Really worried about flight connections...

[mizsusan]

Princess made our flight arrangements, but I'm really worried about the connections.

 

Princess booked our flight through Delta, but Delta arranged for us to fly Air France. (Yes, I know that sounds strange - but it is true) We are on a flight from Seattle, due to arrive in Paris at CDG Airport at 8:50 am, our connecting flight to Stockholm leaves at 9:30 am, that's only 45 minutes to get off one plane, go to another gate, and board the other. Our flight is due to arrive in Stockholm at 12:05 pm, and our ship sails at 5:00 pm.

 

I've allready called Princess, and voiced my concerns - they said, "Don't worry, that's the way the airling schedules that flight, and if you miss it, we'll just make arrangements for another flight". Well heck yes, I am worried! :eek:

 

The Princess agent said I could change thier arrangements for $75 per ticket, plus any additional amount the new ticket costs, more than the one we already have. Replacing the tickets would cost quite a bite more, not an expense that fits in our buget.

 

We did purchase the Princess Travel Insurance, but didn't get it thinking that we might have to use it for what I think is awfully risky planning on thier part.

 

Has this happened to anyone else? What would you do?

[Ephraim]

Personally, I don't like to worry about things that haven't happened. The stress shortens your life. I make sure that I know the contingencies (what other flights will get me there on time) and then just accept it and do my best.

 

An hour for a connection is a legal connection for CDG. You should be able to do it with no major problems. European airlines deal with connections all the time but instead of "national" connections their flights are set up for International connections. Flights arrive in the morning from North America to connect with flights to other places in Europe, the Middle East and points east all the time.

 

You can either relax and accept it or you can worry yourself to a shorter grave. I know which of the two I would choose.

[spongerob]

My solution would be to fly a day earlier. You never know what might happen and you've only got a few hours to spare in your itinerary as it stands now.

[JPRLHR]

I'd be tempted to go a day earlier too or at least an earlier arrival in CDG if possible.

 

Forty minutes connection @ CDG is a bit too close for comfort even though the airport is better than it used to be, I'd want at least 90 minutes to feel a bit more secure.

[-Lew-]

Princess made our flight arrangements, but I'm really worried about the connections.

Warning to anyone reading this. Don't allow Princess to make your flight arrangements!

 

They do a great job with cruises, not so good with flight arrangements.

 

Princess booked our flight through Delta, but Delta arranged for us to fly Air France. (Yes, I know that sounds strange - but it is true) We are on a flight from Seattle, due to arrive in Paris at CDG Airport at 8:50 am, our connecting flight to Stockholm leaves at 9:30 am, that's only 45 minutes to get off one plane, go to another gate, and board the other.

This is done all the time...it's called Code Sharing. Believe me, you'll be much happier on Air France! It's a much better airline than Delta.

 

You actually have only 40 minutes to make your flight. This is doable if your departing flight is leaving from the same terminal as your arriving flight. I highly doubt this is the case. You're most likely arriving at international terminal 2E and departing from 2A-2D. If so, 40 minutes is too tight!

 

Go to the Air France website and enter your flight numbers to check on today's or yesterday's flights. It should give you the terminal and gate numbers.

 

With this info, call Delta or Air France and request a flight change. I found them most helpful when we connected at CDG last year on a flight home from Florence, Italy.

 

Personally, I don't like to worry about things that haven't happened. The stress shortens your life. I make sure that I know the contingencies (what other flights will get me there on time) and then just accept it and do my best.

 

An hour for a connection is a legal connection for CDG. You should be able to do it with no major problems.

It's nice to have that attitude, but in this case it might leave you stranded at CDG!

 

Perhaps an hour is a legal connection, but what about a 40 minute connection? That's what the OP has. She has a right to be concerned.

 

I agree with other posters here...fly in a day early. We always fly in early. We flew in to Barcelona three days early and enjoyed the city before our cruise last year. By the time we boarded we were over our jet lag and completely rested.

 

Lew

[Druke I]

I agree that the connection is tight.

 

CDG had that terminal collapse a couple years ago, and it is very difficult to change planes there; there are few direct routes available.

