Want to place a bet? CDG connection!
 

Okay, this may be fun. No real money involved, just bragging rights.

I'm flying IAH-CDG-FCO on 12/24-25. My AF flight arrives CDG at 8:45am Christmas Day, and my AF connecting flight to FCO departs 9:50am.

According to all the information I've gathered, I will be arriving CDG 2C and departing 2F. I have seat 26E, an aisle coach seat that's pretty close to the front, so I should get off the plane pretty quickly.

I'll be entering Schengen with a US passport, no criminal record. Chinese descent, and don't look like a terrorist, I hope. [No checked luggage, but that doesn't matter.] I will walk quickly from 2C to 2F. I should have the boarding pass for the 2nd flight in Houston already.

So, what you do you think? Will I make it or not? Please post - with or without reasons.

:)

My money is on you making it, rkkwan!
Merry Christmas! Jane

oh you'll make it! ;-) would you not take the bus to 2F? i literally broke a sweat the last time i did this connection! good luck!

I feel like I can make it faster by walking. And I want to see the walkway from 2C through the train station to 2F. But for those who are more familiar with CDG2 than I am, do you think it'll be faster with the shuttle?

I think you'll make it if your aircraft parks at 2C. If they have to shuttle you to the terminal, who knows? Also I've been on an AF flight from LAX that was supposed to arrive at 2C, but we arrived at 2A instead.

Forgot to say good luck and have a great trip! :)

I just looked at Flightaware.com, and now I think I'll go against all of you and bet that I <b>won't</b> make it. Here's why:

While AF33's schedule departure from IAH is 4:30pm, it has rarely left the ground by 5:00pm. Which is not unusual from most large US airport. But the AF schedule really leaves no time for such delays.

For example, today's flight took off at 4:56pm, which is not bad, but it's expected to arrive CDG until 9:00am, 15 minutes late! Not including taxiing to gate.

And AF33 often didn't leave the ground until 5:30 or later.

The good thing is that I'm going to FCO, which has flights from CDG almost every hour.

Someone on the Europe board posted a thread about connecting at CDG on the same day, also with an hour, but to Florence. Well, he/she may not be so lucky if the connection is missed.

Merry Christmas. Did you make the original connection!

rkkwan, I'm interested to see if you made it since I have a similarly short connection in March (SXM/CDG/FCO). My connection time is 45 minutes (arrive 6:30 a.m., depart 7:15 a.m.). EU passport, no checked baggage, traveling alone.

So, please report back! :)

typically, they'll hold flights as long as they can for these connections. i don't know if it's bad or good, but the really have such a reputation (well deserved) for these short connections. the buses run frequently, and can get you there fast. but good luck trying to figure out which bus you should get on! well, hope you had luck rkkwan, let us know!

Statia, I never had only 45 minutes,at least one hour, between the flights but I always was able to catch my next flights to Rome. One time we had four hours before connecting to Athens, we worried what to do with all this time at CDG and it happened this one flight left late from Newark, we never made it for the one we were scheduled on but by the time we got to Paris AF already rescheduled us for the next flight to Athens. I wouldn't worry about it now, you will have a plenty of time to worry once you get to CDG and you miss your connection. Lets hope all your flights are going to be as scheduled.

Thanks for the info, otto and Pat. I have flown SXM to CDG several times and the flights have always arrived on time, so let's hope it's the same this March. :)

If not, then there are a couple of other flights to Rome that day, but I'm meeting my mother and sister who arrive FCO an hour or so before me, so I hope to be there on time.

Good luck and have a great family reunion.

Hey, I'm here! Reporting from Rome.

Short version: I made it.

Long version:
- AF33 door closed at IAH 4:20, pushed back 4:25. [Scheduled dep. 4:30]
- Took off 4:48; landed 8:26a [Scheduled arr. 8:45]
- I got off plane at 8:43, IN TERMINAL 2F!!! [Supposed to be 2C, and no announcement in English otherwise.]
- At line for immigration between the two halves of 2F at 8:47, DID NOT GET THROUGH UNTIL 9:12. Only 3 booths were open, 4-5 closed.
- No wait through security. At gate at 9:20. Just when my connection (scheduled dep. 8:50) started boarding.

So, two things in favor: early departure and change of terminal. One against: immigration. But I made it.

Congratulations! Same thing happened when we arrived at 2A instead of 2C, no announcements made (in English or French). I didn't realize we weren't at 2C until I got off the aircraft.

Good thing is arriving at 2F made your transfer easier. Glad you made it.

I mean 9:50 departure for my connecting flight to FCO.

Patty - Thanks!

Rkkwan, that's a great news. Now, we will be waiting for more details about your trip.

well done rkkwan! glad it worked out.

Glad to hear that it worked out, rkkwan. I hope that I have the same luck in March. :)

Have fabulous time in Roma!