Transfer at Copenhagen back to the US. 1 hour 2 minutes enough time?
 

Hi, if anyone has any input on this please let me know :)
I am flying from Barcelona to Copenhagen to catch a flight back to JFK.
I have 1 hour and 20 minutes (once I land in COP) to get my Delta flight back to New York.
Is this enough time and what is the protocol?
I assume I have to go through security and Immigration after I have checked in with Delta.

Please if anyone has any insight on this it would be GREATLY appreciated. And if you have any tips on the matter.

Thank you!!!!!
A.

If you have a through ticket, that's fine.

The risk of a delay and missed connection is theirs, not yours.

If you have separate tickets, the risk is yours. A simple 2-hour delay could see you buying a new ticket to the States at the full-flex on-the-day rate of perhaps $3000 even in economy.

Ask your airline if they can add a connecting flight to the same booking. Don't risk a 1 hour connection between separate tickets.

Delta doesn't fly from BCN to Denmark, so it can't be the same airline and there isn't any way to add it on.

I think you are in a very precarious position, and the only solution would be to cancel that flight from BCN to CPH and book a new one. But I haven't transferred there internationally, so maybe I'm wrong. I've just never had that take that little time in any airport for an international flight.

Why are you flying Delta from CPH to JFK? They don't even fly that route nonstop, do they? All I see is they have flights that are really code shares on AF or KLM and thus change flights in AMS or CDG before going to JFK. And curiously, they actually have a nonstop from BCN to JFK, which is unusual for an airline, it leaves at 1:55 pm.

So this is very odd, what I would do in preference order was:
1) see if you can change ticket to the nonstop from BCN to JFK.
2) cancel flight even if a loss and book a cheap one-way flight to CPH from BCN on Vueling or Norwegian Air for about 100 euro with longer connection time. This only works if your current flight leaves late in the day as the earliest such flight seems to get to CPH around 1 pm (a Vueling flight arrives at 12:50). If your flight from CPH leaves around 4 pm, that would be okay.
3) see if you can catch your flight at CDG or AMS if it does indeed change planes there after CPH, which it looks like to me. YOu can get nonstop flights on Vueling/Iberia to AMS for about 50 euro and they arrive in the morning, so that would leave plenty of time. If the flight changes in CDG, Easyjet flies nonstop from BCN to CDG in the morning, also for about 50 euro.

If I am mistaken and you have a nonstop from CPH to JFK, I'd do (2) if it's a late day flight, otherwise I guess you just pray.

What exactly are your details on the flights and why did you book this?

This routing does not look good. Did you purchase all tickets in one reservation from Delta or another Skyteam airline? I didn't think Delta would route you through CPH to return to JFK. If you are taking Vueling, SAS, etc for BCN-CPH, this question is something you ask before you make a purchase...

>>Why are you flying Delta from CPH to JFK? They don't even fly that route nonstop, do they?<<
DL219 departs daily from CPH to JFK, its a service that started in 2015.

If you have the booking all on one ticket, one reservation then it is fine. I would not start messing about with changing flights.

I have never been to Copenhagen , but just for a comparison sake, if that helps, corporate travel would not allow any international ticket booking where the transit time is 90 mins or lesser.

CPH is a very nice airport but I don't recall seeing moving walks so getting from one end of the airport to the other may take a bit of time. Your biggest concern will be the immigration queue.

I agree that if it's a through ticket you should be fine. I've been flying into and out of Copenhagen airport for 40-plus years and the airport isn't that big. It's also quite organized. But, if you don't have a through ticket, then that can be another issue as the first poster pointed out. If you decide to chance your connection, try to get a seat toward the front of the plane so that you can get out and hurry to your connecting flight.

I'm flying to Paris, next week, on Air France and then after staying in Paris for a while, will fly on to Copenhagen and stay some weeks. But, when I fly home I have to fly from Copenhagen back to Paris and then change planes and on to L.A. The time that I have to change planes is only 1 hour 45 minutes and in Charles de Gaulle which I'm not thrilled about. I prefer to have more time, but it is what it is, but my ticket is a through ticket.

Happy Travels!

My last trip through CPH was on a MAn-CPH-MUC ticket and I was off the plane and through immigration in about five minutes. Being seated at the front and being the only person in the non EU passport queue helped.

WOW! Firstly, let me just say thank you so much, for all the quick and very thorough replies!!

Let me clarify...
It's actually a friend that is flying this route. He wanted to save money on airfare getting to Barcelona from NYC. The cheapest flight was a Delta non-stop from JFK - COP. Then a Vueling flight to BCN, then reversed going back.

We booked the tickets separately in March.

Heading back home, the earliest flight from BCN to COP was 9:50AM (on Vueling) and the latest Delta flight from COP to NYC was 2:20PM.

Him nor I, have ever been to Europe and I did the research for him (ouch) as I'm flying direct. I read what people had written online about how small and efficient COP airport was so we took the gamble.