 

We did it last November, and it took three different busses to make the connection. Our departing plane never did get to a gate - but sat out on the tarmac. We had to board climbing those portable stairways mounted on the back of a truck.

 

I think CDG is even worse than LHR, which has had a lot of bad press this past year.

[can786]

I would also be very concerned about this. If you have never flown into CDG you will have no idea just how large it is - and it is very large. We had problems a few years ago with Delta (it was also a codeshare flight with Air France) and our flight from Atlanta was late getting into CDG, so we had only 30 minutes to make our connecting flight. It was a horribly long walk from one terminal to another, we were literally running and there was no air conditioning in the airport (or at least it seemed that way). We had to go through immigration (lost probably 15 minutes with the lines there) and got very poor directions to find the gate for our connecting flight. We missed our connecting flight to Vienna and had to take another one a few hours later. Luckily we were on a river cruise that started with an overnight in Vienna so at least I didn't have to worry about missing the ship. If I were you I would pay the $75 deviation fee as that would be less expensive in the long run than missing the ship.

[Voxy]

Our flight is due to arrive in Stockholm at 12:05 pm, and our ship sails at 5:00 pm.

 

If you think about that, it gives you a pretty good window (at least three hours) for any problems that might occur.

 

I've taken flights where our connection was taking off 30 minutes after we landed and have had no problems. People will always tell you all kinds of things about stuff that can go wrong, or terrible things that happened to them... but keep in mind that hundreds and thousands of people fly all the time; they make these arrangements constantly and you're hearing only a couple of stories.

 

On the last cruise we were flying back on NWA with a connection in Detroit. All we heard were horror stories about how terrible NWA was, how their flights were always delayed, that their customer service was terrible, that Detroit was a difficult airport for connections, etc. etc. Well, truly, we had absolutely no problems whatsoever. The staff was excellent, there were no delays, and our connection time was around 35 to 40 minutes but proved not to be a problem whatsoever.

 

Whether you have two hours or thirty minutes to get from one flight to another, there can be problems and delays. More time waiting around the airport is no guarantee that the second flight will elave on time or that the weather will be perfect flying conditions.

[-Lew-]

If you think about that, it gives you a pretty good window (at least three hours) for any problems that might occur.

If the OP misses the flight to Stockholm, the next AF flight is at 4:05pm arriving 6:35pm. Not good.

 

Take our advice: Fly in at least one day prior to your cruise.

 

Lew

[Voxy]

I'm sure that with the insurance (and if necessary, making complaints) they would get them another flight on another airline. AF isn't the only one flying to Sweden, is it?

 

Everyone seems to want to suggest that the OP should just fly in the day before, but have failed to note that this is obviously an added expense. The OP has stated that they don't want to pay $75 + difference for the change in flights.... what makes everyone think that she would alternately not mind spending money on a night at a hotel, transfers/taxis that might involve, and the cost of extra meals?!

 

Susan, what it really comes down to is how much is your peace of mind worth? Are you willing to pay all the money to change the flights/stay a night for something you're not even sure will be a problem, but will make you feel better? .. And keep in mind that in neither option is there a guarantee. (Say you take different flights with a longer connection time in between, who's to say that second flight won't be delayed, then giving you less chance of catching the boat?)

[-Lew-]

I'm sure that with the insurance (and if necessary, making complaints) they would get them another flight on another airline. AF isn't the only one flying to Sweden, is it?

The fact of the matter is that , according to kayak.com, there is no other flight that will get the OP to Stockholm in time to make the cruise. Even if there were, there is no guarantee her luggage would make it.

 

We're merely trying to present various options to the OP. She can decide what is best for her.

 

Personally, I would not want to set out on my trip knowing there is a very good chance I might be spending more time than I wanted to at CDG. Having to deal with Princess insurance and re-routing while in a foreign country is something I would prefer to avoid.

 

Lew

[Toto2Kansas]

I for one would not take a chance on this flight. That actually leaves you only a 40 minute flight connection time, and although you might make it, my guess the chances are slim to none. And as said, if you get lucky, and do make the second flight, the chances of our baggage also making it are almost nill.

