JOUY31

As you are flying AF business class to CDG from the US, you have access to the landside arrivals lounge in terminal 2C (which closes at 2:00 PM). This would require you to enter France and go through two immigration checks, one in the terminal where your AF flight from the US arrives (2E or 2C) and one in 2E when leaving France.

As a SkyTeam Elite Plus member flying AF coach, you have access to the AF departures lounge in the terminal where your flight to BKK leaves from. This would probably be the nicest one in CDG, as the flight to BKK leaves from 2E.

Enjoy your flights .

InfoFly

Thanks to all of you for doing a fantastic job!!

I discovered this forum just today while googling, and would appreciate any
opinion/suggestion from any member on my following enquiry:

I am going to fly in a couple of months two long haul (intercontinental) AF flights
in L'Affaires (Bussiness) class with a very long lay over at CGD2. I arrive in the
evening in Terminal 2E and leave next morning from terminal 2A. I am a non-EU,
non-US citizen (and without Green card etc.), so I must have a visa to go outside
the international zone. The question is what is the best and simple way to spend
that painfully long time?

Can I spend (at least a significant) part of my time in AF lounges (where I will have
access to because of my flight class) without stepping out of international area, and
when it closes simply loiter around the international zone? Is it feasible? Are there
people do it? Is it even allowed to stay in the international area whenall the facility
closes (or do they, at all)? I would not like to be the only one guarding the airport in
the night though! I do not mind staying up all the night only if I can make it up with
naps in lounges, and in Bussiness class of my two long legs.

Of course, there is the alternative -- that I go outside and put up in a nearby
hotel just for the night, and I had done so in the past. But then I already had a
Shengen Visa and it was easy, moreover, I was travelling coach, so did not have
lounge access -- so hotel was my only option then. Now if I want to do the same
this time around, I will have to take the hassle of procuring a transit visa (no problem
as such but just extra pain) just for that layover night and would have to put money
for both the visa as well as the hotel, which add up to a not so small amount.

But I want to make sure that the previous option allows me to stay in a safe and
warm area (not having to freeze my butts staying outside the airport in open air in
the winter!), and there are lounges (Is there any open round the clock?) that I can
go to without crossing the international zone.

Your detailed opinion/suggestion/insight will be highly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

InfoFly

JOUY31

YGPM

G_G

You can't stay in the AF lounge because it is closed at night.

If the two flights are AF flights and if there is not an other option of connection between the two flights instead of have an overnight lay over in CDG, AF should take the charge of the hotel night and breakfast (usually).
This will be part of your reservation and you can see that on www.checkmytrip.com (on my reservation, it appears as AF 906A (From CDG to QAF (Offline Point))

For Business Class, they used to send us at the Radisson CDG.

Just ask your TA or AF's Office in your town.

When you'll arrive in CDG, you have to go to an AF's connection point where the hotel voucher will be delivered to you.

If you want to know in which airport you could stay at night (and in which conditions) just go to the site : http://sleepinginairports.com/

jackeyhj

Like "info fly". I am a new comer too.

I have to say that I am so worried about flight connection at CDG. I've currently booked a flight from Madrid to CDG with Air Madrid and have a connecting flight with China Eastern Airline. Apparently these two airlines do not have a code share. The connection time between these two flights is only 1hr10min. And the Air Madrid will arrive at T3 while China Eastern will depart from T2C. I wonder how difficult the connection will be. Do I need to go through custom after I get off at T3? I am not EU citizen. And can I cancel the flight with Air Madrid and get refund? In case I missed the plane, what can I do? I cannot speak French and this will be the first time to France.

I would appreciate any opinion and suggestion.

JOUY31

I guess you are flying on two different tickets, which is always tricky as you have no protection whatsoever with the second carrier in case you have a problem with the first flight. If you do not have a modifiable/refundable ticket with China Eastern and miss that flight for any reason, neither Air Madrid nor China Eastern will have any obligation to you, and the value of your second ticket essentially goes down to zero.

In addition, the minimum connection time between CDG 3 and CDG 2 is 75mn, so you are already short on time. I would recommend switching to an earlier flight (if any) or to an airline which uses CDG 2 (IB uses 2D and AF uses 2F).

In any case, when arriving in CDG 3, you do not need to clear immigration (you are still in the Schengen zone) nor customs (you are still in the EU customs zone); after picking up your baggage, you need to walk to the RER station 1 - 400m away - where you board ADP shuttle number 5 which will lead you to the various CDG 2 terminals.

Upon arrival in 2C, you will need to check-in (which closes probably 30mn before departure time), clear immigration and security.

This does seem to be a very tight connection (40mn to the check-in counter after arrival from MAD) with no fallback possible.

Good luck .

jackeyhj

Thank you so much JOUY31. I really got much information from you. Now I am struggling whether to take that risk or not. Probably I will have a try since China Eastern is usually 45mn to 1hr late to depart. And thankfully, my ticket with China Eastern is modifable. And I don't mind too much spending a day in Paris.

