melodyesch

Hi Fodorites,

Just thought I'd give a recent account of leaving Paris through CDG (to the US). We had read that you really should allow for 3 hours so that's what we did and it was the perfect amount of time for us, based on what we wanted to do and not feel rushed.

We arrived at the airport at 7:30 am on Friday (May 12). We went to the VAT refund desk and used the automated machine (very easy). Then, we checked in at Delta to check our bags. We normally don't check bags, but DH had a bottle of scotch in his. That took maybe 20 mins.

After, we went through the passport control. When getting in that line, the Delta folks were eying EVERY carry-on bag and if it even remotely looked like it wouldn't fit in the sizer, they sent you to an area setup right there, where a person was verifying and weighing ALL of your carry-on luggage. There were several really pissed people trying to squish a huge bag into that sizer and then having to check their bag. We did witness a VERY heated arguement with the Delta people and one woman, who appeared to be flat-out refusing to measure her bag. If she was not French then she was completely fluent because of the rapid fire conersation. Our French isn't good enough that we could follow all of it. But it looked like she won the arguement, as she stayed and progressed in the line for about 10 minutes. That is, until security came and forced her out of the line, with much yelling on her part. We didn't see her after that. Anyway, I'm not sure how long it took to get through that line, but it seemed reasonable due to the number of people. It was slow, but steady.

We made it to our terminal and through security with no major issues. We did misunderstand about our iPads and the person in front of us made the same mistake with his DSLR camera. We thought the person was saying we could leave them in but when we got to the scanner had to take them out. We spent about 20 minutes looking in the shops, then visited the rest room and went to our gate, where we waited about 10 minutes before they started boarding. And since it was a huge plane, they started the boarding about an hour before takeoff. So like I say, a perfect amount of time. I imagine 2 hours would be more than enough time if you are simply walking in and going straight through to board. However, there were several people who just barely made the flight. I heard a flight attendant say that security got really backed up and they were waiting on the few who were running for it. And clearly they DID run, coming on panting. So we always err on the side of caution.

So anyway, all went well for us. I'll do a trip report of our two weeks in Paris in a bit. What a great trip.

Guenmai

Good that it went well for you. I've been going through CDG since the 70s. Last summer was a mess. I fly Delta/Air France from L.A. and also Air France within Europe. Last summer they were also weighing everything. I got caught up in that situation. I had checked in my one suitcase and had my tiny, international-sized suitcase with me to take on the plane. I was flying to Copenhagen. Suddenly I was told that I had to put the carry-on on the scale. I did and the guy pointed for me to go back to the check it in counter and check it. Huh? That was the only flight, within Europe, where I had to check it in. I wasn't expecting to have to check it in as that has never happened before. So, back to the check-in counter I had to go and also take out valuables and put them into my back-up, nylon carry-on bag as I always take along a fold-up, nylon tote.

As for my international flight, when I got back to Paris, from Copenhagen and then needed to change planes onto L.A. on Air France/Delta, there was a back up, like no other back up, at the immigration check point. I just made my flight and I'm sure that others didn't. There were a lot of really angry passengers in line.

For this coming trip, in a few weeks, I had my Air France plane ticket changed, out of Copenhagen, on the way back home, to arrive back into CDG on the first flight which is really early in the morning. I'll have a lot of dead time now, but I have no desire to possibly go through what I went through last summer and have gone through in other summers. I explained the situation to Expedia when I called and they made the changes, cost free, but in order to make them, had to also change my international ticket to read that it would now be on Air France, not Delta although it's the same flight. When I don't have a Copenhagen connection and am just leaving to fly home straight from Paris and CDG, I always arrive 3 hours early, just in case.

Happy Travels!

Sassafrass

Thanks for your report. Also makes you realize what security and check-in people deal with when people do not follow the rules. I am so often amazed at the size bag people push through to carry on. Frankly, I wish all the airlines would make everybody follow the rules already in place. If they were consistent, there would not be so many people consistently breaking them.

1994

Thanks for your post. I cannot imagine the craziness that will ensue if the talked about ban on laptops and anything electronic bigger than a phone are implemented. It is already challenging enough.

frenchaucoeur

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but 1994 brings up the proposed DHS ban on electronics in airplane cabins. Does anyone else see this as a full-employment act for thieves? Are we really expected to put expensive devices loaded with personal information into unchecked luggage that is highly vulnerable to theft and that will be tossed around like sacks of potatoes, causing who knows how many devices to be damaged?

There must be a better way.

topeater

frenchaucoerur, that is the first thing I thought about when I heard about the ban possibility. I would never, ever put my airbook in my checked luggage!

Guenmai

And we've always been told not to put valuables into our checked luggage, but now we're possibly to put our laptops into it? Yesterday, I ordered an inexpensive ChromeBook from Best Buy as I leave in a few weeks and will no longer take my MacBook Air along just in case something suddenly changes, while I'm overseas, and I get caught up in the change.

Happy Travels!

