Tricky transits

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 34 total)

  • SimonS1
    Participant

    Jeddah was always hard work….Saudia and Foreign Airlines terminals miles apart (literally). However with the new airport online this may have improved.


    Swissdiver
    Participant

    [quote quote=951997]I stopped using FRA many years ago due to the awful convoluted and frustrating transits, the queues, and the multiple controls, specially in some cases if you wanted to use a lounge which often entailed an extra pass through security and passport control. My last experience through FRA two years resulted in a missed connection, and I am in no hurry to try again.

    As for CDG, my last transit through there was 15 years ago and I hope never to do so again.

    I expect it’s all a bit better now but I try to use ZRH or VIE whenever possible, or even the always busy AMS which is more pleasant and efficient than CDG or FRA.[/quote]

    CDG is now great for AF connections, as long as 2G (a distant hall for smaller aircraft) is not involved. FRA is indeed a nightmare.

    JED was normally awful for a SV connection. But anything else required immigration and transportation… Useless.


    Tristan
    Participant

    The practice of marching transit passengers in groups only is a Russian one. I transited in Novosibirsk once on S7 and they had inexplicable waits for transit passengers for this reason.

    I fully concur on the disfunctionality of MNL terminals. I just don’t have a personal complaint about it because I never transit there. Among the silly aspects of transiting here is that in T2, none of the merchants take credit cards yet there is no ATM nor a money changer airside.


    Otte
    Participant

    EUrocity,your remarks are right on the money!!! THanks for adding them.Once flying Business ,making international to intentional connection….there was only ONE passprt booth and ONE security point for hundreds of passengers.
    No fast track ofcourse.The pushing and shoving of running late passengers was so violent,I had to protect my 14 yo son from being crushed.And that experience is when you fly BUSINESS!!!
    When you write Aeroflot customer service re their failures there are always always two culprits ( never them)
    1-you
    2-Russian Airport authority.

    For selling short connections,their answer was that the passenger must asses his/her physical cabalities,knowledge of the airport,and choose a connection that is longer( so not to run)
    Can you believe that? Now connecting passengers must evaluate themselves to figure out if they are deemed fit to make connections SU sells without any warning.
    Great inflight service,but the rest…… a joke,including responses from customer service.


    StephenLondon
    Participant

    [quote quote=951842]capetonian – One exception for the public would be KLM.com

    If you were to check London-Singapore (via AMS) for, say August 22, one would be offered a selection of connection possibilities at Schiphol.

    You could choose a 55 mins transit (taking the 1710 ex-LCY) or a longer 160 mins transfer when taking the 1605 (ex-LHR). Cautious travellers could opt for an even longer transit if taking the 1445 ex-LHR.

    Now a good agent would explain all this to his or her customer.

    But if the customer were to book direct online would he or she be sufficiently clued-up ?[/quote]

    I’d hope anyone in their right mind wouldn’t take a 55 min connection at AMS on a LCY-AMS-SIN flight. For starters, the Embraers (like the Fokker fleet before) are parked remotely, meaning on a good day 15 mins to empty the plane onto a coach and drive to the terminal. The probability that the SIN flight will be a marathon length away is almost guaranteed, and given SIN is a 777 route (316 pax or 408 pax) boarding will have been in progress if not nearly finished by the time you get to the gate. Too tight to be realistic for a fit and active passenger, let alone for elderly or mobility impaired, or families with small children. That also assumes you haven’t landed on Polderbaan runway and driven across half of the Netherlands to get to your parking stand on time. I long ago gave up any desire to spring across airports…book the longer connections, and relax with a coffee or beer overlooking a runway and take your time!


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    DFW is a nightmare too. I remember landing there once with a connection of almost three hours and still had to run to the gate, because the transit train is appallingly slow, baggage took forever to arrive, and the queue to re-check it (transferring from international to domestic so have to collect luggage, clear customs and re-check) went round three sides of the baggage hall.

    BKK is awful as well – very few travellators, no train, and incredibly long walks, particularly transferring between international and domestic.

    Let’s not forget LHR where, depending on time of day, you can end up waiting ages for a transfer bus and then end up being deposited at the wrong end of the wrong line for security (ie no fast-track access for transit passengers) – it’s so bad I often go landslide, change terminals using public transport and go airside again through the next terminal because at least that way you get fast track.

