5thQuarter

For reasons and blunders I won't discuss, I am in a tight situation and need some advice as to how to work this best.

I am flying next week from Detroit to Madrid via CDG on NWA/AF. My flight into CDG arrives at 2E at 11:30am. My flight to Madrid leaves 2F at 12:35pm. Many have posted about the difficulty of making connections at CDG in less than 90 minutes, and I prepared to miss my connection, but:

1. What is the actual likely hood of making this connection? Has anyone out there done it? Additional Tips.

2. Is my arrival time a busier or lighter time at CDG that might help or hinder my efforts?

I ask these questions because my situation it worse. You see, I had a change in itinerary which required me to get a second ticket booked on Iberia from Madrid to Seville that leaves Madrid at 4pm. I will not make that flight if I miss my connection at CDG. My baggage will be interlined all the way through to Seville (checked with my airline).

1. What should I do about this second ticket? Should I wait, and if I cannot make the connection at CDG, get rebooked to madrid on AF and then go try to get rebooked to from Madrid to Seville on Iberia at terminal 2C?
Is there any way out of my sticky wicket?

Weadles

I would strongly recommend looking into the change fee for your tickets and booking an earlier flight that leaves you more cushion time at CDG. Due to my own idiocy, we faced a similar predicament last summer. I paid an additional $100 per ticket to change the flight and am glad I did, since we never would have made our connection. Good luck to you!

travelroo

Well count me in with the many that have missed a connection at CDG. I always allow 2 hours in Europe for some of the busy airports like CDG and I still missed a flight once.

It really was not difficult to rebook once I missed my flight, but keep in mind that if two airlines are involved and two tickets you may have some problems. I would rearrange the ticket before you leave to head off any problems. My motto is never leave anything to chance.

You might want to talk with the airline firstthey may have further insight.

ira

Hi 5

As I understand it, your M/S ticket is separate from your flight into M.

If that is the case. the 2nd airline has no responsibility for getting you on another flight if you miss your ticketed one. You will have to buy another ticket.

I also suggest that you change your flight into CDG or buy another ticket to Seville.

>What is the actual likely hood likelihood)]of making this connection?

Impossible to say. Some people have claimed to have made a 0:30 hr connection with no trouble. Most have missed 1:30 hr connections.

Andre

Hi 5thQuarter

Do I understand correctly that your NW/AF itinerary to MAD is on 1 single ticket?

If so, you will definitely get as far as Madrid, though quite possibly on a later flight than scheduled. IMO, there is no point in trying to read the tea leaves regarding your chance of making the connection - you either will, or you won't ;-)

If worst comes to worst you can always take the frequent and fast (2hrs 20 min) AVE trains from Madrid to Seville for EUR 72 + the cab ride into town. Expensive, but not the end of the world.

Another option is to purchase a cheap web fare on a late flight from Madrid to Seville as a sort of insurance policy - Iberia's web site is showing fares of EUR 52 for those flights.

Re: checking your luggage through to Seville, this is your choice - the check-in agent will only insist on checking your luggage through to MAD. Obviously, travelling without checked luggage would be vastly preferable if at all possible...

Finally, if you can change your ticket to terminate at CDG and don't mind a long layover, Vueling flies once a day at 17:30 from CDG to Seville and has low fares (under EUR 100 all in). Buying such a ticket is the preferred "insurance policy" if you are actually flying on 3 separate tickets US-CDG, CDG-MAD and MAD-SVQ.
www.vueling.com

Hope this helps,
Andre

Christina

I've made connections in CDG that time or shorter several times, but nobody here can lay odds on your chances. I haven't done it in the last year, though, so who knows--I think someone said there was some construction there now, more than usual, but I really don't know if that would affect your chances (prob. not, as I think it was 2B). As Andre says, you will either make it or you won't.

I don't have any special tips to make it, I just did the usual -- get off the plane, follow the directions to the connection, pass through passport control (which was almost nothing when I have dont it, one guy kind of waving you through, as you are not really leaving the controlled area), get on the shuttle bus and do it (I had to take the shuttle bus to where I was going).

YOu don't need to rebook much if you miss the connection, AF will do it for you, if you have a ticket to Madrid. Yes, you'll have to go to the desk.

YOU can always take the train to Seville anyway, from Madrid, in about the same time as a flight (at least after all the fooling around you do with a flight). I'd just see what happens and deal with problems as they occur, as you don't have to worry about getting stuck in Madrid with all the options.