Inter-Europe flights
 

We will be flying from Paris to London on Air France this summer. Air France told us that they close their check-in counter 45 minutes before a flight so we must get to the airport 1 and 1/2 hours prior to the 45 minutes. Anyone know about this first hand? Air France also restricts baggage more than American carriers. Anyone go over their baggage allowence inter-Europe and were charged for the excess? Thanks for any input.

Paris CdG Airport can be very busy so be there some 2 hours before your flight. I have heard stories about people missing their intra-European flight because they arrived only one hour before the flight. <BR>Anywhere in the world outside North America the standard luggage allowance is 20 kgs in economy class. You normally get away with a few kilos more, but if your bag is 30 kgs or more there is a high chance you have to pay.

They are also fairly strict about carry-on bags and will take things from people as they board to stow below. Just because your bag will fit overhead or under seat doesn't mean it's going on with you!

Paris to London? Why not take the EuroStar, 3 hours from Gare du Nord to Waterloo, leaves hourly. You'd be IN LONDON by the time your plane takes off, really IN LONDON not on your way to another airport. Of course, you may have good reasons...

I've flown Air France inter-Europe several times and have never had a problem with excess baggage, so it can't be that restrictive as I always have a fairly densely packed 22" pilot case plus have a carryon duffle bag (not huge, but bigger than a usual purse). Last summer I checked two bags, that 22" plus another small one about the size of a small carryon (plus I had a carryon). And I was never asked to pay extra or was it even questioned. They are pretty strict about making you check things that are of any size. Now I wouldn't think a 22" packed pilot case would be greater than 44 kg, though, I can lift it myself without that much trouble (used to be able to carry it onboard and put it overhead, but they won't allow that now). That policy doesn't seem any different than most of the American carriers I've been on.<BR><BR> I don't know about the checkin thing as I'm always connecting between flights.