Pat Plus

You could get it at the checkin desks... It would take just a few minutes to exit and re-enter the airside area. But why bother? Use your phone. Either the LH app or an email.

1k-all-the-way

Do you have lounge access? You could get them at the LH lounge perhaps, which is after immigration, and before security IIRC.

Pat Plus

No. The LH lounge is after security and security is adamant about seeing BPs. Mobile BP is the way to go.

dawg1k

Flying out of CDG Tuesday the 8th to SFO in business.

Anyone flown recently? How long/bad was security?

Flight is at 9:10am so thinking if I'm there at the airport by 6:30am I should be good.

UAPremExecflyer

Way too early!
You will have access to priority security lane/fast(er) track whatever you want to call it.
0730 would be plenty of time.

dawg1k

Oh, great, thanks!

hughw

If you're not familiar with CDG, the immigration and security checks can be slightly confusing if you're flying business, or you're otherwise have "premium" access.
1. You obviously have premium access to checkin counters.
2. After check-in, you following signed to "Boarding" and take a sharply inclined people-mover moving-belt up several levels to the outgoing immigration checkpoint where there will likely be a long line, but don't despair, you have premium access to a poorly marked lane using your boarding pass. When we were there a month ago, there was a single agent with close to a hundred in lines feeding in from both sides. On the other side, there was a premium entry that we went through. For all I know, there may have been a premium entry on both sides, but one was hidden by the people in line. Make sure the boarding pass checker allows you in the right line, or a 5 minute wait could turn into an hour.
3. After the immigration check, you can explore shops or go up to the Star Alliance club before going to the satellite (by another people-mover belt) where the security takes place. You probably should head for the satellite about 20 minutes for boarding starts. Go to the right as reach the security checkpoint where you can scan your boarding pass for the premium security lane which you should move though quickly,

On our recent trip, we arrived about 7:45am for a 9:25 flight and had time to spend about 30-45 minutes in the lounge. Taxi out from Paris early in the morning will take no more than 45 minutes, probably less.

sapguy

Normally, 7:30 would be fine for a 9:30AM flight out of CDG if you are an Elite or Biz Class.

However, with all that's going on over here in France and Belgium, they are checking passports a like bit more carefully, like they did with this morning at BRU.

So I'd say 7:00AM would be a good compromise. CDG can be unpredictable sometime with work slow down and things like that which is typical of the French, so be early and spare yourself the stress.

Artpen100

I'd say shoot to be there at 7am for a 9:10, too. The terminal 1 experience can be unpredictable, but the traffic from central Paris can be unpredictable, too. I am one of those who builds in extra time to deal with anything going wrong, and though the amenities in terminal 1 are lacking compared to 2, the Star Alliance lounge on 11 is nice enough to spend your extra time in and has a good hot breakfast - pancakes, omelettes and the like.

JC1976

traffic is bad in the morning in Paris to CDG

dawg1k

Made it to SFO today and at AMEX lounge.

I ended up at CDG at just after 6:30am. Car service selected the pickup time for 6am. There was only a tiny bit of traffic which even surprised the driver a bit. Check-in was fine with a wee bit of security questioning before I could check-in and drop bag.

Border control took a whole 2 minutes. Headed to Star Alliance lounge. Worked, coffee, etc.

Waited until about an hour before flight to head to gate (left lounge when they made the announcement) and then on to pre-gate security check. While there is a fast track, it and the regular line fed together with two archways and scanners. This took a good 30 minutes mostly because people didn't know what they were doing. I then got picked for swab down of my main laptop.

At this point, I walked around the corner and the flight was bording. Once I supplied my boarding pass and walked to plane there was an extra set of security folks who pulled the people in front of me for an "extra" check.

Overall happy with things. Early is always better in my book and the old adage patience is a virtue is very true at CDG.

One other point: many people had more than two bags (lots of shopping). Security and GAs didn't care one bit. Got to SFO and was hassled about my duty free bag before I went through to TSA PRE. Oh well. Good to be home. Last flight of year.

Merry merry everyone!

Mike Jacoubowsky

Old news to most, but for those leaving from CDG on United-

For a 9:10 flight, your ticket will list "boarding time" as 8:35. If you show up at the gate at 8:35 you are hosed 'cuz A: They actually start boarding earlier than that and B: The main security is at the gate and it's atrocious.

United seriously needs to do something about the boarding process at CDG, and let people know to be at the "gate" (actually security, which is just before the gate area) 1 hour early.

Today's Flight 984 was a zoo at security. Nobody knows how to line up, and the merge for the fast-pass option moves no more quickly than the normal line because there's nobody there to manage it.

I was told this is actually a United problem, not CDG, because United gets the security they pay for. Not sure if I believe that or not.

Should there be a sticky for up-to-date notes about boarding issues at various airports?

MSPeconomist

Is security actually at the UA gate or at the entrance to the tunnel leading to the satellite that UA uses at CDG T1? Ages ago, the security check always happened as you approached your satellite, which meant that it was after the lounges and duty free shops, but shared among perhaps ten gates, so that T1 had about six different security checkpoints. It sounds from your description like this has changed.

Mike Jacoubowsky

Security changed at least a few years ago to the gate area, at the far end of the tunnel (so it's actually in the satellite). It's never been great, but lately it's gotten far worse, and it doesn't appear related to any extra security measures (although they do have you remove your shoes now).

TennisNoob

Was this possibly an change made after the attacks?