RandomBaritone

I'm still unclear as to why AF owes hundreds of dollars in compensation. Is there an EU regulation I'm missing? I don't believe rule 261 covers individual missed connections, just delayed and canceled flights.

Also, this might be better situated in the AF forum, as it's not really a trip report.

matthandy

This isn't really a trip report as it belongs in the AF forum.

matthandy
Moderator: Trip Reports

Eugeniusz Bodo

I hear you! I have a short fuse too when it comes to these things. France (Paris) is a great destination...well, probably except accordion music but even at its best CDG can be admired by architecture aficionados rather than transferring passengers. I have been avoiding AF/CDG since they have lost my luggage 10 years ago. Feb 17th. this year I tried them again and it took me over 2 hours to change the terminals. Never again! It was my own stupidity though, I was curious to try new business class configuration on Air Canada 777. Also a fail!

Often1

As your wife is a TA she knows that MCT does not equate to Sensible Connect Time (SCT).

I am a strong advocate for short MCT's because they allow me to have a shot at connections when my schedule is tight on both ends. But, I understand the risks. I know that I will be rebooked, but understand that there may be real inconvenience.

As a TA, surely your wife knew this?

As to EC 261/2004, the headwinds issue will likely obviate any claim for the delay. Fighting that one off will be hard.

Freedom55

[
As to EC 261/2004, the headwinds issue will likely obviate any claim for the delay. Fighting that one off will be hard.[/QUOTE]

One hour + late on a 489 mile flight due to headwinds!! A bit of stretch, I think if AF tries that as an excuse.

Goldorak

As you started your 1st post with this story, I'd like to welcome you on FT . And so I hope you're on FT for long and not just to start a one-time AF bashing story. And so we look forward reading you in the various sub-forums of FT

Your wife's story is rather unfortunate, but what I will write hereafter is from a "neutral" person (I mean who was not part of the concerned party) and so will try to give you my perception of your problem. Could AF have done it better ? Yes, for sure. Lack of food voucher is indeed abnormal. But, overall, this is just a missed tight connection which happen thousands and thousands of time on any airline every day. And AF has taken care of rebooking her on the next available routing. Lack of apparent caring is also disappointing but it's a question of perception by the affected person.

Regarding to be met by AF staff at the gate to expedite transfer, they indeed do it but I'm guessing that, in your wife's case, they didn't do it because the AF Hub Control Center had at one time some info letting them think that she could not make the connection successfully.

Although I understand it is very frustrating, this is totally normal as gates close 15 min prior to scheduled departure time. This is enforced now in a great majority of major airlines and particularly in North America. So, as a Canadian, I doubt you and your wife are unfamiliar with this kind of rules. Also it is printed very clearly on boarding passes.

As a travel agent, I'm pretty sure he knew about this. Also, you said that AF didn't inform her about this. I have to tell you that this is announced on-board on every single flight landing in a destination with this kind of rule. But maybe your wife didn't listen to the announcements...

You certainly deserve compensation for this missed connection and big delay on arrival. But it will certainly not be the price of the flight, do not dream

Maybe or maybe not. But even if it was the case, that's irrelevant here. Your wife was late at the gate to board the flight and so she was denied boarding, period.


+1

This connection is indeed legal, but it remains a tight one. As your wife is a travel agent, she should have known that it is always more risky to book this kind of connection. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Disappointing and annoying for sure but not the end of the world.

The fact that the YVR flight just started is irrelevant here. It's just a missed connection.

Maybe simply because the 1st flight was fully booked ?

No. For a long-haul flight, boarding starts 45 min prior to departure time and gate is closing 15 min before departure time

AF is doing it also in some circumstances, but again, as I said above they don't do it when they have information to let them think that a connection will be missed anyway. Of course sometimes, this judgement can be wrong because finally the flight is arriving with less delay than scheduled and maybe that's what happened to the OP's wife flight from DUB. Who knows ?

Zembla

Over 2 hours between terminals? Between which terminals was that? And what were the connecting flights? Would be interesting to know...

Goldorak

Indeed, very surprising. I would be curious to know as well.

Zembla

Over 2 hours between terminals? Between which terminals was that? And what were the connecting flights? And what happened to make it take so long?

delanotre

MCT between two international flights on AF in CDG TE is 90 minutes, not 60, (included domestic to domestic)


Minimum Connection Time [MCT]: CDG/AF-AF]
DD DI ID II
TERMINAL:
2E TO 2E 090 090 090 090

[DD] Domestic To Domestic
[DI] Domestic To Intl
[ID] Intl To Domestic
[II] Intl To Intl

Goldorak

Are you sure if that for int'l to int'l (what is your source) ? Because, the connection of the OP's case (DUB to YVR) is indeed bookable (it is a 65 min connection time in CDG).
BTW : no domestic to domestic at 2E

delanotre

The source is KVS.

Of course no domestic flights in 2E

joyu12

I believe delanotre got it from KVS tool which does indeed list intra 2E as a 90 min connection.

Edit: delanotre was quicker

Goldorak

Thanks guys but I don't think 90 min is correct for intra-2E. I'm trying to find information from other sources but I'm not successful at the moment.

delanotre

I try also to find another information source.
I asked on KVS forum the source of this detailed information

Another question is , what about (if) registered luggage from DUB to YVR ... and passenger not in the second flight? This post is strange