Connecting Flights - Advice Needed for Inexperienced Flyer Please!

Albannach1876

I've only ever been on four flights as I have a flying phobia, but I'm working at overcoming it and trying to arrange a surprise trip for my husband for our anniversary.

I'm looking at flying from London City to Vienna with Swiss but it involves a change of 'plane in Zurich. The Swiss website offers a good fare with 1hour 20minutes to connect to the next flight.

Is this okay? I've really no idea how these things work. Do we have to collect our luggage and check in again in Zurich? What happens if our earlier flight is delayed? As the whole journey would be booked through Swiss would they ensure we got to Vienna on a later flight?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Voyager2002

You'll be fine, so long as you buy one ticket for the entire journey London - Vienna. You will not need to collect your baggage in Zurich, and if there are any delays then the airline will be responsible for arranging alternative transport.

Albannach1876

Thank you so much for the speedy reply Voyager - that's put my mind at rest ... at least for the booking. Just got to get myself on the 'plane now! :rotfl:

totallybored

That's plenty of time for a connection in Zurich, you'll probably find you're sitting around bored as there aren't many shops! Ive had 40 minute connections there before and this was more than enough time. The Swiss are very efficient, you'll get on a bus from the plane to the terminal and then have a couple minute walk to the next gate (you'll be scanned again so don't buy liquids flying out of the airport in London).

richardw

What if it is foggy at LCY?

totallybored

richardw wrote: »

What if it is foggy at LCY?

Or snow, or ice, or there is a hurricane. Then the OP is stuffed and misses the connection.

In reasonable weather conditions in the UK (Switzerland copes with worse ones better than us) then it should be ok. With connecting flights I normally try to ensure there is a later flight that day in case I miss the connection. I've only ever missed a couple in the past though and the airline put me on the next flight.

Albannach1876

totallybored wrote: »

(you'll be scanned again so don't buy liquids flying out of the airport in London).

Thanks for that Totallybored - I'd never have thought of that and I get myself so worked up the first thing I have to do once through security is buy a bottle of water and a lip balm!

lcbjcomc

When we flew through Zurich I remember Swiss airlines reading out the gate numbers for all of the connections that people were making on the flight from Heathrow. This helped as you were able to head straight for the area where your connection was rather than having to scan the TV screens straight off. It seemed to me that Swiss and Zurich were really well geared up for connecting passengers

jpsartre

Why not fly direct? You'll have plenty of options from London and it's usually not expensive. If you're a nervous flyer I don't see the point in adding things to be stressed about.

simongregson

totallybored wrote: »

Or snow, or ice, or there is a hurricane. Then the OP is stuffed and misses the connection.

In reasonable weather conditions in the UK (Switzerland copes with worse ones better than us) then it should be ok. With connecting flights I normally try to ensure there is a later flight that day in case I miss the connection. I've only ever missed a couple in the past though and the airline put me on the next flight.

If you buy it as one ticket the airline has responsibility to get you to your destination and will put you on the next flight. You will obviously be delayed but the airline will get you there in the end even with a misconnect.

The same doesn't apply if you buy two separate tickets for the two legs, which is why it is usually wise not to do this.

Alan_Bowen

There is no obvious reason to get connecting flights and if you are a nervous flyer, LCY is not the airport for you, surrounded on three sides by water with the steepest approach anywhere apart from the Himalaya's. Swiss are very efficient and you shouldn't have a problem changing planes at all but the planes from Heathrow are much bigger and if you are a nervous flyer I wouldn't fly from London City on any airline