Originally Posted by
San Gottardo
Thanks a lot, really helpful.
Based on this and previous posts - thank you everybody! - I have now rebooked my connecting flight. I am ready to take the risk, but the alternative is waiting for 4.5 hours at DEN, an idea which depresses me (especially with the terrible UA club).
I do understand that they set MCT to maximize connections. But if they calculate it too tightly, then they will indeed produce too many mis-connects, which cannot be in their interest either. Especially if it leads to situations where people will have to be put up in a hotel for instance. Interesting tradeoff though that they have to make.
Again: thanks to all posters who helped me make an informed decision and (hopefully!) reach my destination earlier.
Just another bit of input from a frequent international traveller who is regularly on the NRT-DEN and FRA-DEN flights.
If you are in first class, you will be off the plane and have about a 5-7 minute brisk walk (10 minute if you have to walk at a slower pace) to the Global Entry kiosks. Expect some of your fellow travellers to race you. Ask me how I know
If the NRT flight is on time, customs is totally empty around 1230pm. But at the arrival time from MUC (330pm) your likely competition will be the BA flight from LHR which arrives at the same time, plus any straggling F9 or WN flights from Mexico (not sure of their arrival times). The FRA flight lands around 440pm but used to land around 330pm, and I have seen customs and immigration nicely jacked up at that time. Keep in mind DEN does not have extensive customs and immigration staff, so any lines you see will take longer than comparable length lines at major airports. I have seen the non-GE line for immigration go for 25-30 minutes during high times -- there is the first line for the automated kiosks and then the line where you get checked by an immigration officer.
But with GE you will wait at most for about 5 minutes.
If you are carry-on only, you are out of customs within a minute of getting done with GE. There is almost never a line to exit customs (like I have seen at ORD or SFO).
So from the door of your plane to customs exit
should be about 15 minutes, maybe less if you walk fast and the GE kiosks have no line at all.
That leaves you 45 minutes to get through security and back to the B gates. Very doable if you have premium security privileges or precheck. Maybe 10-15 minutes for security (although beware: I have seen even the premium line take a long time -- 20 minute son one busy day) because the line merges with the line for handicapped / those-needing-assistance, VIP groups (Kings of Leon blew through there in front of me once) and they usually get to butt in -- and those who are very elderly and in wheelchairs take a lot longer than most folks in part because they usually also have added family members with them. Not knocking it, just my experience.
That really is my only caveat -- you
shouldn't have an issue making the connection if the inbound flight is on time. The only risks are if your inbound is late or premium security lanes are particularly screwed up.