 

For all that has been invested in this trip, another hundred or two dollars to change the flights doesn't seem unreasonable. The thought of starting a long awaited vacation with this kind of crazy stress would be unbearable for us. Although we have used Princess air arrangements before, we rarely will book them without paying the deviation fee so we have a bit more leverage on which flights we will accept and which we will not.

 

FYI-Last December, we actually booked our own flights from Rome. We were to change planes in Frankfurt. I left a two hour window for the flight change figuring that would leave plenty of time. We left Rome over an hour late, our flight was even later when we arrived in Frankfurt. We ended up with 20 minutes to make our second flight, and ran like the wind to get to the gate (thankfully, it was not that far away). If it would have been further, we would have never made it.

The only thing that saved us was that we were flying first class, and we were allowed to board right before they closed the door. Otherwise, we would have missed the flight completely.

 

So, even two hours wasn't enough for us.

 

A 40 minute window leaves no room for error. And with the first flight being an International flight, there are many reasons it could be delayed, especially in this age of flying.

 

Whether you decide to chance this, decide to fly in a day early, or decide to just take an earlier flight, I wish you luck on this one.

Remember, it is supposed to be a vacation and a vacation is not supposed to begin full of stress and worry.

Best of Luck!

[JPRLHR]

I'm sure that with the insurance (and if necessary, making complaints) they would get them another flight on another airline. AF isn't the only one flying to Sweden, is it?

 

Everyone seems to want to suggest that the OP should just fly in the day before, but have failed to note that this is obviously an added expense. The OP has stated that they don't want to pay $75 + difference for the change in flights.... what makes everyone think that she would alternately not mind spending money on a night at a hotel, transfers/taxis that might involve, and the cost of extra meals?!

 

Susan, what it really comes down to is how much is your peace of mind worth? Are you willing to pay all the money to change the flights/stay a night for something you're not even sure will be a problem, but will make you feel better? .. And keep in mind that in neither option is there a guarantee. (Say you take different flights with a longer connection time in between, who's to say that second flight won't be delayed, then giving you less chance of catching the boat?)

 

What's the point in having insurance and going through all the claims for a missed flight connection and getting compensation weeks or months after you're home when you've missed the flight and possibly your cruise departure too..??

 

There's only one other airline flying into STO from CDG, that's SAS who

are in a different airline alliance to Air France so there's no chance of a "Favour" being done there.

 

Also, if there's one place not to complain if you want to get any assistance, that Paris CDG..!!

[nho9504]

If these 2 terminals are different, you will NOT make it for your connection flight.

 

CDG is a very poorly-laid out airport in terms moving from terminal to terminal - you cannot walk, the only mean is going by the bus. In fact, sometimes you cannot even walk between "Halls" within 1 terminal. Even in cases you can walk to different gates, it involves lots of corridors and ups and downs of stairs - it is like a maze.

 

The international flights usually arrive at T2 at C Hall, T2 has 3 "Halls" if I remember it correctly. If your flight to Stockholm departing also from T2, you have a chance to make it, provided your AF flight comes in on-time. Your AF flight is a Delta code-share in case you dont know - airlines do code-shares all the time, it is not strange at all.

 

My suggestion is to find out the terminal(s) of your international arrival, and your departure flights, preferably with the same flight numbersl, so you have an idea what terminal / gates they usually use. Then go to CDG website, print out a terminals map and see for yourself if it is feasible or not. Calling Princess is not going to help you much, if you are not armed with such information.

 

Here are some links that may help you to research this:

 

http://www.airwise.com/airports/europe/CDG/

 

http://roissy-cdg.airport-paris.com/cdg-airport-map.htm

 

However, I were you, I would by all means, arrive one day earlier than the sailing day.

[nho9504]

I'm sure that with the insurance (and if necessary, making complaints) they would get them another flight on another airline. AF isn't the only one flying to Sweden, is it?

 

Everyone seems to want to suggest that the OP should just fly in the day before, but have failed to note that this is obviously an added expense. The OP has stated that they don't want to pay $75 + difference for the change in flights.... what makes everyone think that she would alternately not mind spending money on a night at a hotel, transfers/taxis that might involve, and the cost of extra meals?!

