bobbyR66

I am thinking of booking a SAS flight from Chicago to Copenhagen, which is scheduled to arrive at 1:20 PM on Tuesday, July 20, 2016. I would then like to catch an Iberia Express flight that is scheduled to depart Copenhagen for Madrid at 3:15 PM. Is 1 hour and 55 minutes enough time to do this? I'm thinking it might not be, if I have to clear customs, get my bags and probably go through security again. Any thoughts?

Odin

My thoughts are that if this is offered as a through connection and is on one ticket, the connection time will be correct. Flights from the U.S. to Europe tend to arrive early, CPH is a small airport and customs is not something that takes any time to walk through, you mean immigration, not customs. If you do miss the onward flight due to the delay of the inbound, the airline will put you in the next available, subject to you having this trip on one ticket. Your bags will be checked through to the final destination.

dotheboyshall

Are you flying Chicago to Madrid as one ticket - ie it just happens go go through Copenhagen


Or have you booked Chicago to Copenhagen and a separate ticket for Copenhagen to Madrid

If the former then you wouldn't be allowed to book it if the connection wasn't possible, if the latter then it's unlikely you would make the "connection".

janisj

One ticket - you'll be OK because they will put you on the next available flight if you are late.

Two separate tickets - a very bad idea.

bobbyR66

Thank you very much for your responses. It would be two separate tickets, and as you have suggested, I would probably not make my connection. I can book a different first flight that will arrive at 12:15 and give me three hours to make my connection. Do you think three hours is enough time?

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Maybe. There's always a risk with separate tickets. If your incoming flight arrives too late to make your outgoing flight, the second airline considers you a no-show and cancels your ticket. Neither airline has any obligation to get you to your final destination. You'd have no choice but to buy an expensive walk-up fare to get to Madrid.

This seems a convoluted way to get to Madrid. Is there nothing else that works for you? Something non-stop? Or, at least, something on one ticket?

janisj

I agree w/ Jeff. Obviously you don't have any plans to do anything there, so is there some reason you want to travel through Copenhagen?

Doesn't make any sense to me - especially on separate tickets (no matter how much time between flights)

scdreamer

I agree with previous posters - isn't there a way you can book all the way through with one provider (even if the connecting flight is on a different airline)? That way, the airline has a responsibility to get you on another flight if there are any flight connection issues.

The only thing I can think of, is that you have found a really great fare with a consolidator? If that is the case, proceed with caution - those pairings are not refundable or changeable once you've booked, and the airlines will usually be less than helpful if there is a problem.

I've flown from the US to Madrid many times, and never connected through Copenhagen. It seems odd, and out of the way.

Odin

I do the separate ticket thing now & again, sometimes it is the less expensive way. But it does not cone without risk, so far I've not had issues.
Can the CPH/MAD flights be on a flexible ticket, at least that way if you are delayed, you can rebook for a fee & fare differential?

bobbyR66

Thank you again for all your thoughtful responses. The reason I'm thinking of booking it this way is that we're going to a 7/23 wedding in Madrid, then going to visit friends in Germany and then other friends in Sweden and Denmark. We have flexibility and plenty of time to get to Madrid on the front end of the trip, but not much flexibility at the end of the trip. Booking a round trip airfare is quite a bit cheaper than four one way fares, as our flights otherwise would be Chicago to Madrid, Madrid to Stuttgart, Dusseldorf to Copenhagen (we're driving with German friends from Stuttgart to Dusseldorf), Copenhagen to Chicago.

If you don't think 3 hours is enough time to make the connection to Madrid, I can take a flight that gets to Copenhagen at 10:20, which would give me almost 5 hours to make my connection.

janisj

>>Booking a round trip airfare is quite a bit cheaper than four one way fares, as our flights otherwise would be Chicago to Madrid, Madrid to Stuttgart, Dusseldorf to Copenhagen (we're driving with German friends from Stuttgart to Dusseldorf), Copenhagen to Chicago<<

That is your mistake. You do <u>not</u> want a R-T nor 4 one ways.

What you want is open jaw (usually called multi city) into Madrid and home from Copenhagen. Then you can book a really cheap intra-Europe one ways

janisj

Meant to add >>If you don't think 3 hours is enough time to make the connection to Madrid, I can take a flight that gets to Copenhagen at 10:20, which would give me almost 5 hours to make my connection.<<

It really make no difference how long you leave between flights. If they are no on the same booking you are no protected. What if there is a 4 hour weather delay, or a health emergency on your departing flight or a mechanical problem that takes a few hours to fix. You will then not have a flight to Madrid.

Book open jaw and quit messing about with convoluted itineraries.

janisj

sorry re the typos . . .

janisj

topping -- hoping bobbyR66 sees this before booking that R-T (open jaw solves your problems)