We're flying out of Charles de Gaulle tomorrow back to the states and I'd love to hear some recs on how early we need to be at the airport to check in. The flight is to Frankfurt so it's technically just a simple intra European flight; in FRA we change to our flight to the US. Our flight leaves for Frankfurt this Sunday (tomorrow morning) at 730 am so traffic at the checkin counters should be light, but I'd like to hear some thoughts on how early we need to be there. Is 1.5 to 2 hours enough?
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10220 posts
CDG is mobbed every morning of the week, so don't count on a quick check in.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Really bad assumption.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10220 posts
How did it go Marcus? Want to report back?
Posted by
OP
Kansas City USA/Birmenstorf, Switzerland
453 posts
Incredibly easy. Got there a little less than two hours ahead and sat in the boarding area for about 1.5 hours of it. No lines whatsoever. The worst part was having the lovely and oh so charming CDG security confiscate my cans of very good pate saying the cans were "too big". Hmm...100g cans too big and they're coincidentally selling 200g cans of very ordinary pate at Duty Free just beyond security. I hope they enjoyed my pate for their lunch. I've traveled through Zurich innumerable times and brought oodles of food items - cans, bottles of hooch and wine, large toblerone bars that could be used as bats and was never even questioned.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Your paté would not have been discovered except that you had it in a carry-on. There are more advantages than disadvantages in my opinion to checking my luggage, but I know I am in the minority on this. I always smile when I see a passenger trying to get that damn carry-on in the over head bin. On an American Airlines flight last November the flight attendant lost her patience with two guys who could find no room for their bags and were struggling to force them in with no success. She snapped at them and ordered them to gate-check in no uncertain terms. When they objected she said "Take a hike. Get moving." They did.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10247 posts
Especially on the way home there can be good reasons to check a bag. If you had checked a bag with your paté would be able to enjoy it at home. On the way home I often check my dirty clothes (if my bag disappears I'm tired of them anyway) and anything that won't make it as a carry on. I do carry on any treasures I want to be sure make it home with me. If my bag is delayed I won't care because I have more clothes at home. I do carry on at the beginning of my trip because I want my clothes to make it there with me. The last thing I want to do on my vacation is to have to spend time and money shopping for replacements.
Posted by
OP
Kansas City USA/Birmenstorf, Switzerland
453 posts
Norma and Andrea, yup normally I always check my bag on the way home for the very reasons you outlined. The only reason I brought it in my carry-on is that I was close to my weight limit. What really peeved me was their attitude. No reason aside from size was given; they just said "too big - 100 grams" over and over. What I don't get is that they were selling larger cans of pate in the Duty Free shop 30 feet away from the security checkpoint in the secured area so it cant be a size issue on the plane (ie using the can as a weapon). I've brought home similar stuff in my carry-on through Zurich, Rome, Frankfurt, etc with no problem. Obviously no use in arguing with them but it really pissed me off.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10247 posts
Maybe it's the same thing as bringing a bottle of booze through security vs. buying one in the Duty Free shop?