Is an hour long enough to change planes in Paris for a flight back to the U.S.?

Assuming your are ticketed with only one PNR or reservation in each direction (and not separate tickets) it will be AF´s responsibility that you reach your destination. Arriving CDG from SEA, you will pass through Immigration but your checked luggage should automatically be transferred to MRS. As long as your SEA flight is on time, you should easily make the MRS connection.

However, when returning through CDG, you will need to go through passport control again as you leave the Schengen zone. 1+06 is very tight for an international connection and if there is any delay in arriving CDG, a successful connection will be problematic. Your aircraft change at CDG will include going through outbound immigration. Look for the signs as there are special passport control lines for connecting passengers. Be ready.

If there is a problem, AF will book you on the next available flight. However, the next available flight may or may not be the next scheduled flight. Just something to keep in mind.

I would not risk this. The is no reason to stress yourself out with such a short connection. If you miss, and are put on “the next available flight”, you probably also be assigned the last available seat. That is a long flight.....

I flew round trip Seattle to Paris last summer. I flew Air France over and it was a pretty miserable flight. I flew Delta back and had a much better experience, I decided at that time to avoid Air France in the future.

Kayak is coming up with some pretty dodgy itineraries lately. They are good for seeing what's out there but then go to the airline's site. I bet you can find a longer connection - although the price may be more. But even when you try to stick with the exact same thing you find on kayak, once to get to the booking site it can be more anyway.

Short answer - 1 hr 6 min at CDG - NO

No no no!

Last year we changed planes in Paris both ways when going to/from Spain. We had about a two hour connection. On the way to Spain we would have missed the connection if we hadn't run. On the way home we arrived at our gate 10 minutes after our flight departure time but they held the flight because about 40 passengers were held up. All of this was due to horrible lines at immigration. On the return we were also delayed waiting for the bus between terminals. In both cases our flights arrived in Paris on time or early. I'd never book a less than 2 hour connection.

No, not enough time in both directions!

Let's start with the return flights home.

First and foremost, don't use Kayak or ANY 3rd party website to purchase tickets. If you see an itinerary and price that fits your budget, then go to the airline's website for purchase.

2nd, you answered your own question when you said "It often takes half an hour to get off a plane." It may not take a full 30 minutes to deboard a domestic flight; it could take 15-20 depending on where you're sitting and how long it takes the crew outside to open the plane door. It's still not good.

On the way home, your transatlantic flight could close 30 minutes BEFORE takeoff so you really won't even have 1 hour, 6 minutes between flights.

Next, your seat(s) could be given away if you have not arrived at the gate as your flight is boarding even if you've checked in online much earlier. It won't matter. So even if you end up making your flight, you and your party may not be seated together. If you paid for a better seat (emergency exit, bulkhead, etc), those seats will be gone and you may not be reimbursed for that extra expense. If you miss your CDG - SEA connection, you will have to wait until the next available flight in which they have available seats and if there is seat availability, those seats may be scattered middle seats in the back. If the flight is the next day and the reason for your missing the flight is not covered by EU regulations, you will have to pay for hotel & food.

Thus, don't do this itinerary home with a 1 hour, 6 minute connection time. It really isn't 66 minutes anyway.

Next....your flight to Marseille. 1 hour, 45 minutes is also tight for many reasons. My flight arrival at CDG on October 30 wasn't given a gate by the air traffic control so the pilots parked the aircraft way outside the terminal so passengers had to wait for everyone to deboard and get onto shuttles before the shuttle drivers drove to the terminal. I was the last person to get off my flight as I was a wheelchair passenger and needed extra time & assistance to descend the steps. None of the shuttle buses left until I boarded a bus and sat down. Those passengers with connections were stuck waiting for me. It was ridiculous! That entire deboarding process must have taken at least 45 minutes from the door opening until I was seated on the shuttle bus. Then it was about a 10 minute drive to the terminal. So with someone with a 1 hour, 45 minute connection, he/she would only have 50 minutes left and that doesn't count the chance that the Marseilles bound flight could close 15 minutes before departure.

