WineCountryUA

Minimizing connections and separate tickets can be a problem unless one is comfortable with adventure.

wco81

True.

I think though that if there's high confidence that UA will check my baggage through to PMI as long as I book the second flight through a *A carrier would seem to make the chance of making a 2-hour connection more likely.

wco81

Hmm UA57, EWR-CDG, has average delay of 46 minutes and is only on-time 56% of the time:

http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight...irportCode=CDG

This site doesn't compute an average delay but looks like the flight has been late a few times recently:

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL57


So assuming an average delay of 46 minutes, it would be 75 minutes to make it through immigration and transit to the Swiss Air flight, instead of about 2 hours ...

CaswellBarnes

Forgive me if this issue has been raised and discussed previously, but I haven't seen this exact issue raised. My 21yo college junior son is studying for a month this July in Turin. In trying to get him the right flight to TRN, I booked him a connection through CDG which I now regret after reading some earlier comments on connections through CDG. He's traveling IAH-IAD-CDG arriving CDG T1 on UA915 at 6:55am local. His CDG-TRN connection departs CDG T2G on CitiJet operating as AF1102 at 8:40am local. I purchased UA Premier Access for him on all UA legs. I also purchased a Y+ (Economy Plus) seat for him closer to the front left exit on the IAD-CDG leg so he can get off the plane more quickly. He will also have GE. He will only have carry-ons, no checked bags. I know he will have to catch the CDGVAL from T1 to T2, then walk/run to T2F to catch the N2 bus from T2F to T2G. He will have the reverse connection a month later on his return. Anything else I should make him aware of the maximize the chances that he makes his connection? Any other advice? I've never been to/through CDG, so I'm scouring the Internet for info/advice. Thanks in advance for your input!

DJ Bitterbarn

I'm by no means a CDG expert and my searching has yielded limited results.

I'm booked on UA inbound to CDG at 10:15. The plan is to fly to ATH on A3, but the only two flights they have are at 12:00 and 19:30. Arrivals and departures both at T1, giving a supposed 1h45 if there are no delays. So.... let's call it an hour. I do not have an EU/EEA passport (and residence card expired). I would also prefer to not wait until 19:30 because I'm trying to get in two more A3 segments before the next morning or something like that. This may all be futile anyway.

Now I've got a 75% chance of not taking a checked bag, which I realize is probably a deal-breaker if UA won't interline.

In theory I could ask really, really nicely and see if UA can check me in all the way including the A3 flights (all *A), but they could also say no. I could also check in online for the A3 flights if that doesn't work. Or worst case I will hopefully retain *G next year so I could hopefully check in faster.

But in the end, is it a really, really bad idea to plan on a ~1h T1-T1 connection at CDG? Or with average luck is it really just "go faster than most people off the flight, get lucky at immigration, up through the habitrail to the next flight and security is good?

rodmanlama

Definitely avoid the checked bag (although it sounds like he already is) because CDG is a crapshoot in terms of bag delivery times. Probably the largest standard deviation of any airport I've ever flown into.

Also, from my experience flying through CDG, the markings for the CDGVAL are not that obvious on the level that you arrive on. Tell your son to head over to the elevator banks and descend to the level of the CDGVAL. I believe it is marked in the elevators next to the buttons. That's the only advice I can offer. Maybe somebody else here knows a better way to get to the CDGVAL than I do! I have just always found the signage lacking and have had several people follow me to it because they couldn't figure it out either.

CaswellBarnes

Thank you - this was very helpful advice. My son flew through CDG like a pro. He even had a few other travelers follow him along the way like the Pied Piper!

IAD1k

Questions for the pros on the forum about connecting at CDG and lounges. We are a family of 4, arriving with UA in J into T1, departing in Y with JP from T2D (paid J but only Y available). A solid 2.5 hr connection. 2 of us 1K, kids not yet. *A website shows we can use *A lounge in T1 (http://www.staralliance.com/en/airpo...irportCode=CDG) but we'd rather get to T2 as soon as we can and wait in a lounge at T2. We'd like to shower. It seems the only 2 shower options at T2 are AC and Cathay lounges. Cathay specifies "business." Which one is better, and will we be allowed to use the Cathay lounge departing in Y despite a J arrival? Many thanks for the advice.

Pat Plus

You are unlikely to have access to the Star Alliance Lounge in T1 as it is for departures only. Technically, you are connecting on Star Alliance and therefore "should" be allowed in, but since Adria departs from T2, I can see the agent pushing back. It doesn't hurt to try, of course. If you want to try, be sure NOT to exit customs when you arrive - the lounge is inside the non-Schengen area.

You won't have access to the Cathay lounge in T2 since Cathay Pacific is a oneworld member and you're flying on Star Alliance.

Flying on Adria as 1K you will have access to the Air Canada Lounge. That said, your kids won't. The lounge takes Priority Pass if that's an option for you.

IAD1k

ok thanks!


but the *A website lists the Cathay lounge as a contracted lounge, and the rules say you can bring up to 1 guest as a 1K, I will try it if *A lounge in T1 and AC are no luck.

Pat Plus

That's why their web site is terrible.

Yes, the Cathay lounge is a contracted lounge indeed... For Air India.

You won't get in

IAD1k

thanks again. I also noticed that the *A website lists the AC lounge as having a shower, but AC.com does not! indeed, lousy website.

on the flip side, the AC lounge does allow guests for *G members, from their website: "Star Alliance Gold: You may access any Maple Lounge when travelling on a departing Star Alliance flight, in any class of service. At no additional charge, you may be accompanied by one guest who is also in possession of a same-day ticket on a qualifying, departing flight." So we may shower in T1 and then move on to T2 AC to be near the departing gates.

Mike Jacoubowsky

I've noticed an increasing number of airport check-in areas where United Explorer Card holders get their own queue ahead of general members. I don't recall noticing if this is the case at CDG? My brother and his wife are returning from France this morning (Sunday) and just wondering if that's an option.

Thanks!

Kensterfly

Card holders don't get a special boarding group of their own but they DO get to board with Group 2.
If you're asking specifically about check in at the ticket counter, I believe card holders can check in at Premier desks but I've never seen a dedicated position at the ticket counter for card holders.

edwardaggie98

I've searched and searched and can't find this information anywhere - not here, not on CDG's website or on United's or Star Alliance's. (And all the stuff on this topic on FT forums seems to be about Delta/AF.)

Is there an arrivals lounge in T1 that United customers can use? All I can see on *A's website is that there is a *A club, but there's not much information there and it seems to be geared toward departures.

I don't fly into CDG often (I usually am arriving France by train), so I can't remember what the deal is. I'm flying from IAD-CDG on UA metal.

Or, barring that - is there anything in the TGV station? I arrive at 7 a.m. but am on a 10 a.m. TGV and I'd love to freshen up.

Thanks!