Sassafrass

It is not just the possibility (even likelihood since everybody will know) of theft of the laptop, etc. but of any information on it. Talk about being vulnerable to identity theft!

StuDudley

I suspect we'll see more people taking direct flights between their home airport and their final destination. That way, only airline baggage handlers will have access to luggage - not just anyone off the street. Luggage will be on the "secure" side one-way doors.

Stu Dudley

DebitNM

How many people simply cannot fly direct, Stu? Lots of folks like us, always have to take a minimum of 2 flights to get anywhere out of US.

frenchaucoeur

I don't mean to be stupid, but I don't understand how taking a direct flight mitigates the risk. All luggage goes through screening and is susceptible to being opened before it gets loaded, right? So why couldn't a baggage handler steal my iPad before it gets loaded at JFK?

Also, I assume a bomb in the luggage compartment is just as capable of bringing down a plane as one in the passenger compartment. Can someone please please explain the logic of all this?

And does DHS think a potential terrorist isn't smart enough to choose an airport not covered by the new restrictions?

Sometimes I really wonder!

StuDudley

Yep - but many people (like us) accept multi-flight routes to get frequent flyer tickets. I could never get a non-stop FF ticket. I have a few friends here who actually prefer 12-13 hrs of flying with a multi-hour stop mid way, over a direct 11 hr flight.

When you return home from Europe and have to re-check your luggage after the first stop in the US, would you consider unpacking your laptop so you could use it in the cabin?

Stu Dudley

StuDudley

>> I don't understand how taking a direct flight mitigates the risk. <<

On a direct flight, the only people who can steal things are airline employees or anyone who manages to "pose" as an airline employee. After retrieving your baggage and going through customs - you exit a monitored one-way door where the general public is "waiting". If you go from CDG to JFK, then on to SFO - you will arrive in SFO at the domestic arrival terminals where anyone can get to baggage claim area. Here at SFO, there is nobody who checks baggage claim tickets.

Stu Dudley

Scootoir

Thanks melodyesch, we'll be flying home next month from CDG on Air France and planned to arrive 3 hours before flight time. Glad to know it went well for you.

frenchaucoeur

Not to beat a dead horse, but I have read over the years of organized rings of airline employees who systematically steal items from checked luggage as it's being processed and x-rayed.

I'm not worried about outside thieves, although maybe I should be. I'm worried about airport personnel who help themselves to electronics somewhere between the check-in counter and the baggage compartment of the plane.

I can see why those who use multi-leg flights are vulnerable. I just don't see why I, as someone who will be flying home from Orly to JFK, my final destination, am not equally vulnerable.

And I still don't see why my points about the danger of bombs in the luggage compartment and the ability of would-be terrorists to choose their aiport aren't dealbreakers in the eyes of DHS.

The times we live in! That we have to worry about these things!

vanne

We just returned from Paris -- we got to the airport about 4 hours early (realizing that was probably more time than necessary). We got to CDG about 6:30 a.m. and went through checking bags, security, and border control by 8:15.
We spent some time in the shops and then waited at the gate for our 10:37 flight. At boarding I was randomly selected to have my carryon checked. This was a full Delta flight, but I didn't notice anyone having to check the size of their carryons. All in all everything went pretty smoothly. We probably in this experience could have gotten to the airport a little later, but preferred to err on the side of caution. Our cab to the airport made excellent time as there wasn't any traffic problem that early -- I would think later in the day that might have been more of a consideration. We wanted a little built in cushion in case our cab didn't show up or something -- as it was he was waiting for us when we stepped out to wait for him about 10 minutes ahead of the scheduled time.

I've read that having people checking laptops and other electronic devices is a dangerous idea, with the danger of a fire from batteries. This ban seems like just another situation of a knee-jerk reaction rather than a thoroughly thought out idea.

kerouac

"Airline employees" are not doing much stealing. The moment your bags disappear on a belt, they have entered the world of "baggage handlers" who work for a completely different company.

melodyesch

If I understand it coerrectly, the proposed ban is just for laptops, correct? Not tablets or phones? I can imagine the inconvenience for business travelers and others who carry a laptop and don't check bags normally. That's a lot of extra time you have to factor in to get there early to check bags then wait at you destination

Unfortunately for me, the company I work for has banned taking company assets outside the US, thus ending my hopes of maybe working from Paris for a couple of months.

melodyesch

If I understand it correctly, the proposed ban is just for laptops, correct? Not tablets or phones? I can imagine the inconvenience for business travelers and others who carry a laptop and don't check bags normally. That's a lot of extra time you have to factor in to get there early to check bags then wait at your destination to have them offloaded. Then there is the risk of theft.

Unfortunately for me, although DH and I are both free to work from home, the company I work for has banned taking company assets outside the US, thus ending our hopes of maybe working from Paris for a couple of months. So sadly, this ban won't impact me.

Nikki

I did have some items stolen from my luggage when flying non-stop from Paris almost twenty years ago. I don't know whether this is still happening but it has made me paranoid about checking anything I wouldn't want to lose.