 

Susan, what it really comes down to is how much is your peace of mind worth? Are you willing to pay all the money to change the flights/stay a night for something you're not even sure will be a problem, but will make you feel better? .. And keep in mind that in neither option is there a guarantee. (Say you take different flights with a longer connection time in between, who's to say that second flight won't be delayed, then giving you less chance of catching the boat?)

 

Would you rather invest a few hundreds extra now, to make sure you will get to the ship on time, or risking missing the ship altogether, at least for the first couple days, then file for the trip insurance and fight thru the hassles to get reimbursed? How much the percentage of a few hundreds on the total amount they have already paid for this cruise?

 

I can almost say, her current connection time is almost impossible to make the connecting flight of SAS.

 

Nobody can say a different flight with longer connection will "guarantee" her to make it - but at least it would have a much higher odd than the current arrangement. We are talking about taking calculating risk here - wouldn't you go by a much higher odd than leave it solely by chance?

[cruisingalaska]

I read this often on this board.... Is this a way for Princess to make extra money? $75.00 x PAX? They

don't make any money with the increased airfare, but they do contract bulk fares which are lowered and

perhaps assume some passengers will gladly pay more for a more stress free flight.

[nho9504]

Very well said here.

 

Here is our recent experience. We just returned from Europe after a Transatlantic on Emerald Princess. We flew AA business class awards from BCN to ZRH via MAD, after we spent a week at BCN post debarkation. IB changed its schedule and left us booked on a flight from BCN to MAD almost an hour later than the initial reservation, left us only 55 minutes connection time at MAD for the one and only daily flight MAD/ZRH. AA and IB both said 55 minutes are legal connection time - that is, provided the flight from BCN arrives on time, as we would arrive at T4, and leave at T4S (Satellite) as Switzerland is not part of Shangan Treaty. This involves a train-ride from T4 to T4S. The flight from BCN has a 73% ontime record from my research. I dont want to take the chance to miss the only daily flight MAD/ZRH and be stranded at MAD airport, eventhough we were only going to ZRH to start our last week of the trip (one week in Switzerland) - but being stranded at MAD would mean we lose our first night of hotel at ZRH, as well as derail our rental car reservation, plus the following nights of hotel arrangements (all booked with rewards but no show would incur one night of rack rate, very expensive if that happens.) At the end, we had AA contacted IB to rebook us the earlier flight which would give us almost 4 hours layover at MAD - it is a bit long but we have lounge access due to the class of service, so I figure we can just relax at the club, use the internet, etc.

 

Our flight departed BCN almost 45 minutes late. Our layover at MAD now was shortened to just 3 hours. We got to visit 2 IB lounges - the domestic one at T4, and then the international one for non-Shangan departure at T4S. The domestic one actually was nicer than the international one - with 10 to 12 internet terminals and very few users. Foods and especially drinks were plentyful and we felt relaxed instead of rushed.

 

On our flight back home from ZRH, at AA check-in counter, the overhead LCD display reminding passengers it takes 45 minutes to walk to the gate, and gate CLOSES 50 minutes before departure! Good thing we arrived 8:15 for our 10:35 flight, left us some time to sit at the way-underwhelmed LH lounge for a cup of coffee and some fruits before the long long walk to the gate.

 

I strongly recommend people taking international flights, to research your airports ahead of time so you know what is needed to "make it" on time. So you can make your air arrangement with that information on hand.

 

For example, we are accustomed to the moniter displays in US airports about the arrival / departure information. At MAD, there is no such display - they CALL the flights. We only knew the area where our flight would depart, but no gate info at check-in. We received the gate info at the lounge, but the general airport area still has no specific gate info available. Had we only had 55 minutes to spare to make it to our connecting flight, I honestly did not know HOW to find the gate info.

 

I for one would not take a chance on this flight. That actually leaves you only a 40 minute flight connection time, and although you might make it, my guess the chances are slim to none. And as said, if you get lucky, and do make the second flight, the chances of our baggage also making it are almost nill.

 

For all that has been invested in this trip, another hundred or two dollars to change the flights doesn't seem unreasonable. The thought of starting a long awaited vacation with this kind of crazy stress would be unbearable for us. Although we have used Princess air arrangements before, we rarely will book them without paying the deviation fee so we have a bit more leverage on which flights we will accept and which we will not.

