gckja

My last international travel was 2013 on UA, so I'm rusty.
Traveling on awards tix as a PM with spouse and 3 teenagers.

Flying DL XXX-MSP-AMS, AMS-XXX on KL.
1. Will our 53 minute layover in MSP be a problem? (Will fly into A or B, depart from G or F.)
2. 1.5 hours in AMS: enough time to clear passport control?
3. Bags will be checked to final destination?

Return will be on AF XXX-CDG-DTW-XXX with 6-hour layover at CDG
4. Will we all have 3 bag allowance? (I cant imagine we need that but just in case)
5. Seats are not assigned. When does that happen?
6. Spouse and I will have lounge access at CDG based on my status and can purchase entry for kids?
7. Will we pick up our bags at DTW and then go through security? (on UA, we flew into YYZ and never saw our bags at customs)
8. We have just under 2 hours in DTW - is that enough time?

chack22

I'll take a stab...

1. Depends on what time your flight arrives. If it's on-time, then I don't see a problem. If you're late, and depending on what time you arrive in MSP, there could be 3 other options to get to AMS that same day.
2. I'm assuming you're staying in the Schengen area? 1.5 can be enough time, if they have enough lanes open. Again, depends on which flight MSP>AMS you're on. I've made a 60 minute connection US>Schengen.
3. Yes
4. My experience has been just the 2 bags (one allowance, and one bonus for PM.)
5. Pull up your itinerary on the AF site, and select your seats, otherwise they'll be assigned at check-in.
6. My experience has been that guest access (even children) require a flying blue membership, and then it's only if they're 'not-full'
7. Yes, airport of entry. I think some flights that pass through ATL don't have this requirement any longer, but all of my flights that pass through DTW, I've been required to collect bags, clear customs, re-check and then through TSA.
8. Should be more than enough.

All of the above based on my experience, YMMV.

bgriff

Is the award ticket in coach or business class?

As for your questions:

1. That is tight but doable if everything is on time. You won't have much time to stop for anything in MSP so if you want anything (bottles of water, snacks, etc.) for your overwater flight, get them before your first flight. Keep an eye on the weather at home and in MSP on the day of departure and if anything is looking questionable, you may be able to get the PM line to move you to an earlier XXX-MSP flight for free if you want (and if there is one available at a reasonable time).

2. That is also tight but probably doable. Head straight to passport control at AMS (you won't reclear security in this direction) as the lines can be long, but hopefully once you get through passport control you'll have time to stop for anything you might need. But best to get in line ASAP. Try to use the bathroom on board before the seat belt sign goes on for landing to save time.

3. Bags should be checked all the way through and not need any intervention from you at the connections.

4. I think depends on class of service? If in business yes. If in coach not sure, I forget what the baseline allowance is.

5. You can pay for seats now on airfrance.us if you want, or otherwise you get them at check in. Try to check in online right when it opens 30 hours before departure of your first flight to get best choice of seats.

5a. You didn't mention your connection time in CDG but be aware passport control there can be a real mess (if you are arriving into CDG from somewhere else in the Schengen zone). I spent 2 hours waiting for connecting passport control at CDG once. If you have a short connection, and/or you get to the transfer point and things are a mess, keep in mind that is possible if arriving on a Schengen flight to just leave as if you were ending your journey in Paris, then walk across the landside walkways over the highway to terminal 2E and then go through passport control there, which may be faster than the passport control for connections. The only downside is that if you do that, you have to reclear security (since you went landside), whereas via the connections channel you don't.

6. Yes you have lounge access for 2. Not sure about buying access for more, check the AF site. Outside the US it is far less common for airlines to sell lounge access.

7. Yes, you will clear passport control at DTW, pick up your bags, clear customs, recheck your bags, and then go through security again.

