With that last entry in mind, I changed my routing to allow a generous 4 hrs for the CDG connection (nothing would work going through AMS that day). I can easily kill a couple of hours in the airline lounge sampling the wares (while comparing it to the Sky Club) and people watching before the 1:25 p.m. departure.

Thanks for all the feedback. You've just given me some good breathing room on that return leg and lowered my stress level considerably.

One more thought. How hard will it be to get into the Air France lounge as a Plat/Sky Club member flying on a T fare? I've heard about some real hard-nosed lounge dragons who don't care about your elite status.