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- Sdmccray1984
- Posts: 114
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Connection timing at Vienna
I’d appreciate you guys’ help here: I self booked a Ryanair ATH to CPH connecting at VIE. Both segments were booked separately because Ryanair’s website wouldn’t let me book the 2 segments together. The ATH to VIE segment arrives at VIE at 10:35a and the VIE to CPH segment departs at 11:25a (50 minutes later). Based on what you guys know about the logistics of VIE, is that enough time to make the second flight? Keep in mind the COVID stuff & the fact that these flights may arrive and depart from the apron. Thanks guys!
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- PatrickZ80
- Posts: 5345
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Re: Connection timing at Vienna
As long as you don't have any checked luggage and the first flight is on time, it should just barely be doable. Keep in mind that gate-checked luggage counts as checked luggage too and just like ordinary checked luggage you have to retrieve it at the belt. However there's no time for that, so make sure to keep your luggage with you at all times. Maybe it's worth buying priority boarding for your first flight so your large hand luggage is allowed in the cabin.
Vienna is a pretty straight-forward airport with mixed arrivals and departures. Unfortunately Ryanair sometimes uses remote stands with a bus to the terminal, in which case you're dropped off straight at the arrivals. In that case you have to run to make it to departures and clear security again, back to the departure gates. And that is if the flight is on time, if it's late this might cause you to miss your connecting flight. If your first flight arrives at a gate you got more time, you can just go straight to your departure gate which should be in the same part of the airport. No need to walk far.
Nonetheless it's a connection I would be weary about, there's a good chance of missing it. I've self-connected quite a bit but always with a few hours in between. So far it always went fine but such short connecting times could be just asking for trouble.
Have you considered other possibilities? By the flight times you're stating I was able to figure out you're planning to fly on Friday. I found a rather cheap opportunity on Wizzair and Norwegian on Friday from Athens to Copenhagen self-connecting in Budapest on Friday with 4 hours in between the flights. That's a connection you should certainly be able to make.
Vienna is a pretty straight-forward airport with mixed arrivals and departures. Unfortunately Ryanair sometimes uses remote stands with a bus to the terminal, in which case you're dropped off straight at the arrivals. In that case you have to run to make it to departures and clear security again, back to the departure gates. And that is if the flight is on time, if it's late this might cause you to miss your connecting flight. If your first flight arrives at a gate you got more time, you can just go straight to your departure gate which should be in the same part of the airport. No need to walk far.
Nonetheless it's a connection I would be weary about, there's a good chance of missing it. I've self-connected quite a bit but always with a few hours in between. So far it always went fine but such short connecting times could be just asking for trouble.
Have you considered other possibilities? By the flight times you're stating I was able to figure out you're planning to fly on Friday. I found a rather cheap opportunity on Wizzair and Norwegian on Friday from Athens to Copenhagen self-connecting in Budapest on Friday with 4 hours in between the flights. That's a connection you should certainly be able to make.
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- davidjohnson6
- Posts: 3144
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Re: Connection timing at Vienna
I agree with Patrick very much on this. You are definitely asking for trouble. Find a backup option to get from VIE to CPH and consider paying for that reserve ticket now if the price is low or, as Patrick suggests, buy tickets for an alternate route with a longer connection time
Re: Connection timing at Vienna
It looks like not even kiwi.com finds this connection.
For the next time doing self-hubbing: kiwi.com, Skyscanner and Google Flights find self-transfer connections with a more reasonable connecting time. I prefer layovers of at least 3 hours and/or a cheap alternative flight.
Agean has non-stops on CPH-VIE, even though on Fridays the price can be quite high.
Last year I made a connection at VIE coming with Ryanair from the Non-Schengen area. I needed to go through the security check again even though only having hand luggage. This could be the case only for flights coming from Non-Schengen.
For the next time doing self-hubbing: kiwi.com, Skyscanner and Google Flights find self-transfer connections with a more reasonable connecting time. I prefer layovers of at least 3 hours and/or a cheap alternative flight.
Agean has non-stops on CPH-VIE, even though on Fridays the price can be quite high.
Last year I made a connection at VIE coming with Ryanair from the Non-Schengen area. I needed to go through the security check again even though only having hand luggage. This could be the case only for flights coming from Non-Schengen.
Re: Connection timing at Vienna
It looks like not even kiwi.com finds this connection.
For the next time doing self-hubbing: kiwi.com, Skyscanner and Google Flights find self-transfer connections with a more reasonable connecting time. I prefer layovers of at least 3 hours and/or a cheap alternative flight.
Aegean has non-stops on ATH-CPH, even though on Fridays the price can be quite high.
Last year I made a connection at VIE coming with Ryanair from the Non-Schengen area. I needed to go through the security check again even though only having hand luggage. This could be the case only for flights coming from Non-Schengen.
For the next time doing self-hubbing: kiwi.com, Skyscanner and Google Flights find self-transfer connections with a more reasonable connecting time. I prefer layovers of at least 3 hours and/or a cheap alternative flight.
Aegean has non-stops on ATH-CPH, even though on Fridays the price can be quite high.
Last year I made a connection at VIE coming with Ryanair from the Non-Schengen area. I needed to go through the security check again even though only having hand luggage. This could be the case only for flights coming from Non-Schengen.
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- eurotrader85
- Posts: 504
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Re: Connection timing at Vienna
Wow, you're brave imo. I think VIE is a terrible airport for connecting, and adding a self-connection into the mix makes it worse. As PatrickZ80 says, might just be do-able if you sprint, but will certainly be a squeaky bum time I imagine.
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- PatrickZ80
- Posts: 5345
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Re: Connection timing at Vienna
eurotrader85 wrote:Wow, you're brave imo. I think VIE is a terrible airport for connecting, and adding a self-connection into the mix makes it worse. As PatrickZ80 says, might just be do-able if you sprint, but will certainly be a squeaky bum time I imagine.
It can actually be very convenient if you're lucky, but in cases like these you shouldn't count on luck.