hrs-enough.html

 

Be mindful of any "important" items in checked luggage and do what many recommend these days, put an AirTag or equivalent in the bag (unless airline rules specifically prohibit or restrict it) ... there are hundreds of lost & unclaimed black TravelPro luggage & generic look-alike bags/spinners & rollerboards at airports just about everywhere.  

 

Nowadays, we are mindful of doing a domestic flight connection here within the USA (i.e. ATL, JFK, SFO, LAX, ORD, DFW, etc.) with a "legal" ticketing transit time of 60 to 90 minutes when not on a non-stop flight and must fly via one of the major, busy & large airport hubs.  Good luck ! 

[UKstages]

not enough information to know for sure, but sixty minutes is technically a "legal" connection at CDG for connecting within the same terminal. ninety minutes is a "legal" connection if changing terminals. both of those times assume you are traveling on one ticket on one airline. i personally would recommend ninety minutes within the same terminal and two hours if changing terminals. and even that would be kind of rushed and does not account for the possibility that your first flight is delayed.

[julig22]

Not that it helps overseas but I got Global Entry after getting a "legal"  90 minute layover at JFK, flying in from Italy.  I'm too old to be running through the airport to get to the next gate!

[tony s]

3 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

i haven't been to Charles De Gaulle airport in quite a few years, but 1 hour and 15 min should give you time to get to your new gate.  Since you are still in Europe, I don't think you will have to go thru customs ( my opinion, not fact).  You may not have time for a relaxing meal during your layover, but you should have time to get to your gate.

No stopping you should be okay but still go through passport control but no need to reclaim luggage. This is where you want to check bags in

[CruiseMH]

3 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

i haven't been to Charles De Gaulle airport in quite a few years, but 1 hour and 15 min should give you time to get to your new gate.  Since you are still in Europe, I don't think you will have to go thru customs ( my opinion, not fact).  You may not have time for a relaxing meal during your layover, but you should have time to get to your gate.

 

I flew from Frankfurt via Charles de Gaulle to Raleigh-Durham in May this year and one hour fifteen would have been too short.

You have to go through passport control (yes, i was surprised as well ! Never had this when leaving the EU ) and depending on which terminal you arrive you have to use shuttle busses twice to get to your new gate.

 

[jules181]

The airline won't let you book connections they deem to short. 

 

It has nothing to do with NCL. 

 

I don't know what airline you're coming in on, assuming Air France/KLM/Delta. If so, they run the airport and you shouldn't have any problems.  European airports with the exception of FCO are quite efficient. 

 

My last experiences with passport control in the EU have all been through the 'e-gates' and it hasn't taken any real time. Rememeber it is just 'passport control' not immigration.  

 

If the airline allows it, it's fair game. They know what the airport is like and they don't want to create the domino effect of people missing flights. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by jules181

[fredflint]

Put Apple airtags on or in your bags so can know where they are.

[CruiseDuck]

We have BOGO flights with Delta from Tampa to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Venice. We only have 80 minutes when we land in Atlanta to get to the International Terminal for our flight to Venice. Hopefully our flight will leave Tampa on time otherwise that is really cutting it short. I would not mind taking an earlier flight to Atlanta but with the BOGO flights NCL will not let us change. 

[chillyw]

https://easycdg.com/passenger-information/transit-connecting-flight-connections-paris-cdg-airport/

 

Looks like MCT is one hour for the same terminal and an hour and a half of switching terminals.

 

I would check your flights to make sure they comply with the MCT. If not, call NCL back and get it changed. If they do, then they're valid and you just have a tight layover.

[jules181]

52 minutes ago, chillyw said:

https://easycdg.com/passenger-information/transit-connecting-flight-connections-paris-cdg-airport/

 

Looks like MCT is one hour for the same terminal and an hour and a half of switching terminals.

 

I would check your flights to make sure they comply with the MCT. If not, call NCL back and get it changed. If they do, then they're valid and you just have a tight layover.

That is not the MCT. That's the recommended minimum connection from the airport. 

 

The airline won't let you book a connection that is less than their minimum allowed connection time. 

 

Despite what a group of random people on the internet are telling you, you'll be fine.  I find the quick connection more beneficial. Either a) I make my flight and get home sooner or b) I have to wait until the next one (which I would've had to wait for regardless). 

[UKstages]

2 minutes ago, jules181 said:

Despite what a group of random people on the internet are telling you…

would you be included in that random group of people?

[chillyw]

3 minutes ago, jules181 said:

That is not the MCT. That's the recommended minimum connection from the airport. 

 

The airline won't let you book a connection that is less than their minimum allowed connection time. 

 

Despite what a group of random people on the internet are telling you, you'll be fine.  I find the quick connection more beneficial. Either a) I make my flight and get home sooner or b) I have to wait until the next one (which I would've had to wait for regardless). 

 

If it's not booked the right way by a 3rd party, or flight schedules change and the computer doesn't catch it, especially when working with multiple airlines or codeshares, it's absolutely possible to get connecting flights below the MCT. I've had it happen to me and it's all over flyertalk.

 

 

 

[jules181]

What is the MCT?  

 

No one has stated that this flight is below it.

 

It seems entirely reasonable based on my flying experience.  

 

So far it only 'feels' too short for some people.  

