C D G   A N D   A F

Below the (rejected) comment entry for Charles de Gaulle airport for Skytrax.com.

I have to somewhat disagree regarding some aspects in preceding CDG testimonials. The following is for Terminals 2C and 2D.

I don't know whether the ADP has simply got its act together after criticism, or whether I've just been in a strange time-warp parallel universe, but I personally didn't see any of the unpleasantnesses that some have mentioned. No poo on the floor ;^), no litter anywhere, no cigarrette smoke, no lack of signage. Even the feared feeling of oppressing beton brut architecture was totally unfounded.

Also the luggage collection at the arrivals level of each terminal airside _did_ have a perverse logic, thus reducing the need to walk an inordinate amount of corridors to reach the luggage collection in the first place (although I didn't need to use it). Not a completely successful execution of the idea (I bumped both times into the luggage area, first time even into the melee while looking for a way out, and the exit is to the side of the area), but could be made to work with a bit more space. In fact, the well-lit cleanliness and airiness of the terminal(s), as well as the friendliness of all the staff (and yes, they all spoke English) made the transfers a pleasure.

Or would have made if not for the main user of the airport, Air France. Even the beforehand dreaded long bus "commutes" to and from planes wouldn't have been such an issue if AF had done their part in keeping with the timetables.

On my outward flight from Helsinki to CDG, the plane took off 40 mins. late due to a de-icing system problem. Well, Finnair had managed to cut the delay to 15 mins. by the time we arrived at CDG 2h20 later. As I had 1h30 to transfer, even the bus commute delays couldn't cock up my follow-up to NYC, although one potential delaying point at the terminal was the passport check to 2C with only two of the booths manned. (Just a note: with the directions posted IMO extremely clearly, only a fool would waste their time with the inter-terminal "navettes", as the escalators and wide corridors make it easier to trample one's way between the subterminals. Although those poles at the ends of the escalators can be annoying for some.)

AF, however, managed to make a mess of this transfer success by leaving my luggage out of the plane (the baggage transfer person at the JFK assumed that the tag information was mistakenly not even entered into the luggage transfer system). I got the luggage to my hotel the next morning, with the contents appropriately messed, the toothbrush, for example, thrown unprotected to the bottom of my bag and the shaving cream bottle similarly higgledy-piggledy with its cap uncorked. That check being done by AF security staff, AFAIK, as the plastic tags closing the luggage were marked with "Air France".

As for the return flight, a smooth arrival at CDG was even more important as I had only 50 mins. to transfer. That is, before the flight landed 10 mins. late (how they managed that, I don't know, as they had 8 hours to catch the timetible _and_ the jetstream -- heck, Finnair caught 25 mins. in just over two hours -- and the plane didn't do rounds in waiting pattern), after which the bus travel took another 15 to 20 mins. So, even after running like h*ll from 2C to 2D, I was too late to board my flight to Helsinki. Had there been normal boarding gates with walkways to planes, there would have been hardly a problem, but the bus connection meant a surefire way to miss the flight.

So, I missed the flight mostly due to the idiosyncracies of the airport, but the _second_ case of delayed luggage was of AF's making again. Even though the next connecting flight took off over an hour later, I didn't have any time to relax. Waiting for a long time next to the wrong transfer desk, thanks to a bit misleading advice from the Finnair ticket desk (but it _was_ opposite Check-In 10 and was marked "transfer" like adviced, how is one to know that it dealt with apparently other things altogether), I finally got my ticket, and then waited again after the check-in to be finally cleared for the ticket renewal to join the end of the queue to security. Then it was a dash to the gate and straight to bus. A heck of a way to transfer through an airport, but the staff was very friendly throughout. As for the luggage, despite the extra time to load it into my new flight, somehow it remained at CDG, and I got it a few hours after having arrived at home. A twofer for AF there.

So, high marks for the airport itself, minus the far-away aprons and bus drives, but as for trusting to have a successful transfer (both personnel and luggage!) done in less than 1h30 after touch-down -- a tough one... And impossible if the delay(ing) standards of AF are factored in.

lo-go © [email protected] 27 August 2005