GillsinEurope

Our family arrives into ZUR from LAX at 3:45pm. We want to hop on a Vueling flight that leaves at 6:05pm. Do you think this will be enough time to go through customs, grab our bags from baggage claim, check in, get to our gate, and hopeful grab something to eat to keep our two kids (ages 3 and 1) fueled up and happy? I've been to the ZUR airport before, but can't remember how large it is or how busy it was in customs. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

P_M

If your bags will not be checked through to your final destination then this would make me very nervous. I know Vueling is one of those budget carriers so make sure you know the rules if you miss your flight.

If this is booked as one ticket then I wouldn't worry about it. But if these are seperate tickets then a delay from LAX could cause problems for you.

greg

I didn't think you can combine a Vueling flight into one ticket with transatlantic carriers, so I think the OPs concern is real about having to retrieve luggage and having to recheck in again.

ZUR is a small airport. Like other European airport, customs is a walk through. What can take time is the passport control which totally depend on who are ahead of you and what kind of people (countries where the boarder agent looks carefully at each passport page) are ahead of you. Another one is the recheck-in and then the carry-on security check. I would carry a snack for your kids and would not rest to take a bite until you are in the Vueling's departure lounge. Remember the liquid rule if you see a snack shop before the security check and want to grab something for your kids.

flanneruk

The issue ISN'T getting to the departing plane by 1805.

From Vueling's terms and conditions, which presumably you've read:

"The check-in counters will open two hours before and close 40 minutes before scheduled flight departure"

You may or may not get to the front of the checkin queue, and complete formalities, by 1725. But if you don't, you're going nowhere - and you've lost the money you've spent on your ticket

Like the man said: do you feel lucky?

Cowboy1968

IF your flight from LAX arrives on time, you should be able to make it.
But as flanner said, do you feel lucky?

I would expect you to leave baggage claims appr. 45 -60 mins after your plane stopped at parking position.
In general, ZRH is an efficient airport without the drama of inadequate security control capacities that can be found elsewhere.
To avoid drama at re-check in you probably noticed the probably lower baggage allowances for Vueling than for your transatlantic flight?
But if your flight from LAX is late for whatever reason (weather, minor maintenance) you probably know that no one at ZRH airport has any responsibility to get you to BCN. I would seriously suggest to think about a plan B in case you will miss the Vueling flight.

ira

Hi G,

You only have about 100 min.

Verrry iffy.

nytraveler

You haven;t mentioned this - but how much luggage do you have? And with two little ones do you have strollers? Have you searched the Vueling site to see how much luggage you can check and/or bring onboard? And the price for overweight luggage?

I would be very hesitant to think you can do this - esp trying to tow/haul 2 toddlers through an airport. It might be very stressful for all of you. If it were me I would consider other arrangements. Are there no direct flights to where you are going? Have you considered continuing by train versus flying? It might be much easier.

Phil

Gills:

You apparently will be flying from LAX to BCN with a transfer in ZRH. The transatlantic portion is on Swiss flight LX 41.

I wonder you didn't book LAX-BCN with Swiss. The difference of fares compared to LAX-ZRH is nominal.
Plus: You are on a single ticket (the airline has the responsibility of getting you to your final destination), your bags will be checked through to BCN, and you won't have to clear immigration and customs in ZRH but will remain in transit.

Maybe you could review your booking.

Phil.

lincasanova

I have flown via ZRH many times and have had to go through immigration upon returning from the States to Spain. I have NOT been in what you call transit, and have had to go through security again each time. When we have deplaned, the entire plane's passengers was funneled into an immigration area.

That said, Zurich is one of the few airports I have made a 25 minute connection.. so, hopefully the OP will be lucky, her luggage will come on time, her flight from the USA will not leave late, no kid needs a diaper change and she will get to the Vueling counter in plenty of time to check in.

I have never been an advocate of these same day separate ticket connections in general. There are too many variables that would upset ME if I missed a flight and was not protected by the airline.

lincasanova

multiply that by four.

Cowboy1968

You will never be in transit as lin already pointed out as ZRH is your first point of entry to the Schengen zone on your way to BCN. You just would not have to claim baggage if that flight was on one ticket.

GillsinEurope

Ok. I'm probably going to have to figure out and execute a plan B. You're all right. It's too risky. We do NOT have a flight from LAX - BCN with a stop in ZUR. Our Swiss flight from LAX ends in Zurich and are going on to Barcelona from there via Vueling (and yes, I know the baggage restrictions). We will have to collect bags in ZUR and re-check them onto our Vueling flight (I'll pay for the bags online as I have read it's cheaper to do so that way). I guess plan B would be to stay the night in Zurich and leave the next day to go on to Barcelona. Ugh. I've reworked this itinerary so many times. It's getting frustrating...and old! Thanks for your input though. It's helpful.

lincasanova

Are all the flights already bought?

GillsinEurope

No. Only the flight between SMF - ZUR (with layover in LAX) has been purchased. We flew into ZUR because it was ridiculously cheap and because we are doing half our vacation in Switzerland and the other half in Spain. It cost too much to fly into one and out of the other so we figured we would hop onto a budget airline to travel between the two. I really don't like the idea of wasting a day in Zurich (sorry to those of you who may love Zurich), but it's probably going to have to be the case since we won't have enough time to catch an evening flight to BCN.

Unless...do you think if we didn't have to claim luggage after getting out of customs/passport control we could check into our Vueling flight and have enough time to get to the gate?

Cowboy1968

Maybe.
The real benefit of having it all on "one ticket" is that the airline is resposible to assist you in case of a missed connection (free re-booking on next or next day flight, hotel, meals, ground transportation). So while you still lost one night, your financial loss would be zero.

One Plan B could be to take the night train from Zurich to Barcelona. Or book that instead of the Vueling flight.
You should find the info at sbb.ch

greg

So it looks like you really wanted to do:
1) SMF-BCN, then ZRH-SMF
But instead you are looking at:
2) SMF-ZRH, ZRH-SMF + ZRH-BCN?

When you looked up fares, did you look up the fare for 1) as two one-way trips or one multi-city trip?

GillsinEurope

We do SMF-ZRH (thank you for the airport code clarification. I thought it looked wrong), ZRH-BCN, BCN-ZRH (or BCN-GVA), then lastly ZRH-SMF. So four flights total. I can't remember if I looked up two one ways or a multi city. It doesn't matter now though since I've already paid. It was a great deal. SMF-ZRH for $620 r/t.

I'll look at the night train. It seems fine to me to be on a train all night, but I don't know how two kids are going to feel about it after being on a plane the whole night before. I really really want to get on that flight the night we arrive into ZRH. How high do you think the price will be if I don't even try to purchase tickets until the hour or so before it takes off?!

GillsinEurope

Doesn't look like the train for Barcelona leaves Zurich on the day we arrive.

Ingo

A quick check for tomorrow came up with 212 Euro per person. Yuck.

The EuroNightTrain runs Mon, Wed, Fri.

eluckhardt

I think you are making the right call to not commit to the Vueling flight right now.

Not sure if this relevant, but we just returned from our first EasyJet flight (Munich to Stansted) with a 7 and 1 year old. I don't know if all discount airlines/airports are like this, but we had to walk down many more corridors, ride shuttle buses, and take many more flights of stairs to finally board the plane. It took much longer than the traditional boardings I am used to. It was also more complicated with the little ones, strollers, etc.