Layover...long enough?
 

In November we are flying from LAX to Rome...with only a one hour and 25 minute layover in Zurich. Is this going to be an issue? I've seen some posts that say they would choose only flights with a 3 - 5 hour layover. It seems that the airline wouldn't book us this way if the layover wasn't long enough. Maybe they would????

Oh...on the way home we fly out of Venice into Zurich with only a one hour and five minute layover???

What do you think?

Zurich is clean and orderly and we have never had any problems there with a 1.5-hour connection.

Some other airports I'd be concerned.

The airline would not book you if the connection time was not enough.

Yes, the issue is not the airport, and how it handles connection times, but legal connection times-and that is more than a legal connection time for an intra-Europe flight-I've had less.

>The airline would not book you if the connection time was not enough. <

AF thinks 0:45 hr is sufficient time to make a connection at CDG. HA!

((I))

No problem. No cumbersome customs and immigration procedures like in the USA.

Sorry, but this statement made me laugh too:
>The airline would not book you if the connection time was not enough. <

If only that were true!

I do think you'll be fine in Zurich.

This made me laugh too:
"No problem. No cumbersome customs and immigration procedures like in the USA."
Standing in line is standing in line. Is there really that much of a difference?

Please remember that Switzerland is like the UK in that only one carry-on is allowed!

Go to the www.aa.com site and look at their world-wide site. You'll see the specific regulation, but it sounds just like the UK, as Switzerland is not an EU country.

Your connection time should be fine if you arrive on time.

I am usually concerned that my initial flight might not depart on time for any number of reasons---mechanical problems,weather, etc.

The delay in take off usually can be made up----so long as the delay has not been too extensive.

GWT

yorkshire:

>Standing in line is standing in line. Is there really that much of a difference?<

Yes, of course. I regularly arrive at Zurich, and when maybe 300 people leave the aircraft and it takes 30 second per person to check their passports, then it takes just a couple of minutes to get through. And no hassle collecting bags, going through customs and re-checking.

I included the remark, because I found that here on this forum many posters cannot believe how fast and efficient immigration and customs work in Europe.

For a connection in the USA, you need indeed 3 hours layover, for Europe 50 minutes will be sufficient, and 1:25 is ample.

Thank you all for the feedback. I feel better now.

IMO 1.5 hours is fine. I believe your bags should be checked all the way trhough to Rome, there shuld be NO need to collect them and re-check them. You will be "in transit" in Switzerland and will NOT need to go through customs or immigration. You will not leave the transit area of the airport. You will simply be changing planes, moving from one gate to another, and your checked bags will be transferred for you. Do not confuse code share airlines with baggage transfer arrangments which virutally all airlines have with one another. There is no reason to think that you have to get your bags in Zurich and re-check them. Confirm this with your airline, but I don't believe that this would be necessary.

If your connecting flight is on a different airline than your airline from LAX, it is possible that you may have to get a boarding pass in Zurich. You would need to find the proper "transfer desk" to do this; you do not need to go out into the main depature hall and wait with people checking in for the flight. The transfer desks are located inside the gate areas. The website for Zurich airport is
www.zurich-airport.com. You can find information on transfers there, including a map showing the location of the transfer desks.

Switzerland is not in the EU, so you will not go through EU customs and immigration there like you would if you were transiting in Paris or Frankfurt.