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Old Aug 14, 2006 | 1:46 am
  #200  
JOUY31
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Originally Posted by Petdog
I arrive at CDG (2C, I believe) on Continental 54, flying BusinessFirst, at 11:25, and need to transfer to AF 7638 to Biarritz, departing 13:30.

how will checked baggage be handled?
what's the fastest way through immigration and between terminals?
is there any special treatment for BusinessFirst?
do I have time to stop in the arrivals lounge for a shower?
any other advice?

Thanks!
Your flight from EWR is scheduled to arrive at 2A, and your flight to BIQ leaves from 2F1, the Schengen peninsula of 2F.

Regarding checked baggage, it will be checked to your final destination, where it may be subject to a customs inspection. You do not need to pick it up in CDG, go through customs or re-check it.

As you are connecting to a domestic flight, you cannot use the airside shuttle, you can choose between walking and taking the landside shuttle. Once you have cleared immigration, if you choose to walk, you need about:
- 10mn to walk to the TGV station going through 2C
- 1mn to cross over from the South side of the building to the North side above the TGV station
- 5mn to walk from the TGV station to 2F1
- go through security to enter the gate area in 2F1; unfortunately, unless you have Elite status with SkyTeam, you cannot use the fast security track, as your flight to BIQ is a one-class flight, even though you have arrived flying BF. Instead of going through the main security checkpoint, you could try one of the two minor checkpoints, located behind the shops, on each side of the main security checkpoint. Clearing security takes more time than usual as a higher proportion of hand baggage is manually searched, not 100%, but close ... and the sensitivity of the metal detectors has been raised. (No metal on me, but submitted to a body search twice this week-end, even though it had not been the case the week before with the same type of clothing)
- 5mn to walk to any gate in 2F1

I would personally walk as I don't like the queues to get on the landside shuttles and I actually enjoy walking through these large connecting corridors with a nice view on the tarmac.

The AF arrivals lounge is on your path from 2A to the TGV station; it is located in 2C. Whether you have time to use it depends on your actual arrival time landside, after clearing immigration. I had never had to queue for a shower there, as there are fourteen available. I would not stop there unless I had at least 15mn of spare time.

This will depend on the actual arrival of your flight, whether it has a remote stand or a jetway, the time needed to clear immigration (the last time I cleared immigration in 2A flying back from HKG at the end of June, I was lucky enough to do so in 5mn as I was in business class) and finally the time needed to clear security in 2F1)

Enjoy your flights !
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