 

FYI-Last December, we actually booked our own flights from Rome. We were to change planes in Frankfurt. I left a two hour window for the flight change figuring that would leave plenty of time. We left Rome over an hour late, our flight was even later when we arrived in Frankfurt. We ended up with 20 minutes to make our second flight, and ran like the wind to get to the gate (thankfully, it was not that far away). If it would have been further, we would have never made it.

The only thing that saved us was that we were flying first class, and we were allowed to board right before they closed the door. Otherwise, we would have missed the flight completely.

 

So, even two hours wasn't enough for us.

 

A 40 minute window leaves no room for error. And with the first flight being an International flight, there are many reasons it could be delayed, especially in this age of flying.

 

Whether you decide to chance this, decide to fly in a day early, or decide to just take an earlier flight, I wish you luck on this one.

Remember, it is supposed to be a vacation and a vacation is not supposed to begin full of stress and worry.

Best of Luck!

[nho9504]

I read this often on this board.... Is this a way for Princess to make extra money? $75.00 x PAX? They

don't make any money with the increased airfare, but they do contract bulk fares which are lowered and

perhaps assume some passengers will gladly pay more for a more stress free flight.

 

HIGHLY LIKELY.

 

Judging from our recent experiences on Emerald Princess, the numerous billing errors that should never happen, we suspect there are some "revenues generating" tricks going on when they could not raise the cruise prices too much.

[Sailaway2Sea]

We are also flying to Stockholm to join the Royal Princess in July. We are flying out of Houston on Air France a day early and Princess has us on the same flight schedule with only the 40 minutes to connect at CDG. It is costing us around $600 extra for the night in the hotel in Stockholm. I decided to do this in order to see a little bit of Stockholm, but we may not get there in time if we don't make that connection in 40 minutes. However, we will have the extra day to meet up with the ship.

[nho9504]

If you think about that, it gives you a pretty good window (at least three hours) for any problems that might occur.

 

I've taken flights where our connection was taking off 30 minutes after we landed and have had no problems. People will always tell you all kinds of things about stuff that can go wrong, or terrible things that happened to them... but keep in mind that hundreds and thousands of people fly all the time; they make these arrangements constantly and you're hearing only a couple of stories.

 

On the last cruise we were flying back on NWA with a connection in Detroit. All we heard were horror stories about how terrible NWA was, how their flights were always delayed, that their customer service was terrible, that Detroit was a difficult airport for connections, etc. etc. Well, truly, we had absolutely no problems whatsoever. The staff was excellent, there were no delays, and our connection time was around 35 to 40 minutes but proved not to be a problem whatsoever.

 

Whether you have two hours or thirty minutes to get from one flight to another, there can be problems and delays. More time waiting around the airport is no guarantee that the second flight will elave on time or that the weather will be perfect flying conditions.

 

Our approach is to prepare for the worse, and if the better happens, we just count our blessings.

 

30 minutes connection - have you done this with an International arrival AND an International departure? Or you just used your domestic travel experiences on this example? At least OP is flying within EU member countries. On our BCN/MAD/ZRH flights, we had to go thru passport control at MAD as we were flying from Schengen country to non Schengen country.

 

I dont much care about missing connection in US, unless it happened to be weather-related and massive flight cancellations (which would mean the next available flight could be days away...) Missing connection on your way to a cruise and trying to sort things out at an airport - foreign or not - is something I would try to avoid, even if it means some additional costs are required.

[Ephraim]

 

It's nice to have that attitude, but in this case it might leave you stranded at CDG!

 

Perhaps an hour is a legal connection, but what about a 40 minute connection? That's what the OP has. She has a right to be concerned.

 

 

I verified, it's a legal connection.

 

The flight arrives at:

CDG 2 TERMINAL E

 

And leaves from:

CDG 2 TERMINAL F

 

These two terminals face each other and are a very short walk from each other. This should be very doable. Call AF and ask them to give you a seat as far forward and close to the disembarkation jetway as possible. Or you can ask when you check in at AF explaining (politely) that you have a tight connection.