    My favourites are HEL which is astonishingly efficient (some flights between Asia and Europe have 40-minute connections and I can still get to the lounge, have a shower and a drink, and make it to the next gate with time to spare) and HKG (not that I transfer here often!) which has multiple access points for transit passengers, travellators and an intra-terminal train if you are really going from one end to the other. HKG even has free shower facilities (although I have never had to use them as I always have access to a lounge).

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    AFlyingDutchman
    Participant

    [quote quote=952336]My favourites are HEL which is astonishingly efficient (some flights between Asia and Europe have 40-minute connections and I can still get to the lounge, have a shower and a drink, and make it to the next gate with time to spare) and HKG (not that I transfer here often!) which has multiple access points for transit passengers, travellators and an intra-terminal train if you are really going from one end to the other. HKG even has free shower facilities (although I have never had to use them as I always have access to a lounge).[/quote]

    I’m so happy to read this about HEL. As I started in another post a while back, I have a tight connection in HEL from WAW connecting to JFK on AY and my worries were put to rest as I have ‘only’ 55 minutes but many say that is easy in HEL. My bigger concern is the connection in JFK from the AY flight to an AA flight to CLT. I seem to recall connecting in JFK is also a nightmare, even if in the same terminal.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    CathayLoyalist2
    Participant

    When transiting in the USA I have always allowed 4 hours. Whilst on some occasions I have been thrguh in less than 30 minutes others have meant a 90/120 minute transfer but at least more time in the loung compensated.


    AlanOrton1
    Participant

    ORD can be pretty horrific given an arrival into the Intl terminal and a connection from one of the domestic terminals.

    Currently exacerbated with the intra terminal transit train being closed with a bus replacement service running in its place.

    Not to mention it being one of the busiest airports in the world and oft prone to some pretty extreme weather.


    DavidSmith2
    Participant

    We have an AMS connection next month – LHR-AMS-Accra – both with KLM.

    On the original booking we had at 2 hour transit time but with a flight adjustment, this is now 1 hour 20 mins. Sounds a bit tight but I guess the (almost) worst case scenario is a 600 EUR compensation payment and 24 hours in Amsterdam.

    Anyone with experience of how KLM handle tight transits?


    Swissdiver
    Participant

    [quote quote=952516]We have an AMS connection next month – LHR-AMS-Accra – both with KLM.

    On the original booking we had at 2 hour transit time but with a flight adjustment, this is now 1 hour 20 mins. Sounds a bit tight but I guess the (almost) worst case scenario is a 600 EUR compensation payment and 24 hours in Amsterdam.

    Anyone with experience of how KLM handle tight transits?[/quote]

    Not very well. But non-Schengen – non Schengen should be all right in 80 minutes… No time though to go to the casino…

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    I have to agree with everything that’s been said about Manila, one of worst designed airports in Asia if not the world! I have not been to the US in a while, but that always was nightmarish coming in Internationally and flying on domestically, has it changed? I knew LAX, MIA, DFW and ATL to name a few but since moving to Asia have not been to the US so can’t comment now!

    I always remember Brisbane being a slow bus journey away from Int to Domestic again have not been there in a while, and transiting through LHR from 3 to 2 earlier this year was not easy as was early so slow busses and security!


    cwoodward
    Participant

    Brisbane airport is now open 24 hours but according to the airports web site the transfer bus still ceases at 11pm !
    What can be the logic of this given that the distance between terminals is about 4K?

    I have not been to Brisbane for a couple of years and am wondering if it is just a case of the web site not being up dated.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    [quote quote=952532]Brisbane airport is now open 24 hours but according to the airports web site the transfer bus still ceases at 11pm !

    What can be the logic of this given that the distance between terminals is about 4K?

    I have not been to Brisbane for a couple of years and am wondering if it is just a case of the web site not being up dated.[/quote]

    cwoodward you’re absolutely right on that, it reminded me once I had to book an uber to get there late at night…. bizarre!


    SimonS1
    Participant

    [quote quote=952516]We have an AMS connection next month – LHR-AMS-Accra – both with KLM.

    On the original booking we had at 2 hour transit time but with a flight adjustment, this is now 1 hour 20 mins. Sounds a bit tight but I guess the (almost) worst case scenario is a 600 EUR compensation payment and 24 hours in Amsterdam.

    Anyone with experience of how KLM handle tight transits?[/quote]

    Should be doable. However you only need an issue with weather or ATC and your worst case will be €zero and an overnight in Amsterdam.

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