By the time our shuttles arrived at the terminal, the lines at passport control were extremely long. I don't see how anyone could have made a connection on your schedule. So unless there are hourly flights to Marseille with seat availability, I would NOT do this itinerary either.

I've made flights and missed flights with that connecting time frame. I prefer closer to 2 hours so if you have the option I'd go with that.

We have only been through CDG a few times but that is not a lay-over time frame that I would be comfortable picking for any airport. I don't know your date of departure but putting in March dates on the Air France web site shows additional return layover choices of 3 and 5 hours at CDG. Most of the flights require a airport transfer from Orly to CDG.

Just to add to the mix, our last experience was a 3 hour layover at CDG- Paris>Seattle. We spent the total 3 hours in a massive line at passport control! Long story short, by the time we got through we still had to take the bus to the next terminal and run to the gate. The plane had already boarded. Fortunately, Delta held the plane. There were about 5-6 of us. We took off 30 minutes later. Needless to say we now avoid CDG.

We had a hour 55 minute connection from NCE through CDG and back to the states. It was enough but we had little time to dawdle. After the 20 minute taxiing to the gate, deboarding, and sorting out where to go, taking a bus to another terminal, etc, we made it to the gate about an hour before departure. So a full hour to get there. Restroom, coffee, and then time to board.

We did not have to go through security between flights, although I think there was a point where a few people were randomly pulled aside for a quick screening. But that might have been on the way to Nice.

Immigration- I kept expecting exit immigration between flights and never went through it. They actually had that at the gate. A guy with a tablet interviewed each passenger. I imagine that some people had already gone through it earlier and they were just a quick scan, but we got the entire bit. It made for longer boarding but no immigration line earlier, so a better system.

Ditto to all the above. 1:45 is possible outbound and short hop flights to Marseille more likely should you miss the connection because of a dealy from Seattle. Hopefully your flight to Marseille is not the last flight of the day.

The return connection of 1:05 is a high risk connection through CDG. The French immigration and security work at a very relaxed pace. The only good news is that Air France is presumably on the hook to get you back to Seattle. Have some overnight clothing and items in your carry-on. Minimize stuff in your carry-on that could be suspicious going through security X-ray that you require hand inspections. And if you do check luggage on your return to Seattle, having a lighter carry-on helps when you have to run/jog through the terminal to get to your connection.

Ideally select seats as far forward as possible on your first legs to CDG. I seems that it can take a half hour to unload the larger aircraft.

I'll just add that it looks like there are 2 direct flights a day from CDG to Seattle operated by Delta/AF. The Delta metal flight leaves at 10:20 and the AF one at 1:10. If you are on the later flight, and miss it it looks like your only choice later in the day with this group is a 3:20 via Atlanta that gets you in to Seattle at 1130P.

There are also various other flights on Delta to Seattle via other Delta hubs but it looks like they all leave between 10 something and 1 something.

I'm pretty risk averse when it comes to flights so I'd probably be back to Paris the day before if you need to be back in Seattle on a certain date.

I've never had to transfer at CDG; only fly out. Even that is a total pain in the butt. Given that there is excellent TGV train service directly to CDG, why not dump the connecting flights altogether and take the train up to CDG the night before? Book the train tickets early enough and its not overly pricey either. My wife and I took an evening TGV from Avignon to CDG last year the evening before catching our flight back to the US. There are plenty of excellent and reasonably priced hotels right at CDG, right next to the terminals. This would certainly eliminate a lot of headache and worry about missing connections.

That's still cutting it too close for me but it also depends upon my knowledge of the airport. When I change flights, the first thing is sufficient time, better a long and seemingly boring lay-over than one where the risk of missing the connection can become reality. I don't mind waiting around at the airport.

In regards to CDG, I only fly non-stop in both directions.

...why not dump the connecting flights altogether and take the train up to CDG the night before?

Take are about "dumping the[Marseille to Paris] flight. If you miss a leg of a flight, the airline will typically cancel the balance of your itinerary.

Even on a direct flight Seattle - Paris, it has taken two hours just to clear immigration, with it seemed hundreds of people waiting for what seemed forever on a Monday morning. Only 2-3 of the likely 12 or so immigration/customs booths were open. Once there, the agent did a perfunctory 3-second look at my passport and stamped it.

