We have a Delta flight arriving 11;20am We have a tight connection with an Air France flight to Florence at 12;05pm
with customs and plane change in a giant airport is this feasible??
Posted by
Wilmington, DE, USA
712 posts
Carrie, I really don't think you will make it. Check to see what later planes there are from CDG to Florence so even if you can't change your connections before you leave, you know what is available after you miss your connection. My husband's philosophy when we did a similar plane change last Sept. was at least we were in Europe and there are more options to get to Rome from Paris. We flew Air France from Philadelphia to Paris and were suppose to have about a 1 1/2 hour plane change for Rome. Our flight was delayed out of Philly and was delayed flying over Ireland too. We had about 45 minutes to make the change but Air France had a "Sign" saying Rome and a bus and a guide to get us to our Rome plane. We made it but some others from our same plane did not. Our luggage did not make it and we we saw it late the next evening at our hotel. Pack a carry on with a change of clothes, underwear, and meds etc. Be sure your luggage is tagged with you Florence address and phone number. Be ready to give that address to the lost luggage person at the Florence Airport. Hopefully you will see you luggage the next evening. Since we were flying Air France from Phila. to CDG and CDG to Rome, we lucked out that they were helpful in trying to help us make our connections. Others on our flight from Phila. changing airlines said they were not so lucky getting help, but were on their own to try to make their next connection and were worried if they would make it. Anyway, be prepared for not making it.
Posted by
San Diego, CA, United States
864 posts
I wouldn't try this if all I had was carry on. You and probably several hundred other people will have to clear customs which can take, on a good day 20 minutes, and on a bad on a solid hour+ Then you will have to check in with Air France at the gate and if you get there with only minutes to spare you may find yourself bumped (planes are carrying capacity loads these days). Where any checked bags will fit into this mix is anyone's guess. And last but not least I haven't had an on-time international arrival since my 6'2" son was in diapers. Better you should get Rick Steve's posters advice on this now. Pay the fee and change one of those flights. It sounds like alot but if I have a checked bag I always have a 3 hour layover. This way, unless British Airways is involved in which case all bets are off, my bag and I both arrive at the same time and in the same place.
Posted by
Paris, France
506 posts
I am going to take this back a step because for me an obvious question is being missed here.
Have these flights been booked together - meaning did the airline or travel agent or an online system offer this flight arrangement for you? OR are these separate tickets that you have been trying to piece together?
Why will this make a difference? Well IATA (international regulator of the airline industry and all those who sell) require that flight connections offered meet a particular minimum of time standard such that a travel would not have to be concerned. Which means if you booked this as a complete ticket - there is a reason that the 45 minutes has been given and is considered acceptable. If the tickets are booked individually - the validation for the minimum time therefore can not occur.
Further - Delta and Air France are code share partners. This means that most likely the flight you will be on is also listed to Air France passenger with a different flight number. And they share the same terminal access.
However - it is also to be said - that the transit change may not take you as long as you think. If these flights are booked together - you are most likely arriving and departing in the same terminal. Customs in France are not like customs in the US or even the UK. You will find that you happen to just walk by an official after collecting and rechecking your bags. Your longest wait may be in immigration. For those passengers who do have connections your bags are kept separate from those staying in Paris.
Much of the airport is set up with security checks in very close proximity to the gates so you are rarely running from security to the gate (lines are usually very minimal).
The connection time is short and I would see if at all possible to adjust the time slightly to give you ease of mind for the first leg of your travel.