JBD

Tried and failed to find the info without starting a new thread -

I'm helping family with their award flights. Currently considering the following in business class for their October trip:

AF 69, LAX-CDG, 777-200, 7:45pm to 2:25pm
connecting to
AF 1140, CDG-AMS, A320, 4:50pm to 6:05pm

1. At CDG which terminal and hall do they arrive in, and which will they depart from?

2. Am I correct in assuming that when they arrive at CDG, that they'll need to go through Passport Control and then re-clear security, but that their bags should be checked through? And that when they arrive at AMS they just exit the airport with no more queuing for anything?

3. Am I correct in assuming that at CDG they'll just have access to the lounge where the AMS flight departs?

4. The flights seen above leave a 2.5 hour connection. This will be their first trip not in of coach, first time with lounge access. Would there be any reason to suggest to them a later CDG-AMS flight giving them a 3.5 hour connection? (More time to leisurely make the transfer, experience the lounge longer, Clarins Spa Treatments, etc.).

5. Will they be able to select their business class seats for both flights at time of booking?

Thanks for any help, I really appreciate it.

jdschwartz78

1. I believe they will arrive in 2E but I can't recall for certain. I also don't recall which hall I have departed from for my EU flights. I just try to follow the signs and eventually I figure it all out.
2. You are correct about passport control and baggage. They will likely have to re-clear security as well. Having said that, I recently flew FLR-CDG-YVR and for the first time ever, I did not have to re-clear security for my flight from CDG-YVR. I was shocked! No additional passport controls should be expected in AMS.
3. They will have lounge access at LAX and CDG. They can use any Air France Salon Lounge available in the departure areas. To my knowledge, there are no arrival lounges available.
4. I would not extend the connection time any longer than necessary. It's a long enough trip already and hanging around CDG probably isn't the best use of time. Don't forget when they arrive CDG at 225pm local time, that's 525am in LA. Even after a trip in J class, I'm usually pretty tired by this point.
5. They should be able to select seats at booking. Double check the seating assignments as the trip gets closer. AF has the tendency to re-assign seats without telling you.

stimpy

Yes, arrival at 2E, departure is at 2F. Short walk between the two.

For the last 15 years or so there's been no re-screening within Schengen for airports and terminals that are equipped to handle that. CDG 2E and 2F are built for that. And the US is now a trusted country at Euro airports and terminals that are setup to handle that. AMS doesn't re-screen either.

There is an Air France arrivals lounge in 2C. However that is for people arriving into Paris. The OP's family will use the lounge in 2F.

Yes 2.5 hours is plenty of time for a connection including drinks and snacks in the lounge. They can also request a shower cabin in the lounge which comes with a toiletries kit.

AF doesn't change seats any more than any other airline. I fly AF very often and only get a seat change when the entire aircraft changes.

KLouis

Why? It was unexpected, perhaps, but shocked!

JBD

Thanks to those that replied, especially thanks to stimpy.

I had read the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-f...cdg-2f-2e.html , so knowing they'll be coming in 2E and leaving from 2F is of tremendous help, as was the other info shared.

Thanks again.

jdschwartz78

I'm sorry, did I offend you by using the word "shocked?" You do realize that my original post was in response to questions the OP had right? Please feel free to explain how your contribution assisted the OP.

jdschwartz78

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this. Given that I live in N.A. I can't say I fly AF frequently, however, I have had a fair share of flights on them in the last few years. In that time, I have had a number of situations where they did not honor assigned seats. In each of these cases there were no equipment changes.

KLouis

Of course you did not offend me, I was just wondering. Just like I wonder now: Are we only allowed to post if you feel that we contribute to something helpful?

puddinhead

KLM has a non-stop from LAX to AMS. It is a 747 combi with lie flat seats.

You can avoid CDG altogether.

orbitmic

To clarify, as stimpy mentioned, for many years, there has been no rescreening for connections originating from a Schengen flight for years now, regardless of destination (bar connections to terminals without a hermetic connection route - previously 2G, and now only when connecting to flights departing from T1 or T3.)

The "safe country" part is not relevant however. AMS is currently building a connection system that will allow no security re-screening for flights originating from safe non-Schengen destinations (rest of the EU, USA and Canada, etc) as is already the case in MUC but this is not planned at CDG at the moment so, thus far, Schengen -> CDG -> Non Schengen: no security re-clearing, Non-Schengen -> CDG -> Schengen: security re-clearing.

OP is correct: you can only use the lounge in your departure hall (in this case 2F). Note that it is impossible to know which hall the OP will arrive at (probably K or L) and the connection route to 2F differs depending.

If you mean the well-known problem of when people selected seats on delta.com (always assign on the operating airline's website) that's not a problem of seat changes but of the fact that those seat assignments were effectively never made as the DL system did not communicate with the AF one. If you assign on AF, as stimpy mentions, there is frankly no more of a chance of a seat chance happening on AF compared to any other major airline bar equipment change or broken seat. In fact, I have personally had more with BA over the years.

stimpy

Of course the non-stop is better, but often much more expensive.

Goldorak

One exception to the bolded part : if you travel in P or if you have purchased the P ground service in CDG, there is no more re-screening arriving from a "safe country" like USA. I know it concerns very few people but I thought it was interesting to mention

orbitmic

Very good point indeed!

SDQBound

As I've mentioned several times both in the AF and DL forums, both systems have been communicating quite well in the last few years (at least since the end of 2012)...This was a very common problem that got stuck in DL flyer's head, along with the chaos of transiting CDG, which was also solved a few years ago, and they have never been able to get over it. If you select a seat on DL.com, it will show on AF.com, and it will appear in your BP. I've also had more problems with BA/AA and IB/AA tickets than DL/AF when it comes to seat assignments.

Goldorak

Based on my own experience, it's not completely solved.