8. Should be enough time. DTW is pretty efficient. If you are worried (for example if your first flight gets in late), find a Delta rep in one of the arrivals halls and they may be able to help you cut some lines. Worst case you get rebooked on a later departure out of DTW.

mridley2

That is correct. I flew JFK-NCE this past week and recieved 2 bags for free. 1 for allowance, 1 for PM. Note that bag weight cannot exceed 50 lbs. I had to gently push them to accept my bag at JFK as I was at 56 lbs. oops.

Note that if you have Delta AMEX you do NOT get an additional free bag as the allowance is not additive.

in First you would get 3 bags up to 70 lbs each.

gckja

Thank you!
We'll fly to CDG from A Schengen zone and have 6.5 hours to kill, really hoping the lounge will work for us. I checked with AF and they were not too helpful and couldn't give a clear answer. I'll try again.

We're flying coach and I don't anticipate extra bags, but just in case, I'd like to be able to carry more.

The teens are pretty good travelers and don't mess around when transferring from gate to gate, so it sounds like we'll be fine.
I'm very thankful for your responses!

shocksim

I think the longest I've stood in line for passport control inbound to AMS from the US is 30m. I typically get into AMS around 7-10AM though, would probably be a little worse later in the day.

I think 1.5 hours will be plenty of time to get into the Schengen area and make your next flight.

C W

I think 1.5 hours is plenty as well, but the lines at passport control have gotten worse recently, on some days 30m would be a blessing.

lovecabo

To me the area with the most concern is your connection in MSP. Are your seats on the flight from XXX near the front? Getting off the plane could take 15 minutes and if it's already late, you might be sunk. I'd go with what someone else said and see if you can get an earlier flight to MSP.

CarmenOM

I'll second this. From A or B to high F gates (the worst scenario) is the longest possible connection distance at MSP. Could you drive instead of fly to MSP from XXX? (and why not identify it?)

gckja

Arriving to MSP at the front of a CRJ with no gate-tagged luggage, so we should be able to deplane fairly quickly. I've had to do the trip from A/B to F/G where my second flight is boarding as I'm deplaning and I've never had an issue, but those flights are domestic. My concern is due to the international flight.

BenA

Going through today at the peak morning time (~9:00 AM), the line was incredibly grim and worse than I had ever seen it - it extended well into the concourse almost all the way back to the E gates. Based on past experience of how the line tends to move, it must have been well over an hour's wait.

I'm not sure how the situation has been allowed to get this bad, but Schiphol really must fix this problem and get immigration queues back under control. The current situation is entirely unacceptable.

The saving grace is that airport staff make periodic passes through the line to extract passengers with tight connections, so that does reduce the risk of missing your flight. But don't expect much lounge time on any layover less than two hours, especially if you land on the far runway that's practically in Belgium and comes with a 15 minute taxi time.

C W

The saving grace for the late passengers, but it only makes the wait longer for people who booked a sufficient connection.

And 15 minutes is kind. I often fly from DUS to AMS and have actually timed on my phone that we spend longer driving at AMS than in the air.

bgriff

Most of the concourses where long-haul DL and AF flights depart from in CDG are actually pretty nice. (You'll depart from either concourse K, L, or M, though you won't know which until the day of departure.) So if you don't end up with lounge access, it's not too bad. There are things like free Playstations and other arcade games set up that the teenagers might enjoy, as well as a variety of seating options. See http://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passe...elax-and-enjoy

gooselee

I don't think OP will be able to buy lounge access in CDG. When flying AF's PE product, the *option to purchase* lounge access as an add-on is touted as a benefit of PE over coach, which would indicate to me that coach pax aren't even eligible to purchase. YMMV, I guess.

But...the CDG 2E is actually quite nice, IMO, especially Hall K. Never feels crowded, plenty of shops and other stuff to keep you distracted, etc. Many, many places in the world that are far worse to have to spend a few hours.

C W

I thought this as well until I was recently corrected on FlyerTalk because of the way that AF's website presents the options. However, as long as they are each a FlyBlue member, they can purchase lounge access for €45 per person.