time needed to connect on international flights
Sep 16th, 2005, 08:17 AM
#1
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time needed to connect on international flights
We are traveling from Chicago to Prague in October. Our options frofor the shortest flights require a connection in either Zurich or Amsterdam, with only 40 or 50 minutes allowed. Do we have to go through customs in theses cities, or when we reach our final desination in Prague? Is 40 minutes enough time to connect? In each case, the airline is the same (Chgo-Zurich-Prague is SwissAir, Chgo-Amsterdam-Prague is KLM.) Also we will be going from Prague to Paris. Will we encounter any difficulties on this leg? Never had to connect before on European travel, so I don't know all the tricks. Thanks.
Sep 16th, 2005, 08:32 AM
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I can not speak to Zurich or Amsterdam transfers but CDG can be a problem. It is an enormous airport.
Here is an excerpt from my June 2005 trip report:
"We left JFK at 5:10 p.m. and arrived in Paris on June 16 at 6 a.m. We have an hour and a quarter to make a connecting flight to Rome. We did not make it. For the first time ever I missed a connecting flight. Why, you ask.
At Passport Control in Paris four sleepy clerks scrupulously examine each passport while five hundred frantic passengers wait on line. We get to our gate fifteen minutes late. This kind of snafu is apparently a regular occurrence. An Air France clerk told us it happens to “thousands of people” everyday. As a result, Air France was well organized to react and got us on to the next flight to Rome an hour later..."
October will probably be a bit better than mid June. So, check your luggage through to your ultimate destination so you will not spend time rerieving it in Zurich and Amsterdam. Still, I would leave an absolute minimum of two hours between flights. This would cushion against your late arrival, Transfer Control dawdling, etc.
Here is an excerpt from my June 2005 trip report:
"We left JFK at 5:10 p.m. and arrived in Paris on June 16 at 6 a.m. We have an hour and a quarter to make a connecting flight to Rome. We did not make it. For the first time ever I missed a connecting flight. Why, you ask.
At Passport Control in Paris four sleepy clerks scrupulously examine each passport while five hundred frantic passengers wait on line. We get to our gate fifteen minutes late. This kind of snafu is apparently a regular occurrence. An Air France clerk told us it happens to “thousands of people” everyday. As a result, Air France was well organized to react and got us on to the next flight to Rome an hour later..."
October will probably be a bit better than mid June. So, check your luggage through to your ultimate destination so you will not spend time rerieving it in Zurich and Amsterdam. Still, I would leave an absolute minimum of two hours between flights. This would cushion against your late arrival, Transfer Control dawdling, etc.
Sep 16th, 2005, 09:20 AM
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You go through neither Customs nor Immigration in either Zurich or Amsterdam if your bags are checked through to Prague, as they should automatically be.
Both Zurich and Amsterdam are painless and efficient airports to transfer in. You simply go through security again, but otherwise an international-to-international transfer in these two airports feels much like a US domestic-to-domestic change on the same airline.
You should manage 45 mins easily, as long as the incoming flight is on time. In your case, it's the airline's responsibility to sort things out if the incoming flight is late.
Paris CDG is a very difficult airport to change planes in. It's no beter or worse than any other major airport just to arrive at. Personally I find it a great deal easier than ORD.
ALL international airports (especially American ones) underman their immigration desks from time to time: French immigration officials are no more or less sleepy than their American counterparts. And, since baggage inspection doesn't apply to flights arriving from other EU countries, like Czechia, your arrival in Paris will be a great deal less hassle than your return to Chicago.
Both Zurich and Amsterdam are painless and efficient airports to transfer in. You simply go through security again, but otherwise an international-to-international transfer in these two airports feels much like a US domestic-to-domestic change on the same airline.
You should manage 45 mins easily, as long as the incoming flight is on time. In your case, it's the airline's responsibility to sort things out if the incoming flight is late.
Paris CDG is a very difficult airport to change planes in. It's no beter or worse than any other major airport just to arrive at. Personally I find it a great deal easier than ORD.
ALL international airports (especially American ones) underman their immigration desks from time to time: French immigration officials are no more or less sleepy than their American counterparts. And, since baggage inspection doesn't apply to flights arriving from other EU countries, like Czechia, your arrival in Paris will be a great deal less hassle than your return to Chicago.
Sep 16th, 2005, 11:59 AM
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<<Why not just fly ORD to PRG direct on Czech Airlines?>>
I can think of two reasons:
1) There are only a few flights a week (not daily)
2) No direct flights! They all connect at Newark (I'd much rather connect in Zurich or Amsterdam).
I can think of two reasons:
1) There are only a few flights a week (not daily)
2) No direct flights! They all connect at Newark (I'd much rather connect in Zurich or Amsterdam).
Sep 16th, 2005, 06:38 PM
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I travel to Prague a lot from Chicago. I take KLM. I will also be going to Prague in October. I will be arriving in Prague at 8:05am and leaving for Prague at 10:05am. I had choice of taking the earlier flight, but I like to allow plenty of time. I took the early flight last year and made it ok. They list an 8 hour flying time, but going to Amsterdam, it usually only takes around 7 1/2 hours. The flight from Chicago has been always on time leaving. You can check the flight that you want by going to the Northwest web page and check flight status for current takeoffs to see times. You will go through customs at Prague. The trip from Amsterdam to Prague is usually Czech Airlines. Your baggage will automatically be transferred. KLM usually lands on the opposite side of the airport where you will catch the flight to Prague. It should take you around 30 minutes to walk to the connecting flight. I like the Amsterdam airport a lot. There is plenty to do at the airport. I also chose the later flight where I will be arriving in Prague at 11:30am because I believe that the check-in time at the hotels is 2pm. It will take you around 30-45 minutes to get from the Prague airport to the city center. It took me around 45 minutes at the Prague airport to get through customs/immigration the last time I was there. They have recently opened up a new addition at the Prague airport. It may be better there now.
Sep 16th, 2005, 11:31 PM
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You can make it if everything goes perfect. But be sure to buy only one ticket to cover the whole trip. In that case the airline will take you to Prague on the next available flight. But if you buy two separate tickets like ORD-AMS and AMS-PRG and something happens on ORD-AMS, your other ticket is useless and you´ll need to buy another one. What are the minimum connection times in AMS and ZRH? Do a search and find out as we are only speculating here.
