miadukes

Trying to coordinate my way home and looking at the best possible solution. I am flying from US to Paris roundtrip. While in Paris I am hoping over to spain to visit family but still have to make it back to paris for return trip.

I fly out of CDG airport at 4:25pm.

I was thinking of doing a last day al day traveling sorta thing to make the 10 days smoother, basically 5 days paris, 5 days spain and last day all travel.

What I was thinking of booking goes like this.

Coruna to Madrid 6:40am lands at 8am, then madrid to Paris was 8:50am and lands at 10:55, this is one ticket with iberia. I am just not sure I will actually make it. I am familiar with Terminal 4 but I have never connected domestically, only intl out of 4S. The other option would be I imagine if I miss that flight because they landed late the next flight I can be booked on would be 10:55 out of madrid land 1:55 in Paris.

I am just concerned about having 2 hours in Paris to go through customs or passport control really out of the country and have enough time to get from wherever iberia lands to wherever norwegian leaves. (and still grab a sandwich of some sort)

Is my first option realistic?? I just hate the stress of last day traveling and having a problem getting on the norwegian flight and then it costing me more money.

My other option was land in paris, spend 3 nights there, 5 nights spain, last 2 nights paris. but having never been to paris not sure how much time i would waste airport transferring with this option so thats why i was considering doing all day traveling the last day.

BA6501

Iberia flies to Paris Orly many times a day. Iberia Express flies once a day to Paris CDG, normally in the evening. You would want at least a good 4 hours between landing in Paris Orly and leaving Paris CDG. Baggage claim at Orly is infamously slow, then you have to catch a bus going to CDG which can take 1h30 easily, and you have to check-in by the deadline in CDG. You'd also want a comfortable margin in case of delays to the first flight or in traffic.

To answer your initial question, 50mins is doable T4-T4 (or T4S-T4S). Make sure that your flights are both arriving and departing the same terminal, which they should be if it is offering you that connection. The LCG-MAD flight will be the aircraft's first flight of the day, so shouldn't be delayed barring technical issues. Gates in T4 are at most 15 minutes apart (H9 to K94).

Yllanes

The main problem here is landing at ORY and then departing from CDG. The flight from LCG should be on time, especially at that hour, but you basically have no contingency (since the option arriving in ORY at 13.55 does not leave you enough time to take the 16.25 from CDG).

Have you looked at options with Vueling? You can book LCG-BCN-CDG with them. Even better, I believe they fly direct SCQ-CDG.

miadukes

I'm so glad I asked. I wasn't looking carefully and didn;t realize I had ORY checked off for airports. kept thinking I only had CDG, so then my plan won't work because I am not risking ORY to CDG. I am going to have to go back to 3 nights, then 5 then 2.

Yes I plan on doing the direct route with Vueling which is why I wanted to do the split option but the one on that day I don't think would give me enough time should something go wrong. It lands at 1:25 at CDG and my flight leaves at 4:25, since I assume I have to change terminals and go throu border control I didn't want to risk vueling being late that day and then me not having enough time.

I don't have to worrk about bags, I am only doing carry on so that won't be an issue.

miadukes

Ok so I have another question about timing. I plan on doing the route backwards now. So USA to CDG arrive at 12:35am.

I know need to get to Coruna or Santiago De Compostela from Paris. To make it cheaper it looks like I am going to be buying both legs separate since there is no direct flights.
Well there is one, Vueling, leaves CDG at 2:55pm but I realistically don't think its enough time to transfer and customs and if I miss it there are no other Vueling flights so there goes that money. For whats its worth I plan on only having a carry on.

I was debating doing any one of these:
USA to CDG arrive 12:35
CDG to Madrid 3:30pm Arrive MAD 5:30pm (Air France)
or
CDG to Madrid 5:15pm Arrive MAD 7:15pm (Air France)

then

MAD to LCG 7:05 and land at 8:15pm (Iberia)
or
MAD to LCG 10:05pm land 11:15pm (Iberia)


The reason to split it up its that I figured out that the one way from CDG to MAD was cheaper and then I can use my Avios and pay only $30 from MAD to LCG

If i bought one congruent ticket it was like $226 for the one way.

But this way I run the risk of being late and missing flights and loosing money by not being rebooked so not sure how to work this.

Anyone have thoughts what will work smoothly?

I know I would have to transfer from Terminal 2 to Terminal 4 in Madrid but since i have never been outside Terminal 4 or $s , is this fast and easy? How long would it take?