I am going to call Delta and see what they suggest.

I feel personally responsible and would feel AWFUL if he did miss his flight. That said, we did buy really good travel insurance through Travelex.

I see that a couple of you know the COP airport well...

Would it be an option to, when he gets to the passport que and/or any other lines, that he could grab a representative and explain his situation and hopefully get him to the front of the line?

And would anyone know what gates Vueling & Delta dock at so we could plane his route through the airport efficiently?

Again, thank you immensely for all of your help!!
A.

First, COP is Cooperstown, NY, which isn't served by any international airlines. Copenhagen is CPH.

Second, if he has checked luggage, it will be VERY IMPORTANT for him to ask the Vueling people in Barcelona to please, please tag his bag to JFK. He will need to have complete information for the Delta flight in hand to do this, and will still need to be persuasive. On two tickets neither Delta nor Vueling is under any obligation to through-check the bags.

Published minimum connection time for Vueling to Delta at CPH is 45 min. or one hour according to Delta, but actually Vueling doesn't publish MCTs as they're a low-cost subsidiary of Iberia, and many LCCs don't publish minimums. (Iberia is in a different alliance than Delta, too.)

So the worst case is that he'll have to collect his bags and re-check them with Delta, then go through security and Schengen exit passport control, then get to the Delta gate. If the Vueling flight is even a little late I'd say he's at great risk.

Look here: https://www.cph.dk/en/before-travell...e-information/

If he has only carry-on luggage, or if the Vueling people agree to tag it through to JFK, then he ought to be okay.

The ultimate fail-safe is to contact Vueling, pay the change fee (which will be MUCH cheaper than paying for a walk-up ticket on Delta if he misses the flight) and fly to CPH the night before.

And for the record, asking "will I make it?" AFTER the ticket is already purchased is, well...

Your friend is going to be up sh!t creek without a paddle. Reclaiming his bags and rechecking them/going through security pretty much ensures that he is going to miss his flight.

Don't do that again.

"So the worst case is that he'll have to collect his bags and re-check them with Delta, then go through security and Schengen exit passport control, then get to the Delta gate. If the Vueling flight is even a little late I'd say he's at great risk. "

I agree.

"The ultimate fail-safe is to contact Vueling, pay the change fee (which will be MUCH cheaper than paying for a walk-up ticket on Delta if he misses the flight) and fly to CPH the night before. "

I also agree with the above if he's going to end up having to pick up his luggage in Kastrup Airport and then walk it to Delta and recheck it and then go through security to get his Delta flight.

Good luck to him.

Happy Travels!

Maybe your friend should only travel with a carryon. That would help immensely.

Even with only a carry-on this is incredibly tight. What if the incoming flight is only 20 minutes late and he's in the back of the plane. Even with only a carry-on and running between gates he still has to go through security - which for US flights is extended.

I would not be comfortable without at least 2.5 hours to do this if he has checked luggage.

And very much doubt that Vueling will check through to JFK.

When I do something like this I always fly into the departure city at least a day before just to make sure I don't end up paying for 1-4 one tickets back to SFO. It's a reason I often fly back from either LOndon? where I am now or Paris as I never mind spending a few days in either city. Copenhagen is a pleasant city for a short stay. I agree, change the Vueling flight.

Since the OP booked separate tickets, one being on a low cost carrier which is not in the same alliance as Delta, it is unlikely that luggage can be checked thru to JFK. Even with hand luggage, getting from one flight to the other takes time and typically flights to the US close their gates & start boarding an hour before departure. At least the flights arrive and depart from the same terminal.

Any cost saving by going thru CPH is out of the window, with high risk of missing the DL flight unless changes are made (which will incur a change and possible fare differential) to the Vueling flight which will mean arriving CPH the night before and paying for a hotel.

It doesn't matter that CPH is a small and efficient airport, it is the minimum connecting time you should be taking into consideration plus the fact you booked separate tickets plus you are flying to the US which always requires more time for security etc.

Something else that needs to be considered is that for an international flight leaving at 14:20, doors are closed 15-20 min before departure which means you need to be at the gate by 14:00.

It might be useful to see how often Vueling is late arriving on that flight and how often Delta is late on leaving.

They need to be at the gate way before 20mins before departure. All because the aircraft doors close 15-20 mins beforehand does not mean anyone can board after the gate is closed. They need to be at the gate minimum 45 mins beforehand, to be on the safe side, 1 hour as there could be a line at the gate.

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...uirements.html

It isn't just a minimum connecting time, it's like arriving at that airport for an international flight since the flights are not connected. No one would recommend you only arrive at an airport for a flight to the US from EUrope only a half hour before the flight (or they may have an hour tops, after getting through immigration). I don't think if the Delta flight is late matters unless they actually change the schedule, they will still close the doors and have the same cutoff time. I've been on numerous flights that were up to 30 minutes or more late taking off due to delays on the ground, air traffic control, etc., and it didn't change their gate cutoff times.