Germany - FRANKFURT AIRPORT - Express Customs lines?

I am flying to Munich Germany next month for Oktoberfest. I have a connecting flight at Frankfurt to a non oneworld airline to finish the trip. I have a somewhat tight connection but the agent from Lufthansa said it should be plenty of time. I'm arriving on AA70 in business class on a 767. Then have to connect from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. There is a luggage agreement with the airlines so I shouldn't have to worry about picking up luggage - just clearing customs and getting to other terminal.

Does anyone know if there is a dedicated line at customs for business/first passengers like they have in France and UK? Thanks.

Not as I recall. But the couple of times we've been there there has been absolutely no line at all.

Of course, this is not AA-specific since first/business class lines cross airlines.

Cheers.

As this thread is not AA specific, I've moved it to the Germany forum.

~Microwave
AA Forum Co-moderator

You have to clear immigration in FRA, and there is no dedicated fast track line. However, it shouldn't take longer than a few minutes.

In MUC you will clear customs by walking your luggage through the green channel and most likely not even see a customs officer.

Immigration@FRA was always amazing.
I guess an average processing time there is 10-15 sec/passenger.
I went thru there about 10 times in the last 3 years and I have never been asked a single question at the immigration:D

As others have said, customs is a breeze at FRA. I have never seen a line.

Edit: Something very important to keep in mind is that your checked luggage could be what ends up taking the most time. I flew into FRA on Friday and from stepping off the plane to clearing immigration took less than 20 minutes. However, I had to wait an additional hour for my luggage to come through the belt.

While I can confirm lines are usually not bad, sometimes you can have bad luck and have some wait.

Are you travelling on one ticket? If not but if they can check your bags thru, you will clear immigration in Terminal 2 and go landside. From there you can take an automated train to Terminal 1, and reclear security there. No matter from which A-Gate your flight departs (will probably be a low numbered A Gate) it is better to remain on board until the end of the line (2 stops) as this will drop you in the middle of the A-Pier and most people leave at the big station in the check in area (first stop). There is own security check point at the end of the line. Usually no queue at all, more relaxed staff and much more less for you to walk.


If lines at Terminal 2 are too long, then you can also take the automated train first (it has a own platform and a own car in secured area for people which remain in non schengen transit), just follow signs to Terminal 1. The access to the train is around the corner of Burger King at Terminal 2. You can then clear immigration at Terminal 1 and continue to your gate there. Could even be a little faster depending on where in Terminal 1 your flight is departing.

How much time do you have for connecting?

If lines at Terminal 2 are too long, then you can also take the automated train first (it has a own platform and a own car in secured area for people which remain in non schengen transit), just follow signs to Terminal 1. The access to the train is around the corner of Burger King at Terminal 2. You can then clear immigration at Terminal 1 and continue to your gate there.

I wasn't aware of it. I may try it next time.
I thought air train@FRA running only on land-side....

I wasn't aware of it. I may try it next time.
I thought air train@FRA running only on land-side....

Actually one of the two cars is for non-schengen. doors open the other side than the "landside" car and therefore guests embark and disembark on another platform and can transit from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 without passing immigration.

Take a look on this site of Fraport (airport owner), they newly installed fast lanes for connecting passengers:

http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/content/frankfurt_airport/en/services_at_the_airport/Great-to-have-you-here.html

Quote:
Get to Your Connecting Flight Fast

A special service for passengers with little time to change planes: if you have less than 30 minutes to get to your connecting flight, you can take advantage of special fast lanes at the security checks. Please consult the monitor screens to see which flights and destinations are affected.
Unquote.

Take a look on this site of Fraport (airport owner), they newly installed fast lanes for connecting passengers:

http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/content/frankfurt_airport/en/services_at_the_airport/Great-to-have-you-here.html

Quote:
Get to Your Connecting Flight Fast

A special service for passengers with little time to change planes: if you have less than 30 minutes to get to your connecting flight, you can take advantage of special fast lanes at the security checks. Please consult the monitor screens to see which flights and destinations are affected.
Unquote.

Unless this is really something new, they installed this quite a time ago. But it's not as good as it sounds. At the central security accesses (from landside to airside after check in) there is a boarding pass check and a screen showing flights about to board. Passengers on these flights will be sent through a shorter lane (no matter if they are departing or connecting passengers) which will lead them to the front of the regular security lane. Then they merge with the other passengers, meaning there is no real seperate security check points, it's just a way to avoid longer lanes . Never saw that at connecting security checks, but in some scenarios connecting passengers would use the central check in points and therefore be able to use these lanes.

It's like the free little golf carts driving you around - especially at the a pier - which you are supposed to hop on and off if you want to... never really saw them in the airport nor is it actively advertized there, I'm quite sure most people don't even know they exist for "general use" (and not only for elder or handicapped people).

I had connecting two flights in FRA this month, and both involved:
- buses to/from the terminal;
- going through another security check "air side" as the connecting flight was departing from another terminal.
Tight connections in FRA are not assured (as others have suggested) for these two reasons. Allow 1-2 hours.

While I can confirm lines are usually not bad, sometimes you can have bad luck and have some wait.

Are you travelling on one ticket? If not but if they can check your bags thru, you will clear immigration in Terminal 2 and go landside. From there you can take an automated train to Terminal 1, and reclear security there. No matter from which A-Gate your flight departs (will probably be a low numbered A Gate) it is better to remain on board until the end of the line (2 stops) as this will drop you in the middle of the A-Pier and most people leave at the big station in the check in area (first stop). There is own security check point at the end of the line. Usually no queue at all, more relaxed staff and much more less for you to walk.


If lines at Terminal 2 are too long, then you can also take the automated train first (it has a own platform and a own car in secured area for people which remain in non schengen transit), just follow signs to Terminal 1. The access to the train is around the corner of Burger King at Terminal 2. You can then clear immigration at Terminal 1 and continue to your gate there. Could even be a little faster depending on where in Terminal 1 your flight is departing.

How much time do you have for connecting?

I land at 825 on American Airlines and my connecting flight is at 955 on Lufthansa. My bags will be checked through on a baggage agreement with both airlines

Anyone have any suggestions

Anyone have any suggestions

Take the train from T2 to T1. I'd clear passport control right away at T2 so you don't have to worry about it in T1. 1 1/2 hours is plenty of time, and if you miss your flight to MUC, there is one either hourly or every other hour, as well as a rail connection. If you don't have your boarding pass when you get to FRA, you can get it in T1 at any of the flight connection desks.

Take the train from T2 to T1. I'd clear passport control right away at T2 so you don't have to worry about it in T1. 1 1/2 hours is plenty of time, and if you miss your flight to MUC, there is one either hourly or every other hour, as well as a rail connection. If you don't have your boarding pass when you get to FRA, you can get it in T1 at any of the flight connection desks.

Thank you!

If your bags are checked all the way through, make sure when you get your LH boarding pass that you show the agent your baggage receipt tags so they can associate your baggage with your LH boarding pass. Otherwise they will have to do it at the gate which might delay your boarding (and all the overhead space might be taken by the time you board).