? Re: Int’l flights & layover times
 

This summer is our first time flying to Europe, and I am confused about when we go through customs and whether the layovers we have scheduled will give us adequate time to make our connections.

We fly Delta from Washington Dulles to Atlanta. We arrive in Atlanta at 6:30 p.m., and we fly out of Atlanta at 7:30 p.m., arriving in Rome the next morning.

On our return flight, we fly Delta (via Air France) from Venice to Paris (CDG). Once we arrive in Paris, we have an hour and twenty-five minutes until we leave Paris for Washington Dulles, also on Delta (via Air France).

I am confused as to whether these layovers are long enough. Will we have to check in again once we get to Atlanta (outward flight) and Paris (return flight)? Will we have to change terminals? I fly quite a bit domestically, but have only been out of the country to fly to the Caribbean. Thanks in advance.

Molly

Hi Molly,

I always get anxious about connection times of less than 90 min at any airport, especially so at CDG.

Customs is not the problem, it's collecting baggage, passport control and security that are the problems.

If you are flying into/out of ATL on Delta, your luggage should be checked through to Rome.

You have a very high probability of making your ATL connection.

If you are flying Venice/ATL via CDG your luggage should also be checked through.

HOWEVER, 85 min is a very tight connection for CDG.

I estimate a 50% chance of either you or our luggage making the connection - a 40% chance of getting to ATL together.

Try to get a 2 hr layover at CDG.

((I))

PS,

If you fly into Terminal 1 at CDG and out of Terminal 2, I don't think that you will make it.

I think you better call the airlines. Usually they want you at the gate no later than 1hr before departure on Intrernational flights. Also- Atlanta is large- it takes a while to get from one gate to another, and delays coming in are frequent in the summer (think thunderstorms). Actually all the time due to traffic. I don't fly international from there, but usually international flights are from a different terminal. You might want to post that question on the US forum and title it Atlanta airport.

I haven't flown international out of Atlanta - but I would be nervous about that connection. Especially in the late afternoon/early evening. Earlier weather problems impact flights all day long and delays pile up.

As for you CDG connection - you <u>might</u> make it but CDG is the pits for connecting. Often the planes park quite a ways from the terminals and you have to take a bus just to get arrival gate.

I'd probably just plan on having an unscheduled night in Paris. Then if you are lucky enough to make this connection - you will feel like you got home a day eraly.

&lt;Customs is not the problem, it's collecting baggage, passport control and security that are the problems.&gt;

Do we have to go through security again once we get off the plane in Atlanta and Paris? What, exactly, do we have to go through once we get off the plane before we can get on the next one? Is this an international thing or just a terminal changing thing?

As for luggage, we were planning on carrying on our bags (a 20-22&quot; rollaboard for each of us, based on the reading I've done on this site!), so luggage arrival won't be a problem. (We will check bags on the way back.)

Thanks!
Molly

The Atlanta airport is enormous. I'd be really concerned about only a 1-hour layover there. Couldn't you get a direct flight from Dulles to Rome?

I've only done one flight to Europe that involved a connecting flight in the US in recent years, but I'm fairly confident you'll need to go through security again in Atlanta (and in Paris on the return). I think you need to go through security every time to are boarding a new aircraft. When I flew Dulles - Philadelphia-Charles de Gaulle a few years ago I got stuck in a massive security line in Philly and nearly missed my flight.

I think you should call the airlines.

Hmm...I have made plenty of domestic connections in which I didn't have to go through security again, but perhaps I should call the airlines to check.

Thanks.

No, no no. You will absolutely not have to go through security in Atlanta on your way over. Your plane will let you off in Concourse A, B, C or D (most likely A or B) and your flight to Rome will leave from Concourse E. You will be able to take a small underground train from A, B, C or D straight to E with no security. You can do it very quickly if you can get past the idiots who don't understand escalator etiquette.

If your flight into ATL is on time, you'll have no problem making your flight to Rome. Just be sure that when you check in for your flight at Dulles that you are given boarding passes for both your flight to ATL and your flight to Rome. Then you do not need to check in with anyone in ATL, just board when your zone is called.

If your flight is late due to weather or heavy airport traffic (which is a distinct possibility), then it's likely that many connecting flights will be late, and there is a good chance that Delta will hold the Rome flight so that most of those late connections can board (they don't want to fly a half-empty plane).

As for CDG, I'd guess you'll miss that connection. I'm pretty sure you'll have to go through security there. Maybe twice - that place is a mess.

I don't think you will have to go through security in Atlanta either. I fly to Europe from St. Louis and always have a layover in the US on my way to Europe. I have never had to re-enter security.

I also agree with the layover times. Atlanta airport is huge, and CDG is a pain and can be confusing, especially if you are rushing to make another flight.

