pbh220

Hi All,
Just received a travel change from Lufthansa, changed our 6/17 reservation to:
FRA-MUNICH (13:15-14:10), MUN-NAPLES (14:55-16:30).

I booked this ticket with an 1.35 minute layover in MUN which seemed tight then.

How will we possibly make the connection to NAP? Even if we didn't need to pass an immigration check, this seems impossible. Is this a legal connection?

All suggestions on how to deal with Lufthansa much appreciated!!!

view

Have you ever been to Munich? You´ll be fine. Connection is perfectly legal, I would actually pop into the lounge for a quick drink on a 45 min connection, but that´s just me

pbh220

Thank you! I loved your post!!!

Forrest Bump

It's perfectly fine. Indeed you're gonna have time for a lounge snack. Even if one of the two flights is assigned a bus position (unlikely for the FRA segment).

Yoshi212

I concur with these previous statements. MUC is one of those great airports for connections.

You could call LH and ask to be put the on the earlier FRA-MUC (not MUN which is in Venezuela) flight but they may not change it for you as it is a legal connection.

vbroucek

I suspect that OP is flying to FRA from USA, so perhaps cannot use earlier FRA-MUC flight (or even direct FRA-NAP flight)? I am thinking this way because OP mentions immigration. If it was just FRA-MUC-NAP there would be no immigration (all Schengen).

And for the OP, if you are really coming from USA, the immigration will be in FRA.

pbh220

To: vbroucek

Can you clarify what you mean? Indeed I am coming from USA, not sure what "OP" means (can you clarify).
I thought I would need to carry my bags through immigration before getting on second leg to NAP, which means that I cannot possibly make it within 45 minutes--tell me I am mistaken but it sounds very difficult.
Will the gate be so close at MUC that I can walk without crossing Immigration?
Thank you!
Pepperment

pbh220

Actually I am from USA, traveling SFO-FRA then connecting (separate ticket) in FRA to NAP via MUC.

malmostoso

If the agent in SFO checks your bags through on the second ticket, you will only see your bags in NAP (insert joke here). In FRA you will go through passport control ("immigration") when you transfer from the Z level to the A level (look for the FRA connection thread).

In MUC you will arrive in T2 and you will depart from the same terminal, albeit you might have to take a train to the satellite (look for the MUC connection thread).

If you have to go to the satellite you won't have time for the lounge stop. In fact, since it appears to be your first time in MUC, forget about the lounge and move to your next gate quickly.

45 minutes is fine, and worst case scenario you'll be put on the next flight if something goes wrong.

vbroucek

OP = Original Poster

Others have I think answered the rest. Europe does not work the same way as USA and even if it did, you would do it in FRA not in MUC, because FRA will be your first point of entry to Schengen. There is no immigration between Schengen countries... As a matter of fact, there are virtually no borders between most of the European countries at all.

If the agent at SFO does not check your luggage through (you say different tickets, so it may happen, depending on operating airlines - you do not say whom you are flying to FRA), then you will have to re-check it in FRA and that might be interesting experience.

LondonElite

Not to worry you unnecessarily, but this is not a connection. You have two separate tickets, so if you miss your FRA-MUC flight because your inbound flight from SFO is late (for example) Lufthansa is under no obligation to accommodate you and you will likely have to buy new tickets to NAP in FRA as your entire itinerary will have automatically been cancelled. I think through-checking will be unlikely, so you'll have to collect your luggage in FRA and then check in again. I hope you have left yourself a lot of time in FRA.

warakorn

If FRA-MUC-NAP is booked on a LIGHT fare, I do not think the check-in agents at SFO are allowed to check the bags through, if a bag is not included in the fare for the FRA-MUC-NAP portion.

pbh220

Thank you....we are flying UA SFO-FRA, then second ticket FRA-MUC-NAP. From the international UA flight SFO-FRA, do we stay in the same terminal to catch the FRA-MUC flight, we have almost 4 hours between the FRA arrival and the FRA-MUC-NAP departure.

AND, more confusion here: looks like with my FRA-MUC-NAP EconClassic, I cannot carry on more than one bag. Can you confirm that we should check our bags for the FRA-MUC-NAP leg? Is Lufthansa as bad as other airlines with lost luggage?

Returning on 6/20 we fly Lufthansa NAP-FRA with a 2.5 hour layover before the UA FRA-SFO flight. Will we have enough time to pick up our checked bags, go through immigration and then get to our UA flight?

We usually carry on bags to avoid the hassle of checked bags. But it appears Lufthansa won't allow us to take our bag + our backpack on their flights.

Whew. This is very confusing and I am very grateful for your advice!!!

LondonElite

You should be fine on the timings (unless there is a huge snafu). In terms of the baggage, understand that European airlines are not like those in the US where you can get away with carrying on the kitchen sink. A reasonable mini suitcase and a briefcase is what you can get away with on a classic fare, though you may be asked to check. Losing luggage is less of an airline than an airport thing. At FRA I wouldn't really worry.

hugolover

I didn't realise there was a difference in classic and light fares for HB? One 55 x 40 x 23 cm 8kg and one 30 x 40 x 10 cm briefcase for both fares.