Hi, I am going to visit Istanbul for two weeks next April and I'd like
some connection advice for the Zurich airport. I have never flown
through the Zurich airport before.

How plausible is a connection time between a 7:50am arrival from the
USA and 10:45am departure to Istanbul, and later a 9:45am arrival from
Istanbul and a 11:10am departure from Zurich home to the USA? That is
nominally 2hrs 55 min connection time on the way in, but only 1 hr 25
min on the way out.

Also, given a 1 hr 25 min connection time on the return, I wonder: what
kind of lateness risk should I have in Turkish airlines (which is the
only carrier my research has found can match my American Airlines
arrival and depart times with Zurich; I've also researched BA and Swiss
Air Lines -- any I missed?).

Please advise, thanks, and if you email me note the nospam.

--
Dan Stephenson
Photos, movies, panos from the Europe, USA, plus N.Z.:
http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda

(remove nospam from email address to reply via email)

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 04:00:30 GMT, Dan Stephenson
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Hi, I am going to visit Istanbul for two weeks next April and I'd like
    >some connection advice for the Zurich airport. I have never flown
    >through the Zurich airport before.
    >How plausible is a connection time between a 7:50am arrival from the
    >USA and 10:45am departure to Istanbul, and later a 9:45am arrival from
    >Istanbul and a 11:10am departure from Zurich home to the USA? That is
    >nominally 2hrs 55 min connection time on the way in, but only 1 hr 25
    >min on the way out.
    >Also, given a 1 hr 25 min connection time on the return, I wonder: what
    >kind of lateness risk should I have in Turkish airlines (which is the
    >only carrier my research has found can match my American Airlines
    >arrival and depart times with Zurich; I've also researched BA and Swiss
    >Air Lines -- any I missed?).
    >Please advise, thanks, and if you email me note the nospam.

Is a Zurich connection critical?

Swiss and Turkish do seem to be the only non-stops; if you
can choose different link cities then a much wider range
appears - Alitalia, Czech, Iberian, BA etc. I flew on the
IST-BCN leg earlier this year on Iberian.

The flight did depart 30 minutes late; however, I don't know
whether that was caused by Iberian or the Airport (which is
reasonably modern) or something else.

Might be worth considering a pleasant stopover for a day or
two in Rome, London, Prague or Frankfurt - or Zurich - on
the way home.

You may find the Istanbul posts in the blog below
interesting.

Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Planning on the Net
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/

Dan Stephenson schrieb:

    > Hi, I am going to visit Istanbul for two weeks next April and I'd like
    > some connection advice for the Zurich airport. I have never flown
    > through the Zurich airport before.
    >
    > How plausible is a connection time between a 7:50am arrival from the USA
    > and 10:45am departure to Istanbul, and later a 9:45am arrival from
    > Istanbul and a 11:10am departure from Zurich home to the USA? That is
    > nominally 2hrs 55 min connection time on the way in, but only 1 hr 25
    > min on the way out.
    >
    > Also, given a 1 hr 25 min connection time on the return, I wonder: what
    > kind of lateness risk should I have in Turkish airlines (which is the
    > only carrier my research has found can match my American Airlines
    > arrival and depart times with Zurich; I've also researched BA and Swiss
    > Air Lines -- any I missed?).

You might try an AA codeshare on Turkish airlines from ORD to IST instead.

Regards, ULF

Dan Stephenson schrieb:

    > Hi, I am going to visit Istanbul for two weeks next April and I'd like
    > some connection advice for the Zurich airport. I have never flown
    > through the Zurich airport before.
    > How plausible is a connection time between a 7:50am arrival from the
    > USA and 10:45am departure to Istanbul, and later a 9:45am arrival from
    > Istanbul and a 11:10am departure from Zurich home to the USA? That is
    > nominally 2hrs 55 min connection time on the way in, but only 1 hr 25
    > min on the way out.
    > Also, given a 1 hr 25 min connection time on the return, I wonder: what
    > kind of lateness risk should I have in Turkish airlines (which is the
    > only carrier my research has found can match my American Airlines
    > arrival and depart times with Zurich; I've also researched BA and Swiss
    > Air Lines -- any I missed?).

Zurich airport is relatively small, convenient ... as long
as you dont have to use Gates E (finger dock, slow
underground access). More at
http://www.zurich-airport.com/ZRH/de...e=1&sp=en&hp=1

If incoming flight is on time, luggage is checked to final
destination (so you dont have to leave transit area at
the airport and probably have to pass only security check)
- then even 1:25 should be feasible, definitely if both
flights use the same gate area (A,B, all walking area
and distance, or E finger dock). See website -> your route
-> site maps

But you will take chances - delays for incoming flights
are not unfrequent, and in addition to not being on time
for your connecting flight you might not have time for
buying some chocolate truffels at Sprüngli or Steiner
airport shops :-)

As for airline companies deserving both Istanbul and your
US airport - check the airport website list of companies
deserving Zurich.

Have a great trip

On 2006-11-02 23:35:55 -0600, Alan S <[email protected]> said:

    > On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 04:00:30 GMT, Dan Stephenson
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >> Hi, I am going to visit Istanbul for two weeks next April and I'd like
    >> some connection advice for the Zurich airport. I have never flown
    >> through the Zurich airport before.
    >>
    >> How plausible is a connection time between a 7:50am arrival from the
    >> USA and 10:45am departure to Istanbul, and later a 9:45am arrival from
    >> Istanbul and a 11:10am departure from Zurich home to the USA? That is
    >> nominally 2hrs 55 min connection time on the way in, but only 1 hr 25
    >> min on the way out.
    >>
    >> Also, given a 1 hr 25 min connection time on the return, I wonder: what
    >> kind of lateness risk should I have in Turkish airlines (which is the
    >> only carrier my research has found can match my American Airlines
    >> arrival and depart times with Zurich; I've also researched BA and Swiss
    >> Air Lines -- any I missed?).
    >>
    >> Please advise, thanks, and if you email me note the nospam.
    >
    > Is a Zurich connection critical?

Well, I need to use Ameican Airlines because I lift 20 minutes from its
hub in Dallas, Texas, which has non-stop flights to London Gatwick,
Paris CDG, Frankfurt, and Zurch. I wanted a non-stop transatlantic leg
that got me back to customs in my home town, and which are shorter,
anyway. So from LGW, CDG, FRA and ZRH I checked with BA, Swiss, and
Turkish air lines, and only the Turkish schedule barely fits one of the
four - Zurich. So this is why Zurich was 'critical'.

    > Swiss and Turkish do seem to be the only non-stops; if you
    > can choose different link cities then a much wider range
    > appears - Alitalia, Czech, Iberian, BA etc. I flew on the
    > IST-BCN leg earlier this year on Iberian.

Right, but I was looking for a non-stop back to Dallas from Europe.

    > The flight did depart 30 minutes late; however, I don't know
    > whether that was caused by Iberian or the Airport (which is
    > reasonably modern) or something else.
    >
    > Might be worth considering a pleasant stopover for a day or
    > two in Rome, London, Prague or Frankfurt - or Zurich - on
    > the way home.

Aye, I could, and I'd choose Paris, actually, but just a day is
unsettling, and more robs from my time in Istanbul. I'll have to think
about it.

    > You may find the Istanbul posts in the blog below
    > interesting.

Thanks I'll check it out.

    >
    > Cheers, Alan, Australia


--
Dan Stephenson
Photos, movies, panos from the Europe, USA, plus N.Z.:
http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda

(remove nospam from email address to reply via email)