Good luck!
Tracy

Hi Molly,

In Sept I returned Rome-CDG-Chicago-SLC. I knew my chances of making the connections were slim at best. I didn't expect to see my suitcase again.

Landing at CDG we had to get off the plane which thankfully came in at a real gate. However, I did have to change terminals, a bit of a walk. Then through security again which was a traffic jam. I did make it to my &quot;Gate&quot; on time, then we were loading onto the shuttle buses to go out to the plane. Our bus driver literally had NO clue WHERE our plane was! We did a few U turns before he found the right one.
We ended up taking off 45 minutes late.

Personally, I don't care much if I get home late. I do care very much if I loose a day of vacation! I would find out what your options are if you don't make the ATL connection. Is there a later flight? Will you be stuck in Atlanta overnight and miss a whole day of vacation????

I would really try to get to Europe non-stop. Once you are there, whether it's Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, there are so many more transportation options to get you to your final destination.

Buon viaggio!

Like others said, you should have no problem on the outbound connection at ATL.

Coming back, 1 hour 25 minutes at CDG is tight, but probably enough. You will need to switch terminal from 2F to 2C. I suggest you familiarize yourself with an overall map of CDG, and once you get off the plane, get going. Walk through the train station to cross over to the south side. I won't bother with the shuttle bus.

You'll go through immigration and security at 2C. It may be bad, it may not. But you still have a decent chance of getting the transfer in 85 minutes.

Hi Molly,
You won't have to go thru' security again in Atlanta and there are frequent trains running between terminals at the airport, but from personal experience, I'd advise a much longer layover in Atlanta.

If your departure from DC is on time you'll have no problem, but if there's even a slight delay you could miss your flight. In the very least, be prepared with knowledge of alternative later connections.

Last year I flew to Alaska - NY/ATL/SLC/Fairbanks (Don't ask) - with an hour between flights in Atlanta and Salt Lake City. I knew that was cutting it close so I prepared myself with printouts of alternative flight connections just in case - and it's a good thing I did.

We were delayed out of NY because of storms in Atlanta. I missed my connecting flght to SLC and there was chaos at the Atlanta airport when we arrived. No more flts. to SLC that night. I was given wrong advice by 3 different Delta agents, and told I'd have to spend the night in Atlanta and try again the next day. Fortunately I had the information on other connections - via Seattle and Alaska Airlines - which the Delta customer service phone agents at the Atlanta airport didn't seem to know know about.
They even told me there were no more flts. to Seattle that night, but I happened to see one scheduled for departure at a gate right across from where I was standing, which I managed to get on.

It could have been a disaster if I'd relied on Delta to get me out of Atlanta that night. I don't want to make you nervous, but it pays to at least be prepared with alternatives if you can't get a longer connection in Atlanta. Good luck.

Thanks to you all for your help. I spoke with Delta and the two reps said that both of these are &quot;normal connection times.&quot; (Whatever...) To change at this point would cost us substantially, so we are just going to cross our fingers. We'll get to Dulles early to try for an earlier flight to Atlanta, and we'll be prepared to spend a night in Paris (there are worse things, right???) Thanks again!
Molly

Last September I flew from Florida to Atlanta, Atlanta to CDG then CDG to Rome; all international flights were Air France. I did not have to through security at Atlanta and like other posters think you will have time to get to your gate IF you have your boarding passes (I did) and IF your flight from Dulles is on time. Thanks to the trains that run between terminals, it doesn't take too much time. However, I would definitely try for an earlier flight from Dulles.

I did go through security in CDG before the Rome flight. All flights landed and departed from Terminal F, I never went to C. The problem at CDG is landing out on the tarmac and boarding a bus to the terminal. You will have to go through immigration at CDG, but the lines usually move quickly. I think you'll have enough layover time for that flight.

molly,

For future reference, next time also consider flying out of PHL (about 30 minutes south of Philly right on I-95).

PHL is a 2 hour drive fromintersection of DC beltway &amp; I-95.

There are many non-stops out of PHL that are not available from DC - such as Rome, Venice, Lisbon, Barcelona, etc. The lack of connections make the overall trip shorter than flying out of DC with a layover somewhere.

Molly_K, Brian in Charlotte in correct. I live in Atlanta and all you have to do is take the underground train to the international terminal. IF your plane is on time you should have no problem making the connection in time. Hopefully we won't have a storm front passing through because that will cause a delay. As for the connection in Paris, wow, you may be cutting it close. CDG is just awful when it comes to connections, especially if your flight is delayed at all. It CAN be done, but you may have to scurry like mad! You will have to go through security again at CDG.

&lt;&lt;All flights landed and departed from Terminal F, I never went to C.&gt;&gt;

Should have written my AF flights arrived and departed from the newest section; 2E &amp; 2F, which are not far apart.