cdg do you exit via gate or on tarmac?

This may sound rather silly, but after much discussion with others who have flown into heathrow etc, it was indicated that many times you exit the plane to the tarmac and then get bussed into a terminal. Is that the case? Is that because there aren%26#39;t enough gates or does it depend on the airline?

Would contacting the airline answer my question or should I hope for the best? Unfortunately, I have mobility issues with a bad knee and I am trying to minimize the stairs I will have to manage. Thus, use of the metro will only be if we can%26#39;t get there any other way.

Thanks,

k

|||

Contact your airline. Lately I have only exited through a gate on American Airlines out of New York. But, my DH takes the flight frequently and occasionally exits on the tarmac. I would contact the airline, let them know of your mobility issues and put your mind at ease. Moms

|||

Contact the airline because they are the ones who can tell you, and they may be able to assist with your mobility issue, i.e. ensuring you have enough legroom.

|||

Last October, my mom and I exited onto the tarmac and were bussed to the terminal. In November, my dad and I exited through a gate. Our flight in October was a half hour late, so maybe that has something to do with it. Both were AA flights (actually, the same AA flight).

|||

Due to a general lack of sufficient gate facilities, it is indeed possible that your arriving flight will not park at a gate. This is not generally specific to an airline but rather to available gate space when your flight happens to arrive.

If you have a mobility issue, I recommend you indicate that early in the reservation process and be sure to explain your needs when you initially check in at your departure city. Ideally, your airline will have procedures in place for deplaning those with mobility issues if parking on the tarmac is required.

|||

Sarasto%26#39;s info nailed it.

FYI...We were bussed to the plane on a flight out of CDG. I saw someone boarding the plane via a lift platform like the ones used by airline catering companines. You can board from the tarmac without climbing stairs.

|||

You should certainly contact your airline and ask....but I rather doubt that you will get a definitive answer. In theory at least, there is supposed to be a %26#39;jetway%26#39;-equipped arrival Gate available for every incoming flight at CDG. But CDG does indeed have a shortage of Gates (depending on the ebb %26amp; flow of traffic/demand during the day) so often times passengers will deplane on the tarmac (or onto %26#39;scissor-lift%26#39; busses) and be bussed to the arrival terminals.

If you have a serious physical mobility issue, then I%26#39;d recommend that you inform your airline upon check-in at your US departure airport so that it is annotated on the passenger manifest for your flight. Upon arrival you may request assistance in deplaning at CDG.

|||

It depends on airline and time of arrival i.e. space available at gates.

Lately Air France has been able to pull right to terminal.

This said, it is not unusual to have to get a bus in many country in the world.

|||

-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-

This topic was inactive for 6 months and has been closed to new posts. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.

To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html

We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.

Removed on: 9:23 am, September 21, 2009