Can I beg your indulgence for yet another CDG transfer question?

Separate tickets, hand-baggage only.

Arriving 08:50 on AF from Manchester

Departing 11:00 on AA for Philadelphia


Seems plenty time, but procedures at CDG will probably oblige me to go airside to check in and get the usual security grilling for the flight to PHL - i.e. no airside transfer. If this is the case, will two hours be sufficient?

I don�t know how often you travel through CDG but I would not consider 2+10 plenty of time. If using separate tickets, I would not attempt it at all, even with carryon luggage only.

The last time I dug into AA�s suggested checkin time for CDG departures it was 3 hours. I would be sure to check-in in advance and hope that my arriving flight was not late.

here's a map.
You will need to clear immigration, go airside, get from 2E or 2F to 2A, check-in, go through security and immigration again.

Here's a description of a connection 2E>2C. 2E>2A should be similar

2E>2A on foot

As little as possible! Fine airport, of course ; but not one supported by my FFP ...



That's what I thought. But an AF agent lifted my hopes by saying I could just go to a transfer desk airside: always best to check the FT knowledge base!

I'm blessed with a business-class ticket, so one hour should do for AA's check-in. But it looks a perfect excuse to give myself a night in Paris.

Any excuse is the BESR excuse to spend a night in lovely Paris.

In "normal time", I would say that it is risky but feasible with carryons only. But with the current terrorist situation, the lines at immigration are horrible most of the time and so it seems extremely risky to me.

I'll try to do better than the Ibis Roissy this time - at least in terms of location ....

Quite so, don't underestimate the scale of the meltdowns possible when holiday peak traffic meets the limited typing abilities of overworked French immigration officers having to record every non-French passport in detail.

As non-Schengen, soon to to be a Brexited non-European, that is a concern...

I fear this is a sphincter-clenching plan. You may get lucky, but I'd not wager an onward flight to the US. Caveat emptor, as always, but I'd build in more time or a hotel at CDG.

Don't forget the impact of the AF strikes if they're still happening when the OP travels. In fact, my first worry would be potential cancellation or delay of the initial AF segment at this time. If flights are overbooked, having a business class ticket should help, but the OP seems to be flying without any SkyTeam status, which would also worry me during a period of extremely high travel demand.

If OP has BOTH tickets in business class, arrival on AF with the business class boarding pass gives access to AccesNo.1/SkyPriority for passport control on entering France. I don't know whether there's some similar arrangement in 2A for outbound passport control and security for AA business class passengers, but my guess would be yes.

BTW, it's a long walk from 2E/F to 2A. I'd guess at least twenty minutes with a carryon bag, including a potential wait for the elevator at the entrance to 2C/D from 2E/F as the walkways aren't on the same level.

As long as you can OLCI for your AA flight, you should be able to take the airside shuttle between 2E and 2A, no need to pass immigration, only security and AA should have a booth airside where you can clear AA security questions. I have never taken this connection, but I remember having seen the signs.

Does AA offer OLCI for international flights?

I believe that they do. Actually all of the US air carriers do as far as I know. As long as you have a copy of your boarding pass, which you should have received at on line check in, you can go through passport control and security. AA will confirm that your passport is in your possession before you board (and probably ask the security questions).

Still, I would not bet the ranch on making a 2+10 connection at CDG unless I were an officially connecting passenger as only these people have access to the expedited passport/security processing.

They do, but everything has to be just right in order for it to work. There are a number of things that can throw off the ability to check in online. My advice: try it, but don't count on it. Check and double check your passport info. And if you've requested or cleared an upgrade, that can mess things up, too.