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Does flying Delta Comfort get you in a faster line through customs?

Hello and bonjour!
We fly to France on Saturday. The last time we flew to CDG (2018), there was a huge line at customs/immigration. We flew with Delta Comfort tickets, At the time I was looking for a shorter line and this airport guy waved me over and said your tickets get you into this (shorter) line. I found him purely by accident.

But, in all my reading on the forum I swear someone said with AirFrance comfort there was a perk and they got to go to the shorter line for immigration/customs.

Does anyone know if this is true? Does it apply to partner airlines Delta still?

Cathy

Posted by
2790 posts

First my "nitpicky" statement.

Customs is a walk through after baggage claim. You won't need any help to get through it fast

Immigration is where the 'line" is and I honestly don't think you get anything for comfort but don't feel bad. I didn't get any shorter line for Business either :)

Posted by
39 posts

Hey, no problem, I appreciate the lesson. I am comfortabley sure I will be waiting in either line. :)
Cathy

Posted by
7886 posts

The only difference for the Immigration line is how close your seat is to the airplane exit. Of course, the number of recently landed flights and the size of the airport you are arriving at are factors, but not so much under your control.

I have not flown to Europe in two years, but you should be aware of advances in immigration technology. Especially if you have a machine-readable passport, you may have the option of automated clearance. I have done this in the UK, but maybe not in the EU, not sure about my memory.

If you are serious about this, you need to read the overhead signs very carefully, and understand what options MIGHT be presented to "All Other Passports." I suspect there are YouTube videos showing how to traverse an automated turnstile, but it tends to involve inserting your OPEN passport into a reader, while presenting your (no glasses) face to a scanner which compares you to the passport. The gate you go through is NOT accompanied by a staffed desk with an immigration officer.

(No personal France experience in several years.)

Posted by
8552 posts

every time we have flown business we have gotten a pass for a shorter line or been able to access the shorter line with our boarding pass. I don't know what 'comfort' is but if it is like Premium Economy than I don't think there is any grace for those tickets. Some airlines give them check in priority access.

Posted by
14735 posts

Well, I usually fly Delta Economy Comfort and I have never been allowed in the shorter line at CDG (maybe 5 or 6 flights). Last Spring I flew Delta One and when I got to Immigration the priority line was blocked off and they were not letting anyone thru (nor could you get to the toilettes which are over on that side of the hall). The only time I've been able to go thru the priority lane is when I was with a friend who was using a wheelchair assist thru the airport.

Basically YMMV in my opinion, lol!

Posted by
10623 posts

I'm usually in Delta or Air France business and have never been put in a priority line on arrival, only departure. A lovely, famous, Supreme Court Justice, now deceased, was once in business with us. She was personally escorted through her own little door.

Posted by
7886 posts

janetravels made a good point, although the OP was not clear about making a distinction between arrival and departure, and over there or back here.

Our Business Class tickets have always had a priority security ("carry-on") check line at both ends of the trip, but sometimes (EWR, for example), the TSA just doesn't have enough people, and it's the same line as everyone else! I don't think I've ever had a European arrival priority immigration line, in many Business Class arrivals. It's always been the same "All Other Passports" as everyone on my arriving flight. And I did once get the dreaded random strip-search (exaggerating) code on my Business Class boarding pass.

Posted by
8058 posts

I seem to recall getting moved over to a priority line at CDG. In my case it was for Delta Sky Priority passengers (though I was flying Delta Comfort+ due to an upgrade) and whatever Air France classification for frequent fliers is. Just Delta Comfort probably gets you a pat on the back and ushered to the regular line, Delta One...maybe something different. (But maybe only a welcome kiss on the cheek and ushered to the regular line)

Posted by
172 posts

SkyPriority passengers on Delta and Air France get to go through the expedited line at Immigration at CDG. The lowest level in each airline is Delta Comfort and Premium Economy on AF. It’s generally to the left of the main line and it can still be long enough.

You show the man at the head of the line your boarding pass and he’ll wave you through.

Posted by
14735 posts

"SkyPriority passengers on Delta and Air France get to go through the expedited line at Immigration at CDG."

As mentioned above, sometimes this may be true but in my case in April it was not. They were not allowing any Delta One/Sky Priority passengers into the expedited lane and literally were waving everyone into the main line. The lane to the left which is expedited for crew, WC assist and others was cordoned off.

I did get waved to the e-gates when I got near the kiosks but that was not because anyone looked at my ticket...the e-gates were not working for anyone as the attendant continually would wave people to the gate, their passports would not read, she would walk them over to another lane with a Border Control officer, walk back to the line, wave another person to the e-gate and start all over again.

Posted by
172 posts

Pam, I wonder if they were short-staffed at Immigration the day of your arrival. I’ve flown to CDG many times and I’ve never seen that line closed. Interesting.

Posted by
10623 posts

As I said above, although I fly on AF/Delta into CDG at least twice a year in business, even during the pandemic, I've never had priority at arrival. I read somewhere that it depends on the airline ?!?
My only separate line is using an EU passport at a kiosk when they aren't closed due to Çovid. However, I'm always in a priority passport line outbound from CDG, whether checking in at CDG or transferring from domestic to overseas flight.

Posted by
1382 posts

At CDG there is a separate line, it's on the way right side (opposite the pharmacy) when you're in line. There's a weird little hallway that takes you there.

Posted by
14735 posts

@HappytobeHere...I am not sure. Almost all the main kiosks were open and there were attendants/line monitors at the egates but they might not be the actual level of a border control agent. The line was long, backed up to about where the entrance to the toilets are but it moved fairly quickly. I've never seen that whole left side closed off.

Posted by
2790 posts

I’ve flown business class to Paris twice this year the immigration line for business class has been closed both times. They also no longer do that in London.

And if you fly back to Atlanta there is no special immigration line for business. The poster above with the no line story should have bought a lottery ticket. It is routinely an hour to get through Atlanta immigration. We don’t actually want you to come back to the country. But they do sell a lot of global entry

Posted by
39 posts

Good morning, we are in France. From getting off the plane at nine we were in our taxi at 9:50. There is an express line for sky priority once you get off the plane to go through customs (before you get luggage ). There is a huge line and the sky priority line saved us a lot of time. The second governmental formal gate we got to was a walk-through, nobody even talked to us.
Cathy

Posted by
14735 posts

I’m glad they had this line open the day you went through!