CDG meet & greet / concierge services
Sep 18, 2021, 7:10 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
CDG meet & greet / concierge services
Has anyone used these services? They appear to bring you from airport arrival to lounge or gate for departure and from gate to exiting the airport by bringing you to the front of all queues (check-in, security, passport control). For CDG many offer this, including AF https://www.airfrance.us/US/en/commo...e_aeroport.htm and CDG itself https://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passengers/services/extime-meet-and-greet
I've been seeing posts in various places with estimates of 20 minutes to two hours to get through CDG recently, even with fast track access. Avoiding two hours of lines seems a worthwhile endeavor (although avoiding a short wait would of course be much less valuable). Standing in line is not a very luxury travel experience.
I'd appreciate any recommendations or reports of using these services.
I've been seeing posts in various places with estimates of 20 minutes to two hours to get through CDG recently, even with fast track access. Avoiding two hours of lines seems a worthwhile endeavor (although avoiding a short wait would of course be much less valuable). Standing in line is not a very luxury travel experience.
I'd appreciate any recommendations or reports of using these services.
Last edited by richarddd; Nov 6, 2023 at 12:28 pm Reason: New link for CDG's service
Sep 20, 2021, 4:13 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 97
Has anyone used these services? They appear to bring you from airport arrival to lounge or gate for departure and from gate to exiting the airport by bringing you to the front of all queues (check-in, security, passport control). For CDG many offer this, including AF https://www.airfrance.us/US/en/commo...e_aeroport.htm and CDG itself https://myconciergerieorlycdg.fr/en
I've been seeing posts in various places with estimates of 20 minutes to two hours to get through CDG recently, even with fast track access. Avoiding two hours of lines seems a worthwhile endeavor (although avoiding a short wait would of course be much less valuable). Standing in line is not a very luxury travel experience.
I'd appreciate any recommendations or reports of using these services.
I've been seeing posts in various places with estimates of 20 minutes to two hours to get through CDG recently, even with fast track access. Avoiding two hours of lines seems a worthwhile endeavor (although avoiding a short wait would of course be much less valuable). Standing in line is not a very luxury travel experience.
I'd appreciate any recommendations or reports of using these services.
Sep 20, 2021, 4:49 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 181
I booked this service through the airport for our trip in August (I assume it's pretty similar to the one offered directly by AF) and we were able to skip almost all lines. We still had to wait a little bit at immigration as the priority line was backed up as well but we saved at least one hour.
Sep 20, 2021, 5:08 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
I booked this service through the airport for our trip in August (I assume it's pretty similar to the one offered directly by AF) and we were able to skip almost all lines. We still had to wait a little bit at immigration as the priority line was backed up as well but we saved at least one hour.
CDG's version said they estimate 10-20 minutes from gate to airport exit and 15-25 minutes from terminal to gate, assuming no checked baggage. They told me they walk you to the front of all lines.
I link both the AF and airport offerings in the OP. Reportedly, they are all basically the same. CDG's is a touch cheaper (it doesn't charge extra for the second and third person in your party).
Sep 21, 2021, 2:25 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,922
Oct 4, 2021, 6:03 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
In case anyone cares, our current plan is to use the CDG concierge for our return flight to JFK leaving at 14:20, but not for our arrival to CDG which is scheduled for 10;20, but is often early. From what I can tell, it can take a while to get through CDG for a 14:20 departure, but immigration is seldom bad at 10:20 or a bit earlier.
Oct 5, 2021, 12:06 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,922
In case anyone cares, our current plan is to use the CDG concierge for our return flight to JFK leaving at 14:20, but not for our arrival to CDG which is scheduled for 10;20, but is often early. From what I can tell, it can take a while to get through CDG for a 14:20 departure, but immigration is seldom bad at 10:20 or a bit earlier.
Oct 5, 2021, 3:13 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
From threads here and elsewhere, it appears that immigration usually moves quickly at our scheduled/typical arrival and that we should arrive two plus to three hours before our scheduled departure to deal with possible lines. Do you disagree?
Last edited by richarddd; Oct 5, 2021 at 3:26 am
Oct 5, 2021, 4:47 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,922
In my very long experience at 2E, I have faced long lines both on departure and arrival, but it's much more frequent on arrival.
Oct 5, 2021, 6:27 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
It's totally unpredictable on arrival as flights may be early or late and the morning is very heavy on long-haul arrivals in 2E. Departures are more predictable and 14:20 is way less busy than in the morning. Another factor for the unpredictability both on departure & arrivals is the number of booths open for passport control.
In my very long experience at 2E, I have faced long lines both on departure and arrival, but it's much more frequent on arrival.
In my very long experience at 2E, I have faced long lines both on departure and arrival, but it's much more frequent on arrival.
FWIW, here's a thread about the time to arrive at CDG for a flight out Time to arrive at CDG? I hope I don't seem to be argumentative, I'm just trying to gauge the odds of being unhappy with a long line against being unhappy paying €150 (or twice that if both directions) for a service that I end up not having needed. I realize there can be no assurances.
Oct 5, 2021, 11:45 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,922
FWIW, here's a thread about the time to arrive at CDG for a flight out Time to arrive at CDG? I hope I don't seem to be argumentative, I'm just trying to gauge the odds of being unhappy with a long line against being unhappy paying €150 (or twice that if both directions) for a service that I end up not having needed. I realize there can be no assurances.
Oct 6, 2021, 2:51 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,556
On departures there are two potential bottlenecks. The first one is the airline checking that you have the proper documentation to be admitted in the country of your final destination and leaving France. I doubt that the paid service can help.
The second one is French border police, but formalities tend to be quite fast as they have few cases with reasons to stop you exiting France .
On arrival you might have checks for health status (possibly some rapid test at airport) and border police. The process takes longer.
I side with Goldorak that the odds of long lines are much worse for arrivals than departure.
But if you are willing to pay both ways, just do it.
The second one is French border police, but formalities tend to be quite fast as they have few cases with reasons to stop you exiting France .
On arrival you might have checks for health status (possibly some rapid test at airport) and border police. The process takes longer.
I side with Goldorak that the odds of long lines are much worse for arrivals than departure.
But if you are willing to pay both ways, just do it.
Oct 6, 2021, 12:46 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K \\ ConciergeKey
Posts: 531
Have a flight from SFO - CDG - AMS with a 3 hour 20 min layover and then a LHR - CDG - SFO with a 1.5 hour layover on the return.
Thinking that we should utilize the AF CDG Concierge service both ways - as I'd rather not wait in line 2 hours on the CDG arrival from both SFO and LHR so we can maximize time in the lounge and not worry about a tight connection on the way back?
Thinking that we should utilize the AF CDG Concierge service both ways - as I'd rather not wait in line 2 hours on the CDG arrival from both SFO and LHR so we can maximize time in the lounge and not worry about a tight connection on the way back?
Oct 6, 2021, 3:03 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,922
Have a flight from SFO - CDG - AMS with a 3 hour 20 min layover and then a LHR - CDG - SFO with a 1.5 hour layover on the return.
Thinking that we should utilize the AF CDG Concierge service both ways - as I'd rather not wait in line 2 hours on the CDG arrival from both SFO and LHR so we can maximize time in the lounge and not worry about a tight connection on the way back?
Thinking that we should utilize the AF CDG Concierge service both ways - as I'd rather not wait in line 2 hours on the CDG arrival from both SFO and LHR so we can maximize time in the lounge and not worry about a tight connection on the way back?
For your outbound, you have a super long connection. You’ll never spend 2hrs in line (that never happens in CDG). On your return, this is non-Schengen to non-Schengen so you just have to go through security.