 

You give up control of your flights when you book BOGO, if a short layover concerns you, you should book your own flight. 

 

[cruiseny4life]

7 minutes ago, jules181 said:

That is not the MCT. That's the recommended minimum connection from the airport. 

 

The airline won't let you book a connection that is less than their minimum allowed connection time. 

 

Despite what a group of random people on the internet are telling you, you'll be fine.  I find the quick connection more beneficial. Either a) I make my flight and get home sooner or b) I have to wait until the next one (which I would've had to wait for regardless). 

So....here's my issue with your advice. Sure, if booked on one airline, you may have some sort of minimum allowed connection time....but NCL is known for booking folks on separate airlines. I reviewed the thread and don't see that the OP has mentioned which airline(s) they are on. You could be right, but without knowing enough information, you might be providing inaccurate information.

 

As for me...well, I'd never provide inaccurate information. Ever! Oh...wait! My reading comprehension often fails me. 

 

On 6/18/2023 at 10:43 AM, gailellen12 said:

I have contacted NCL air and the agent told me they go by the minimum of one hour and fifteen minutes and the maximum of five hours for connections

I'm a little confused by what the agent told you. Based on the written Air Service Standards, NCL doesn't mention the minimum a layover may be, but does state they try to keep connections at less than five hours. I suppose it is possible they have internal controls that do attempt to go with a minimum layover time of at least one hour, fifteen that isn't mentioned, but they don't say this in writing (that I can find). 

 

 

https://www.ncl.com/air-service-standards

[jules181]

You're exactly right. We don't have enough information. 

 

My assumption is based on a single ticket where all flights are on the same airline or on airlines with connection agreements.  (Most likely Air France/KLM/Alitalia and Delta at CDG)

 

 

 

[RocketMan275]

On 6/18/2023 at 7:06 PM, jules181 said:

The airline won't let you book connections they deem to short. 

Those connecting times assume your arrival flight will be on time.

If  you've flown a lot, you realize how wrong that assumption can be.

[gailellen12]

My flight from Stockholm to Paris is Air France and my flight from Paris to Atlanta is also Air France

[mking8288]

OP hasn't provided sufficient info - travelers and flyers are jamming airports and cities all across, in and out of Europe this summer - just because they might possibly barely or just meet MCT guidelines do not necessary provide that extra margin for delays, air-side transfer if different flight segments aren't booked by NCL on the same airline/carrier or possibly due to a last minute gate assignment change ... on top of it all, checked luggage needs to be offloaded & transferred.  Our US Homeland Security / TSA have extra screening & secondary (boarding gate/area inspections) requirement for all USA-inbound flights ... 

 

Here's a simplistic "EasyCDG" guide, not officially published by French government authorities - but will give extra "insight" as to how to better prepared.  The good news out of it all, is that, in the event of a missed connection - subject to EU rules & regulations, the airline(s) are obligated to assist the stranded travelers with onward arrangement, i.e. on standby for the next available flight and/or with confirmed seats, possibility different routing, etc.  It increased the odds for luggages to get routed differently & lost in transit ... best advice is to invest in trackers like AirTags.  

 

https://easycdg.com/passenger-information/transit-connecting-flight-connections-paris-cdg-airport/

 

Nearly 5 decades of flying and living out of the pre-rollerboard & garment bag days, personally speaking, I will not accept ticketing thru EU airports (and, most definitely - US airports these days) with anything less than 90+ minutes on a "simple" connection, regardless of "legal" MCT as permitted.  We recently transited thru Lisbon, Spain on a single ticket connection and there was no way - boarding started at the gate at the 1 hour mark prior to scheduled international departure (Schengen to Non-EU Schengen)  

 

CDG is the largest and busiest EU airports and ATL (Atlanta) is small in comparison.  We no longer fly international these days, it is best to check with the FlyerTalk experts on their native forum (like coming to CC for cruise info & help) and at least, check & ask over there. 

Edited June 21, 2023 by mking8288

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, gailellen12 said:

My flight from Stockholm to Paris is Air France and my flight from Paris to Atlanta is also Air France

Welp, @jules181, you be right good person! Air standards on Air France apply. 🙂

[chillyw]

2 hours ago, gailellen12 said:

My flight from Stockholm to Paris is Air France and my flight from Paris to Atlanta is also Air France

 

AF's Schengen to International at CDG is 60 minutes, so you fall within the guidelines. You should be fine assuming no delays, and if there are, it's AF's responsibility to rebook you.

[Panhandle Couple]

On 6/18/2023 at 11:28 AM, julig22 said:

Not that it helps overseas but I got Global Entry after getting a "legal"  90 minute layover at JFK, flying in from Italy.  I'm too old to be running through the airport to get to the next gate!

I also recommend Global Entry, it will save you time on your customs times both ways.

 

Or try MPC, Mobile Passport Control, which you have to do for each trip.  And you can add spouses and minors as well.    

 

Sorry if this is obvious:

Download the Air France app (or maybe the Delta app, since they co-list) and you can check in for the flights the day before.  The app should track you (enable it) when you land and your progress thru the airport, and of course will alert you to any changes that day.

And if you haven't, get a Delta Frequent Flyer account, add it to your ticket (and app), which helps with their tracking.