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CDG Airport/ American Airlines (dazed & confused)

Posted by (Amsterdam) on

I usually fly in & out of CDG on Delta. This time, taking advantage of a super low fare, I took American Airlines. I have always printed my boarding pass at CDG at one of the little kiosks. This time, the kiosks were all behind a cordoned off area, apparently part of American Airlines Security/ Boarding Pass/Check in/ Baggage drop process. It was one huge line. One to get your boarding pass, one to get your baggage tagged, one to be interviewed and another to actually drop off your bag. Is this a new security measure? Are the other airlines the same.

I tried to find out if you had to go through the line(s), if you already had a boarding pass & weren't checking any luggage. I couldn't get an answer. Does anyone know?

Love the new Mobile Passport app. Unfortunately O'Hare was so backed up, that we all ended up waiting in the General line before we would access the area for Mobile Passport. Not that it mattered, the luggage conveyer belt broke and we waited almost an hour for our luggage. It's Chicago.
And PS, Paris was great. Safe, and can I say, mellow....

Posted by
490 posts

Terrorism is the answer. Have you heard about the new plots to blow up airliners with laptops? This tends to stretch security thin and add lot's of time. Flying from CDG to USA has always had very strict security, they question you and take lot's of items out of carry ons routinely.

Posted by
2916 posts

We just flew Delta/KLM from Boston-Amsterdam-Lyon and back, and while there were more security-related checks than I can remember from past years, they weren't nearly the level you describe. Although it did seem we had to show our passport constantly, besides just at passport control.

Posted by
574 posts

I know security is high. This seemed more bureaucracy than security. It was very confusing and crowded, with lines snaking everywhere. This all preceded passport control and actual Security.

Posted by
8556 posts

I am flying American this trip and this reminds me why I haven't done so in years. The last time I flew American out of CDG I nearly missed the flight because of American's terrible line management. We were in line for ages and then American literally brought another line of people -- about 50 of them and put them in ahead of our line. We got there 3 hours ahead and they practically closed the door of the plane on our butts as we got on. I guess we make it 4 hours if American still can't staff adequately to manage lines.

Posted by
574 posts

Funny you should say that...their check in online memo says "check in 4 hours before your flight". Now we know why. I think their procedure looked good on paper, until 500+ people showed up to check in.

Posted by
2296 posts

Thanks for the warning. Mileage plan means American to Paris in August and it's been about 5 years. We'll plan accordingly. Sounds like we're flying the same itinerary- last time we flew them through ORD we got stuck and slept on cots in the terminal. Hoping for better luck this time.

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