Advice on connecting through Europe

Old Jul 30th, 2005, 01:40 PM
  #1  
DFG
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Advice on connecting through Europe

Well I've narrowed it down to 2 choices on how to get from Atlanta to Corfu. I can fly on Air France or KLM (connecting through Paris or Amsterdam, respectively), then buy an Aegean Air ticket from Athens to Corfu. I am just worried that both airlines only have a 50min-1hour connection time, and once I arrive in Athens I will have either 3.5 or 5.5 hours to get my bags and then re-check them to Corfu. This would work fine, but if I miss the connection in Europe, or cannot make the flight to Corfu I am screwed. Anyone have any neg experiences with these airlines through these airports? Is what I am doing too risky? Based on cost and schedule, the KLM flight is somewhat better, but only gives me 3.5 hours to get through customs in Greece and re-check my bags.
DFG is offline  
Old Jul 30th, 2005, 01:50 PM
  #2  
ira
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi DFG,

I get nervous about connections less than 90 min if I have luggage.

ira is offline  
Old Jul 30th, 2005, 02:03 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
AF(and I guess others too) seems to not give enough connection time. Even their flights connecting in CDG they give about 55 minutes or so. They don't figure that it takes about 20 minutes for some arriving planes to taxi to the gates. At least that's what happened to us recently.
francophile03 is offline  
Old Jul 30th, 2005, 02:05 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Your concern isn't 3.5hr vs 5.5 at ATH. Both are more than adequate. You clear immigration in CDG/AMS, and not ATH. And depending on the rules, you may not even need to see your luggage until Corfu.

Your main concern is whether you have enough time in CDG or AMS. From the timetable, it seems like you're thinking about AF301 to CDG, with 50 minutes there; vs KL622 to AMS, with 60 minutes there.

The clear winner is definitely KL at AMS. 50 minutes will be problematic, as you mostly likely need to change "terminals" at CDG 2. AMS is all under one roof and you have an extra 10 minutes.
rkkwan is offline  
Old Jul 30th, 2005, 03:42 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Even if you connect your flights within CDG terminal 2 it's not that great. The terminals are far apart and entails walking quickly and sometimes the escalators are out of order so you have to use stairs. I understand there's a shuttle but I never had a chance to take it. We only had half an hour to get from 2C to 2D so we decided to walk and run instead of wait for the shuttle.
francophile03 is offline  
Old Jul 30th, 2005, 08:52 PM
  #6  
DFG
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great advice, since I've never been to either airport it's good to know that AMS has all the KLM gates nearby. So is 1 hour do-able (within reason)?

The weird part is, I am not setting this 1 hour limit, the airline has created with schedule! I guess they must have faith in it??
DFG is offline  
Old Jul 31st, 2005, 03:20 AM
  #7  
ira
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi DFG,

>...I am not setting this 1 hour limit, the airline has created with schedule! I guess they must have faith in it??

The airline is much less concerned about whether you and your luggage make the connection than you are.

ira is offline  
Old Jul 31st, 2005, 08:45 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 97,142
Received 12 Likes on 11 Posts
what Ira said!!!!

just because an airline offers a connection doesn't mean you will make it. ask any of the bazillion people who miss flights.

that said, amsterdam is definitely better than paris to attempt it.
suze is offline  
Old Jul 31st, 2005, 09:12 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 661
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
For budget airlines from all over Europe to Corfu, check
http://www.whichbudget.com/en/cheapflights.php?to=CFU

If you find a straight flight from Atlanta to any of these airports, it might save you a lot of time and you'd have only 1 change!

But then again, you might have done this search already, since you mention yourself that you've "narrowed it down". If so, I'd vote for Amsterdam as well.
stardust is offline  
Old Jul 31st, 2005, 09:34 AM
  #10  
DFG
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I could also book on Lufthansa through Frankfurt with a 2 hour layover. Would that be worth the extra $75 per ticket?
DFG is offline  
Old Jul 31st, 2005, 12:34 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The mention of Luthansa is a good one. Great airline and the layover time sounds good.
francophile03 is offline  
Old Aug 1st, 2005, 02:01 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 661
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You could also fly to Frankfurt with Lufthansa and take a straight flight to Corfu from there with

http://www.airberlin.com
stardust is offline  
Old Aug 1st, 2005, 02:37 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 391
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We just flew S.F. to Athens, via Munich on Lufthansa. We had a 90 minute connection one way and an hour connection going home. We made both connections.
jag1jag1 is offline  
Old Aug 2nd, 2005, 09:08 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 555
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
1 hour in AMS can be problematic. To go from an within Europe flight to a flight to the US, you need to go through passport control and the lines there can be formidable. We barely made our flight last time with a 70 minute connection time, and judging by the angry voices, there were people who missed theirs because they couldn't get through the passport control checkpoint.

As others have said 3.5 hours in Athens is not a problems AT ALL!
Eleni is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
lilaki
Europe
4
May 5th, 2009 01:12 PM
stefi
Air Travel
14
Jan 1st, 2008 01:05 PM
Powell
Europe
7
Feb 8th, 2005 07:29 AM
faile626
Europe
8
Jun 7th, 2002 04:35 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -