Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Destinations > Europe > Europe
Reload this Page >

Strapped for time in Zürich

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Strapped for time in Zürich

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 21, 2019, 9:12 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AS 75K (OW), SK Silver (*A), UR, MR
Posts: 3,339
Strapped for time in Zürich

Traveling on American passport from the US through ZRH to CPH. Given that you can possibly be in line for an hour for passport control alone in ZRH, how would it make sense that United for a reservation would allow for only an hour and 55 minutes until the departure of the connecting flight?
vanillabean is offline  
Old Sep 21, 2019, 11:05 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1MM *G (recovered GS), SPG Nothing, Hilton Nothing, AA Nothing
Posts: 895
IME passport control in ZRH takes a few minutes at most. We typically land, go through passport control, get checked bags, and make it to a train in Zurich airport within 45 minutes or so. You should be fine with 1:55 to connect.
CarlTheWebmaster is offline  
Old Sep 21, 2019, 11:18 pm
  #3  
TPJ
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
Originally Posted by CarlTheWebmaster
IME passport control in ZRH takes a few minutes at most. We typically land, go through passport control, get checked bags, and make it to a train in Zurich airport within 45 minutes or so. You should be fine with 1:55 to connect.
1:55 in ZRH? You will even have time for a drink in the lounge...
TPJ is offline  
Old Sep 22, 2019, 12:08 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Barcelona, Catalunya
Posts: 2,108
And even if you stand in line for passport control for an hour, you will still have about 30 minutes left. Plenty of time to get to the gate for your CPH flight... :-)
Koby is offline  
Old Sep 22, 2019, 12:21 am
  #5  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
In Europe, passport control is much efficient compared to the USA. The passport control should take no longer than 10 minutes including the wait in ZRH.

As the previous posters have mentioned 1h55mins would be high enough and you would have a minimum 30 minutes of time in the lounge.
ISTFlyer is offline  
Old Sep 22, 2019, 4:17 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,565
...including a short train ride where you get to hear swiss cows mooing.
CarlTheWebmaster likes this.
KLouis is offline  
Old Sep 22, 2019, 4:40 am
  #7  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Originally Posted by vanillabean
Traveling on American passport from the US through ZRH to CPH. Given that you can possibly be in line for an hour for passport control alone in ZRH, how would it make sense that United for a reservation would allow for only an hour and 55 minutes until the departure of the connecting flight?
That is a ton of time in ZRH!
LondonElite is offline  
Old Sep 24, 2019, 11:21 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5
I was in ZRH earlier this year and it never ceases to amaze me how quicky and efficient they are at processing passengers.

I was also at LAX and JFK a few weeks prior to being in ZRH. The difference is day and night.
Matera1992 is offline  
Old Sep 25, 2019, 3:47 pm
  #9  
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
I've flown through ZRH a few times this year and I've never had anything resembling a line, let alone a long line, at passport control.
CMK10 is offline  
Old Sep 25, 2019, 4:38 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: トロント
Programs: IHG Gold
Posts: 4,820
Originally Posted by vanillabean
Traveling on American passport from the US through ZRH to CPH. Given that you can possibly be in line for an hour for passport control alone in ZRH, how would it make sense that United for a reservation would allow for only an hour and 55 minutes until the departure of the connecting flight?
Considering that is double the time you actually need, is your complaint in fact that they are wasting your time with such a long connection?
mapleg is online now  
Old Sep 25, 2019, 8:52 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
Actually, this June, it took me a little over half an hour to get through passport control at ZRH. A real surprise since it had never taken me much more than 10 minutes prior to this visit.
FLYMSY is offline  
Old Sep 26, 2019, 2:53 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 93
I have had several connections of 55 minutes at ZRH, non Schengen to Schengen, i.e. including security, train ride and passport control, and I never missed one.
chrismo2 is offline  
Old Sep 26, 2019, 9:54 pm
  #13  
nrr
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
At NOON for E gate pp check two flts arrive at adjacent gates: (1)LHR to ZRH, (2)a Belarus to ZRH, can cause big delays, I've flown (1) several times.
I once arrived on a VERY delayed DL JFK-ZRH flt. (1)had not arrived but (2) did--they opened lots more pp check lanes than for only (1) and (2).
nrr is offline  
Old Oct 3, 2019, 12:58 pm
  #14  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AS 75K (OW), SK Silver (*A), UR, MR
Posts: 3,339
Maybe that’s the kind of overlap we encountered. The open room was packed with a long line spilling over into a hallway, while there were practically no one in line for EU citizens. It took us an hour and ten minutes to get through passport control alone.
vanillabean is offline  
Old Oct 4, 2019, 2:22 am
  #15  
:D!
Hilton Contributor BadgeIHG Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
I flew LHR-ZRH last week. After disembarking we found ourseveles at the back of a very long queue mainly consisting of non-white people and white people with American accents (thus assumed to be the non-EEA line), such that we couldn't even see the passport control booths.

Some people holding red passports (i.e. Swiss) off my flight were looking confused and eventually one of them barged through the queue, the rest of us with EEA/CH passports followed, and we had to duck under a metal barrier which led us to e-gates where there was no queue. Not sure why there was no clear path to the e-gates or the EEA/CH officer booths.
:D! is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.