we are arriving at CDG on tuesday the 10th, next week, and must go through passport control, however the current strike is planned to be massive on tuesday and I'm wondering if anybody knows how the passport control for Americans may be affected by the strike?
Thanks, Tom
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank You, Ashley, I know that these strikes can change from day to day. Do you know if the control officers are unionized and will participate on Tuesday because I've heard of people waiting hours to get out of the airport when there were strikes> Tom.
Posted by
Panguitch, Utah
2703 posts
Passport Control is staffed by police officers and are not part of any union action.
Nonetheless, delays of up to 60+ minutes are very common at passport control, inbound and outbound, and have nothing to do with the current demonstrations/strikes.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank You, thats good to know. I've been through there many times and expect some delays however I don't know if I can handle a delay of hours just to get out of the airport, we are deciding to possibly cancel our trip this time. Thanks, Tom
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3990 posts
I know someone who went through passport control at CDG on December 7th who says it took 90 minutes. He did not think the delay was strike related but assuming he is being truthful and not exaggerating, it took him 2 hours from touchdown of his flight to exiting the airport and he had no checked luggage. If it matters, he arrived at around 10:00 AM.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16547 posts
How long the passport line can be can depend on how large and how many planes are coming in at one time with passengers who require passport checks
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10629 posts
OTOH, some people have posted here about waits up to two hours when returning to the States.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14741 posts
Well, the one thing I’d do is make a comfort stop before you get in line at Passport Control. I can almost guarantee that if you do, your wait will be minimal. If you don’t then that’s when your 90 minute wait comes in.
And yes, I’ve waited 60-90 minutes at CDG on a non-strike day.
Posted by
Paris
10205 posts
A good friend of mine who was out at the airport on the 5th reported that the police out there who do the passport checks, even though they are not officially striking, were,that morning, doing a "go-slow" operation.
That is, they were taking their own sweet time to look at every page of every passport, taking VERY long breaks, etc. Causing the lines to go very slowly. Even though they are not officially on strike.
That doesn't surprise me at all and rings true with what I've heard at various times over the last few years.
(I, meanwhile, who flew in the day before, had to wait behind ONE PERSON ONLY at passport control -- I flew through there. You really can never tell.)