I'm planning a trip and looking at a return from Paris through MSP rather than pay $800 more for direct CDG->SEA. In the past I've had a 3.5 hour connection through DTW and it felt much tighter and stressful than 3.5h should have been with long wait for luggage, long customs lines etc. But that might have been an outlier?
Assuming checked luggage, is 2 hours enough?
I always take these type of connections. One thing I would highly recommend is that if you aren't already using it, download Mobile Passport. When you land, before you get off the plane, finish answering the questions. There will be a special Immigration line for users. Last year when I arrived in Newark from Lisbon, I was only behind one other person and we were the only two in line. I was through it in no time and easily made my under two hour connection. I know that some people would find it too stressful, but I wanted to get home earlier. I also knew there was a later flight if I missed it so I had that to fall back on.
Where is MSP??
Even with checked luggage you will have to retrieve it to go through customs and then recheck it. Checked luggage will not save you any time, in fact it will add time.
MSP means Minneapolis/St. Paul. There are enought flights between Minneapolis and Seattle that I think you could go for the 2 hour connection knowing that, if you miss it, you will be put on the next available flight. It will be stressful because of the unknowns, but if you are prepared to miss it and take the next flight if necessary, you should be able to deal with the stress.
MSP = Minneapolis/St Paul
I would say that in most cases it will be enough. MSP is not nearly as busy with incoming overseas flights as Detroit is (being a major Delta hub). I can't speak for connecting flights as I only used MSP as a final destination since I lived in the Twin Cities for most of my life, but it never ever took me more than an hour (and usually much less) to get through customs/immigration when arriving home from Europe. Your only problem, rather than customs, would be weather issues that might cause delays on your incoming flight, thus shortening your connection time - depending of course on when you are traveling.
Thanks, y'all. I might try to travel without checking luggage, which would make this question less interesting :-), but I wanted to get an opinion on the worst case.
@Leslie, the Mobile Passport is new to me, huge thanks for that tip, I'll check it out.
Check with your airline to see if your checked luggage will need to be collected in MSP. Since DL and AF are partners, it will probably be checked all the way to SEA. You would still go through immigration in MSP, but not have to retrieve luggage and re-check it.
Oh really? I thought that luggage had to come out for customs (my memory of doing this is fuzzy). Thanks, I'll check with them.
Although it is true your bags will be checked to your final destination, you will have to pick-up/re-drop your bags at MSP, as this is your first stop back in the US.
No need to check with your airline. Your luggage can be checked through to Seattle meaning that it will have the ticket for Seattle and you will not have to recheck it after you pick it up to go through customs in Minneapolis. You'll just drop it off on a conveyor belt in the secured area. That pick up and walk through customs is something that you cannot avoid period.
OK that's what I thought. Thanks all.
You can get through immigration much faster with the Mobile Passport app. It’s free. Download it now and fill in the basic info. Then as soon as you land, fill in the last minute info and you’ll fly through immigration control. There’s usually a separate line for Global Entry and another separate one for a Mobile Passport.
We live in MN and have flown through/to MSP yearly for the past 5 years. The customs/immigration area and line is much smaller and shorter than other airports we have entered into the US through. Even with a completely full line, I can't imagine it taking more than an hour. The baggage claim and drop off is steps away after getting through the line, and your next gate, no matter where it is in the airport, shouldn't be more than a 10 minute walk away at a reasonable pace. There is also a shuttle if it is at the far end of the airport. Provided your flight is on time, you should be just fine. When we departed from CDG on AF 3 years ago, our flight was an hour late taking off...hope that's not the case for you! Enjoy your trip!
