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I'm looking at a 50m connection in Zurich going between PRG and YUL (single ticket, Swiss airlines), is it enough time to transfer? I'm a bit concerned after I saw this on the airport website

If you are travelling to or from countries that do not adhere to the Schengen Agreement you will have to pass through passport control in Zurich

I forget if there's an exit immigration check for Schengen countries, would I clear that in PRG on my first flight or in ZRH before actually leaving Schengen?

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  • @anomuse yes it's a single booking with the same airline, added info in Q
    – blackbird
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 15:19
  • When you reach passport control, it might be worth looking for a "priority queue" or something similar. They often exist for people with a short connection (have your boarding pass ready), and might save you some time because lines are shorter. However, there is no rule what "short connection" means exactly.
    – Sabine
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 18:10

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On a PRG-ZRH-YUL itinerary you clear Schengen exit immigration (which does exist) in Zurich.

As you bought this on one ticket, i.e. you have only one reservation number, this is a "legal" connection. It doesn't guarantee you will make it (although it suggests that the airline believes you will), but it does mean that if you miss the second flight because the first flight is late, your airline has the responsibility to re-book you on another flight to your final destination.

It's worth checking to see when the next ZRH-YUL flight on Swiss is if there are multiple flights a day, as that will give you a sense of your backup plan should this become an issue.

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    If the next Swiss flight is the next day, is there a chance they'd put me on a flight by a different airline in the same alliance the same day?
    – blackbird
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 15:29
  • @silkroad I think this is a case where they can put you on a partner flight, but they don't have to. If you have status of any kind it'd probably be more likely.
    – Hunter
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 16:52
  • From my experience with alliance flights, they will book you on a partner airline if there is an unavoidable delay - as was the case with me when the weather turned bad on a KLM flight and they put me on Air France.
    – Burhan Khalid
    Commented Nov 8, 2017 at 21:35
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For what it's worth, I have made a similar transfer in ZRH in only 45 minutes. I was lucky, no queue. But it can be done. I have, however, also missed a connection flying Swiss (GVA-ZRH-CPH). They would not book me on a partner airline, but I had to wait for the next Swiss flight

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  • That's very helpful, thanks! So ZRH isn't a very big airport then?
    – blackbird
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 20:02
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    It's quite a large airport, but there is a local (free) airport subway train connecting the terminals. Be sure to use that if applicable, as it can be quite a long walk otherwise.
    – nabla
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 20:08

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