 

Just in case (as I said, I don't worry, I plan contingencies) the next flight is at 11:25 on SAS from CDG 1. Flight SK578

 

There is also a flight from Orly, but that would take more time on Norwegian at 10:45

[nho9504]

I verified, it's a legal connection.

 

The flight arrives at:

CDG 2 TERMINAL E

 

And leaves from:

CDG 2 TERMINAL F

 

These two terminals face each other and are a very short walk from each other. This should be very doable. Call AF and ask them to give you a seat as far forward and close to the disembarkation jetway as possible. Or you can ask when you check in at AF explaining (politely) that you have a tight connection.

 

Just in case (as I said, I don't worry, I plan contingencies) the next flight is at 11:25 on SAS from CDG 1. Flight SK578

 

There is also a flight from Orly, but that would take more time on Norwegian at 10:45

 

Correct, if you have the E and F at T2 being the arrival and departure, it would take 10 minute walk only. The OP did not say which flight they connect to. The other issue to consider is, since OP has cruise air, which is the Consolidator fare, and because of such, it cannot be endorsed, and can only be used to fly the original airline. Therefore, in case they miss the connection, they can only fly the subsequent flight of the same airline, they cannot be endorsed to a different airline.

 

Finally, let's hope AF does not go on strike again at the time OP travels!

[terrierjohn]

We once made a 40 minute connection at Newark from Manchester UK to Honolulu on Continental, but we had booked a 2 day pre-cruise stay so it would not have been a disaster if we had missed the flight. However we missed a 2.5 hour connection at Heathrow from Manchester to Sydney which again did not miss us our cruise as we had made our own arrangements for a pre-cruise tour.

Personally I would always prefer a pre-cruise overnight stay just in case the almost inevitable delay does happen.

[nho9504]

We once made a 40 minute connection at Newark from Manchester UK to Honolulu on Continental, but we had booked a 2 day pre-cruise stay so it would not have been a disaster if we had missed the flight. However we missed a 2.5 hour connection at Heathrow from Manchester to Sydney which again did not miss us our cruise as we had made our own arrangements for a pre-cruise tour.

Personally I would always prefer a pre-cruise overnight stay just in case the almost inevitable delay does happen.

 

LHR is one of the worst airportsa to make a connection. If I can help it, I would avoid it altogether. BA just announced that they now delayed the transition to T5 to June, and would only be partial transition. We would connect at LHR in Sept if our itinerary remains the same - YYZ/LHR/BCN - I hope the transition to T5 would be smooth and the current baggage handling nightmare would disappear. BA keeps saying that once T5 if fully operational, all the current messes would disappear... One can only hope.

[cruiseluv]

Princess made our flight arrangements, but I'm really worried about the connections.

 

Princess booked our flight through Delta, but Delta arranged for us to fly Air France. (Yes, I know that sounds strange - but it is true) We are on a flight from Seattle, due to arrive in Paris at CDG Airport at 8:50 am, our connecting flight to Stockholm leaves at 9:30 am, that's only 45 minutes to get off one plane, go to another gate, and board the other. Our flight is due to arrive in Stockholm at 12:05 pm, and our ship sails at 5:00 pm.

 

I've allready called Princess, and voiced my concerns - they said, "Don't worry, that's the way the airling schedules that flight, and if you miss it, we'll just make arrangements for another flight". Well heck yes, I am worried! :eek:

 

The Princess agent said I could change thier arrangements for $75 per ticket, plus any additional amount the new ticket costs, more than the one we already have. Replacing the tickets would cost quite a bite more, not an expense that fits in our buget.

 

We did purchase the Princess Travel Insurance, but didn't get it thinking that we might have to use it for what I think is awfully risky planning on thier part.

 

Has this happened to anyone else? What would you do?

 

That might be a legal connection , but it's an insane connection.

 

 

Don't know what to tell you. CDG is well known for not being the easiest airport to navigate. Last November I connected in CDG on my way to Nice. I booked a flight that had a 3 hrs layover and I'm glad I didn't book the one with 1.5 hrs because we would have not made it.

 

Chances are your lugagge will not make the connection so you should plan to bring the biggest carry-ons you can in case that happens.

 

What about going the day prior?