I definitely won't risk it despite the great price on Kayak. I think I will fly to Paris and stay several days--I wanted to spend some time in the capital again, anyway--and figure out how to get a TGV to Marseille a few days later. Ditto with the return. But that will cut into the time I really wanted to spend in Provence. I generally don't like to be away from home for more than 2 weeks.

The last time just to find the right terminal and gate at CDG (after arriving from Nice) it took at least two hours. 2E is a separate terminal (building) from 2F, etc., and each has different gates. It was horribly confusing and exhausting, as there were numerous security checks and the last bus got stalled for at least half an hour because the wrong terminal/gate had been announced.

My incorrect assumption was that if a flight (with connection) shows up on Kayak that that means it is "doable."

I missed my connection from Munich to Athens and then spent the next 3-4 hours frantically trying to book a new connecting flight. My luggage "they" said had been taken off the plane in Munich and I would have to retrieve it and check it in again. Then they said it had been lost. And I would have to file a report, etc. The next connecting flight, it appeared, was 12 hours later...

That was a wake-up call: people do miss their connecting flight!

But having almost everyone confirm my worst suspicions makes it pretty clear that that the Kayak two connecting AFI/Delta flights Seattle - Paris - Marseille is very risky...and not feasible unless I had really good luck.

My experience even with Delta is that they will sometimes sell a quick connection that meets the airport’s Minimum Connection Time (MCT) but doesn’t meet the PMCT (Pam’s Min Conn. Time), hahaha!! It’s just not worth the worry for me!!

I like your Plan B for the TGV from Paris!

HWPC? How Would Pam Connect?

My experience even with Delta is that they will sometimes sell a quick
connection that meets the airport’s Minimum Connection Time (MCT) but
doesn’t meet the PMCT (Pam’s Min Conn. Time)

Yes, what are the PMCT parameters as I too fly Delta? Inquiring minds want to know!

Hahaha!! Karen and Continental - you guys are so funny!

Pam's MCT depends on the airport. Generally 2 hours for a domestic or domestic to international transfer in the US. 3 - 4 hours for an International to domestic in the US depending on the airport (or 2.5 hours International to domestic at SLC). 3 - 4 hours at CDG or LHR. I've done 2.5 hours International to domestic at AMS and that was OK altho I was nervous.

The awful Delta connection I'm offered most is a 38 minute at SLC. I've made it in 18 minutes with a quick comfort stop but it's too stressful (checked luggage but it made it as well). I know that airport extremely well but just will not consider it unless I have to. It's usually to the last flight of the day out to my little end-of-the line airport so if I miss it I know the Hampton Airport SLC will be getting my business. I have also gone the other way and have had a 9 hour layover in SLC. That is excruciating but if the timing is right you can hop the tram to downtown and go to the Family history library for some genealogy research, lol!!

On the other hand, I'd love to go directly from Seattle - Paris - Marseille, and back the other way, so that I can go to Provence rather than spending 2-3 days in Paris. Pam makes a good point: it is passport control, not immigration, that one goes through in Paris, even if one is headed eventually to Nice or Marseille. 1.5 or 1.75 hours is cutting it pretty tight. On the other hand, starting from Marseille, the problem is not "symmetrical," is it? Does one go through passport control after landing in Paris just to get on the Paris - Seattle flight ?? I don't remember from March when I did Seattle - Paris - Nice and back the other way.

It is confusing for me, even though I've done the latter twice already for the past two years. (Maybe I should write it down in a journal).

Yes, you'll go thru Passport control/Immigration when you exit the Schengen Zone so you'll have those formalities in Paris.

My suggestion was to not book connecting flights. Just fly into/out of Paris and use the train to get to Marseille. I assumed from the nature of the OP's post that he had not booked his flights yet.

Actually, I am also considering going to Bordeaux, instead of Marseille, for a spiritual retreat next spring and running into almost exactly the same set of issues. Flights listed leave an hour to change planes in Paris for at least for either departure or return. Based on my experience flying back from Nice via Paris this spring, it takes at least 2-3 hours just to change planes in Paris to get back to the States.