BA6501

Don't do it... You will have to collect your bag in Madrid. That's Madrid's weakest point, though not that bad in T2, expect 30 minutes wait. You then need to take the bus to T4, it leaves every 10 minutes and takes about 10 minutes. Check-in in T4 will close 45-55 minutes before departure. I suppose you'll be fine for the 22:05 flight, but do you really want to wait around that long?! You'll also have to collect bags in CDG, but I'm not sure which airline you're flying?

How does the $226 for the one way work out? That seems cheap for AF and IB on the same ticket, unless you are looking at Iberia Express connecting to Iberia? Have you looked at booking with Air Europa? They codeshare with AF on CDG-MAD. Your bags will be checked through and you can connect in no time in MAD.

Can't you have an open-jaw ticket USA-LCG, PAR-USA? Or even just to MAD? USA-LHR, PAR-USA?

Yllanes

I think he already has the booking to CDG.

Personally, three different tickets with as many airlines is too many "moving parts" for comfort. If the CDG-MAD-LCG/SCQ flights in one single ticket (with Air France and Air Europa) are too expensive, and you have the Avios, you could book the 18.45 from ORY, which gets you in MAD in time for the late evening flights to Galicia, and change it if your flight is very delayed.

miadukes

I don't have bags so that's not a problem. I plan on carry on unless I run into an issue where they make me check it. The way I figured its 5 hours of time at CDG and 2 hours at Madrid so I thought it would be enough time. The AF was with Air Europa on the same ticket. It's about $100 more than the way I was going to do it separately. Worst case scenario and I miss somethig at the beginning I am not rushed to get to Coruna and its not a problem getting left somewhere along the way, which is why I am doing it on that part and not on my way home.

Also, I would have no idea how to open jaw anything. I am not that great like everyone here on the flying tricks. I am learning tho and got this great deal to paris but the rest yeah I am still learning all the flight tricks.

I don't want to transfer airports, that seems like more a disaster. Its not that I can't afford the $226 but I would rather stay aroudn the $100 range lol yes I am being cheap and technically the times on those flights are the same. But yes I do agree that 3 different segments gives me worry. I figure worst case scenario I will get stuck in madrid for night which doesn't concern me that much.

I am discouraged that no one thinks i'll make it. Now i have to rethink this.

Yllanes

It's fine if you understand the risks, it's only up to you how much you value the piece of mind of the single ticket.

And you are absolutely right that the AF flight from CDG to MAD is as safe as you can make it right now, short of staying the night in Paris. The connection in MAD without luggage should be fine, barring French strikes and in any case being stranded in Madrid on the way to Corunna is not a big deal. You can take a train, bus or flight the next morning.

With this in mind, you could also book MAD-LCG with Avios. It won't be great value, but you could change it to the next morning if your CDG-MAD flight is delayed.

miadukes

Well I arrive at CDG at 12:35 and the flight to Madrid is 5:15, I think that should be enough time, its almost 5 hours, even if my first flight was delayed 2 hours, that would still give me 2.5 to get off plane, customs and switch terminals. I *think* that would still work??


Yes I plan on booking the MAD to LCG with avios as its the cheapest way otherwise its like 224 euros for that one leg, with avios its 4,500 avios and $31.
I'm not particularly worried about getting stranded in any of those stops, although I don't want to but i figured it would be cheaper to get new flights and book one night at the airport somewhere once there than risking missing my flight back home.

All of them should be without luggage as I have my carry on and a backpack.
ETA: so then with avios, i can change at will??? That is good to know that is a great option then because if I am late I can do just what you said and spend one night in madrid, it wouldn't be the worst thing that happened lol

Yllanes

Using Avios with the Azul fare (the one you have quoted), you can change or cancel for a € 25 fee. If you pay some extra avios (Turista fare) changes and refunds are free (you can make changes up to the departure of the flight, refunds only up to 24 h before the flight).

These conditions are only valid for flights on IB (plus IB Express and Air Nostrum) and BA, IB+ redemptions on other OW airlines are not flexible.

miadukes

I may have seen that now that you mention the 25 euros. I think that will be the best go, I am doing an IB flight from MAD to LCG so worst case scenario I get delayed I will just spend the night in madrid and fly our first thing. I mean I am already arriving at 11:15pm, so technically just sleeping, so getting there the next morning won't be anything horrendous and I am just visiting family so its not like I have plans that will be ruined.