Question Re: Adequate Connecting Time in CPH
Aug 2, 2015, 6:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2
Question Re: Adequate Connecting Time in CPH
I'm booking my first international trip for this November (Yay!), and am trying to figure out if 2.5 hours is a safe layover time. I'm booking a flight from Baltimore > Reykjavik > Copenhagen on the same ticket, and hoping to catch a flight out of Copenhagen (same airport) 2.5 hours later. I'm a bit concerned since it seems like the first flight could get delayed in my mind, and I'd be pretty SOL when I arrived.
Can anyone offer advice or what their experiences were? I'm pretty anxious about not getting stuck in Europe forever! I appreciate anything you have to offer!
Can anyone offer advice or what their experiences were? I'm pretty anxious about not getting stuck in Europe forever! I appreciate anything you have to offer!
Aug 2, 2015, 6:32 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Welcome to FlyerTalk!!
If the arrival is on time into CPH then you'll be fine. That's plenty of time to connect there. The risk is in whether that flight is on time or not and what your tolerance for a missed connection is. There are some travel insurance products which will provide you with replacement tickets to cover the missed flight in cases like the one you described. That's probably a smart investment in your situation.
Odds are you won't use it, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have some insurance to cover yourself. Especially with a connection like you've described.
If the arrival is on time into CPH then you'll be fine. That's plenty of time to connect there. The risk is in whether that flight is on time or not and what your tolerance for a missed connection is. There are some travel insurance products which will provide you with replacement tickets to cover the missed flight in cases like the one you described. That's probably a smart investment in your situation.
Odds are you won't use it, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have some insurance to cover yourself. Especially with a connection like you've described.
Aug 2, 2015, 6:43 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2
Thanks! It also occurred to me that I could always just buy a ticket for the next day, as the $10 for an extra Ryanair ticket is cheaper than insurance that would cover that sort of thing, and certainly cheaper than buying a ticket same-day. Would that be a valid option? I could also grab a ticket later in the day, but those are more expensive than getting a ticket the next day.
Aug 3, 2015, 1:33 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Malaga, Spain
Posts: 1,076
If you go for the next day option with Ryanair ex-CPH you need to factor two things:
- Ryanair tickets get more expensive the closer you purchase to your intended travel date
- accommodation in CPH is quite expensive so you need to calculate the total journey cost incl a night stop
Having said that Copenhagen, even in November, is definitely worth a day's sightseeing. The airport is only a short metro journey from downtown.
Let us know how you get on!
- Ryanair tickets get more expensive the closer you purchase to your intended travel date
- accommodation in CPH is quite expensive so you need to calculate the total journey cost incl a night stop
Having said that Copenhagen, even in November, is definitely worth a day's sightseeing. The airport is only a short metro journey from downtown.
Let us know how you get on!
Aug 3, 2015, 4:55 am
#5
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Thanks! It also occurred to me that I could always just buy a ticket for the next day, as the $10 for an extra Ryanair ticket is cheaper than insurance that would cover that sort of thing, and certainly cheaper than buying a ticket same-day. Would that be a valid option?
Aug 3, 2015, 8:20 am
#6
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,900
How much are you willing to gamble on a backup? The other option is to purchase a fully refundable ticket for the following day and then cancel it if the original plans work out. With 2.5 hours at CPH, you'd need to be pretty massively late, so you should be fine. Not checking bags will save tons of time since otherwise you'll need to claim and recheck your bags, which involves going landside...