How much time should we allow to catch another flight in Rome?
we leave mid January on Continental Airlines from NY arriving in Rome (FCO) 7:50 am. we are hoping to catch another flight once we arrive at FCO, Alitalia 9:45 am to Venice.
-we have checked luggage
-both american passports
-Continental tickets already purchased, and Alitalia tickets will be purchased shortly, (depends).
A little less than two hours to catch another flight. Is this too risky? how much time should we allow to go thru immigration and luggage pick up?
Thanks in advance for any help or insight.
we leave mid January on Continental Airlines from NY arriving in Rome (FCO) 7:50 am. we are hoping to catch another flight once we arrive at FCO, Alitalia 9:45 am to Venice.
-we have checked luggage
-both american passports
-Continental tickets already purchased, and Alitalia tickets will be purchased shortly, (depends).
A little less than two hours to catch another flight. Is this too risky? how much time should we allow to go thru immigration and luggage pick up?
Thanks in advance for any help or insight.
I hate to say it, but it depends on the number of immigration officers on duty when you arrive and the amount of passengers waiting to clear immigration.
For example, we arrived from Prague at FCO and it took us over one hour and something to clear passport control. There were just two (!) officers on duty for the non-EU Nationals line. And one officer scrutinized everyone's paperwork so that made things slower.
For example, we arrived from Prague at FCO and it took us over one hour and something to clear passport control. There were just two (!) officers on duty for the non-EU Nationals line. And one officer scrutinized everyone's paperwork so that made things slower.
Customs is not the problem, it's immigration, and if you bags are not through checked, waiting for baggage claim.
This summer the wait for immigration was ~50-60min (for arrival into Rome) and ~20min for connecting flights.
If your bags are not checked through then you must go through the arrival into Rome immigration.
This summer the wait for immigration was ~50-60min (for arrival into Rome) and ~20min for connecting flights.
If your bags are not checked through then you must go through the arrival into Rome immigration.
Summagold can't check the luggage through because they're buying two separate tickets on two separate airlines. Not the same thing as one ticket with code share with another airline.
I think you might be perfectly fine with that amount of time, or you might not be! Helpful, isn't it? But it's very hard to say for sure due to so many variables, as noted above.
The other thing to consider is that if your Continental flight is late and/or you spend a lot of time at immigration or getting your bags and you miss the Alitalia flight, since it's a separate ticket, you will have to purchase a whole new ticket at full price.
I think you might be perfectly fine with that amount of time, or you might not be! Helpful, isn't it? But it's very hard to say for sure due to so many variables, as noted above.
The other thing to consider is that if your Continental flight is late and/or you spend a lot of time at immigration or getting your bags and you miss the Alitalia flight, since it's a separate ticket, you will have to purchase a whole new ticket at full price.
Since both CO and Alitalia are legacy airlines it SHOULD be possible to through check the bags, even though they are separate tickets.
Upon checkin at Alitalia in Rome you would likely need to show them the baggage claim #'s so they can enter them into their system. If your bags are checked through to VCE by CO, then you will be able to go through the 'connections' immigration and not exit to the street.
I emphasize SHOULD, as neither Alitalia nor FCO are known as the most efficient opperations in the world.
Upon checkin at Alitalia in Rome you would likely need to show them the baggage claim #'s so they can enter them into their system. If your bags are checked through to VCE by CO, then you will be able to go through the 'connections' immigration and not exit to the street.
I emphasize SHOULD, as neither Alitalia nor FCO are known as the most efficient opperations in the world.
I was told by Alitalia that domestic flights fly out of Terminal A. Is anyone familiar with what terminal Continental will be arriving in?
J62, you mention going out onto the street..is that a fact if we were to go to another terminal? No airport shuttle to and from terminals?
alas..the more i think about it, the riskier it becomes...
J62, you mention going out onto the street..is that a fact if we were to go to another terminal? No airport shuttle to and from terminals?
alas..the more i think about it, the riskier it becomes...
The website for FCO is:
www.adr.it
Click on Fiumicino. You'll find a link to the shuttle info. It looks like the shuttle only runs every 20 minutes and that it makes a big circle from the arrival terminals to the parking lots and cargo area before it comes back to the departure terminals. I've never made a connection at FCO nor used the shuttle, but it would seem possible you could wait nearly 20 minutes for the shuttle and then ride another 15 minutes or so before you reached the departure terminals.
Continental should be able to tell you which terminal your flight arrives at.
Where is your connecting flight taking you?
www.adr.it
Click on Fiumicino. You'll find a link to the shuttle info. It looks like the shuttle only runs every 20 minutes and that it makes a big circle from the arrival terminals to the parking lots and cargo area before it comes back to the departure terminals. I've never made a connection at FCO nor used the shuttle, but it would seem possible you could wait nearly 20 minutes for the shuttle and then ride another 15 minutes or so before you reached the departure terminals.
Continental should be able to tell you which terminal your flight arrives at.
Where is your connecting flight taking you?