But may I ask two more questions, first is how punctual Air Madrid perform? I've heard some bad comments about it. The second is if I am lucky Air Madrid is punctual and I take a first few rows on the plane without any claimed baggage. How fast I can get from T3 to T2C?

Appreciate again.

JOUY31

Unfortunately, I don't know much about Air Madrid operations.

In order to reach CDG 2C from CDG G 3, you need to :
1. walk (run) the 300-400m between CDG 3 and the RER station 1.
2. board ADP shuttle number 5 (official frequency, every 7mn, it can take 15mn, but no more)
3. luckily for you , the joint 2A/2C stop should be the first stop (5-7mn away)
4. you arrive in front of the food court between 2A and 2C and need to walk to 2C (3mn)
5. find your check-in counter, which should be no more than 3-5mn away

Hope you make it !

CO 1E

Hi,

I searched through the thread for a bit and didn't find the 2F to 2B transfer addressed (although I'm sure it's there somewhere). I'm scheduled to fly LHR-CDG-IST in Business, with a 1 hour 10 minute connection in CDG, arriving at 2F and departing to IST from 2B. Is this sufficient time? Are the LHR-CDG flights usually late (I assume so)? - I'm on the 9:15 am LHR-CDG flight. What is the minimum amount of time it would take for me to go from 2F to 2B and what is the best route? Finally, should I scrap this itinerary and take KL via AMS?

In addition, are the CDG-LHR flights operated with an Intra-Europe Classe Affaires cabin, or are they treated as all coach? Many thanks.

JOUY31

mmm ... 2F2 to 2B is the longest transfer by airside shuttle, as they move clockwise around CDG2, 2B to 2F2 being the shortest one.

Walking would involve two immigration queues, one in 2F2 to enter France (should be OK, not a peak arrival time in 2F2) and one in 2B (usually OK 2-10mn) to leave France. In between, a 15mn walk from to 2F to the TGV station, 2D and 2B. And you would have the same security check at the gate whether you walk landside or whether you take the airside shuttle.

I would personally choose to walk in order not to be dependent on the length of each stop until you reach 2B.

Morning flights from LHR are usually on time, except when there are weather problems in LHR or CDG.

Finally, flights from LHR to CDG are mostly three-cabin (l'Espace, Tempo Challenge and Tempo) except some flights over the week-end which are two-cabin (L'Espace and Tempo). In addition, flights in l'Espace to IST (as well as all other flights over 2h55) have above average (actually good) catering and you are sure not to be in a middle seat in business class (2x2 seating), which could be the case with KL in Europe Select (3x3 seating).

Hope it helps. Enjoy your flights .

CO 1E

Many thanks, JOUY31 - that was helpful, as always. I have 3C reserved on a 321 and 318, so those seats should do.

Liv4cruzin

Hello everyone. As you can see, I am new to this forum. I'm a regular on the Cruise Critic forums. And since no one could provide info to my particular "problem" over there, it was recommended that I come here for answers. I did spend most of today pouring over the 25 pages of this thread. I did not see a post that closely matches my concerns. Next April I will disembark from a Transatlantic cruise in Marseille (so there WILL be several checked bags). I have coach class tickets on AF (#7665) to CDG w/ 45 mins. (from 2:50 - 3:35 pm) to connect to AF (#2206) to Dusseldorf. (I will continue the next morning on LTU nonstop to the US.) At present time, these flights use terminals 2D & 2F respectively. I have limited (& some unpleasant) experience w/ int'l. connections. And I'm finding this task daunting. I have printed out airport maps & sort of have a lay of the land. My concern is that this connection is so tight that there is no room for error. If either of these flights use a remote gate, I'm likely screwed. What I'd like to know is the following:

1. Since the first leg is considered "domestic" connecting to (what I suppose would be) an "int'l" flight, will I have to claim & recheck luggage?

2. Being a US citizen, originating in France & terminating (for the night) in Germany, will I be required to go through Customs/Immigration Control at CDG?

3. I've read conflicting info on the other boards about the signage pointing you from one terminal to another. I hope it's easier than it sounds.

From what I've seen so far today, all of you seem to have vast & valuable knowledge about these things. And I REALLY do appreciate any help or advice you can give me.

G_G

it seems Air Madrid will lose his license :
(in spanish)
http://www.elpais.es/articulo/econom...epieco_11/Tes/

JOUY31

Hello, some starting points :
1. No. You do not need to claim/recheck your baggage
2. No. As both France and Germany are part of the EU, you will still be in the EU customs zone; as they are all also part of the Schengen zone, there are no internal immigration controls
3. Some people find signeage bad in CDG2. This always surprises me. In any case, from 2D, head towards the TGV railway station, which you reach over two moving walkways (5mn). Continue straight forward towards CDG 2F, which you reach over three moving walkways (5mn). Take the escalator up. You are in 2F. Continue straight forward until you reach the first security check point on your left. (3mn)

It is tight. But 2D to 2F1 (2F Schengen pier) is probably the easiest connection along with 2F1 to 2F1.

Enjoy your flights .

Liv4cruzin

Jouy31,
Many thanks for this information. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the weather cooperates & that the planets are all in alignment to make this connection possible. I'll try not to obsess any more.