Long-time, avid lurker here. Didn't notice a post about this post-security, non-Schengen transfer bus since the one above back in May, so I wanted to report that it was still active as of the morning of 14 Oct 2018. The bus runs during the AM hours (can't remember the exact time it stops) from Z11 to B63. When arriving to AEUW or Z11 thru Z69 (but not ANS nor Z50A thru Z69A), the route you'll follow is: Arrival -> Z11 -> down a lot of stairs -> bus -> B63 -> non-Schengen area of T1B (B20 thru B63). No security checks or passport checks are encountered at all when you take this route.

If the bus isn't running, perhaps in the afternoon, you of course can still avoid a security check by taking the double passport check route as follows: Arrival to AEUW or Z11 thru Z69 (but not ANS nor Z50A thru Z69A) -> follow signs to A gates (access either near Z13 or Z25) -> Schengen zone inbound passport check -> follow signs to B gates -> board elevators / lifts between A15 and A17 and descend to tunnel to B gates -> walk through tunnel to B gates -> ascend on elevators / lifts to B gates and arrive in Schengen zone B1 thru B19 -> follow signs to B20 thru B63 -> Schengen zone outbound passport check -> non-Schengen area of T1B (B20 thru B63). No security check is encountered when following this route, but passport controls are encountered twice. Of course, this route is not an option if you do not have a Schengen visa (but require one to enter the Schengen zone).

If the bus isn't running, perhaps in the afternoon, and you don't have a Schengen visa (and require one to enter the Schengen zone), you would of course just follow the regularly posted signs to B gates, making sure to avoid any routes which direct you to only B gates numbered 19 or lower. This route will be as follows: Arrival to AEUW, ANS, Z11 thru Z69, or Z50A thru Z69A -> up to the non-Schengen platform and then carriage of the SkyLine system -> SkyLine one stop to B gates -> right turn at bottom of stairs / escalator / elevator / lift toward B20 thru B63 -> security checkpoint -> non-Schengen area of T1B (B20 thru B63).

I'm not certain whether this last scenario would be possible or not, but where this post-security, non-Schengen transfer bus would come in handy most of all would be in the opposite direction. Unlike the Z to B direction, there is no way that I'm aware of to transfer from non-Schengen B to any other gates in the airport without passing through a security checkpoint. I only took the bus in the Z to B direction, so I didn't notice whether or not there was any signage near B63 (as there was near Z11). Therefore, it's possible that it may not even be allowed to board the bus at B63 to travel to Z11. However, if it hypothetically were possible, boarding the bus at B63 would give non-Schengen T1B passengers access to both the Z and A gates without requiring a security check. The hypothetical route would be as follows: Start in the non-Schengen clean B20 thru B63 gate area on levels 1 and 2 or the non-Schengen clean LH or AC lounge area on level 3 -> B63 -> bus -> Z11 -> up a lot of stairs -> Z gates. Optionally, continue on to A gates via only one Schengen zone inbound passport check near Z13 or Z25. Theoretically then from the A gates, in a very roundabout way, it would even be possible to access the Schengen zone of T1B without ever encountering a security checkpoint by concluding the circuitous route with this route extension: follow the signs to B gates -> board elevators / lifts between A15 and A17 and descend to tunnel to B gates -> walk through tunnel to B gates -> ascend on the elevators / lifts to the B gates, arriving at Schengen zone B1 thru B19 (rather than non-Schengen zone B20 thru B63 where you started). Has anyone ever tried to board the transfer bus at B63 and been able to travel to Z11?

Does anyone know if any other clean, non-Schengen, T1B-arriving flights other than just SQ25 from JFK provide arrival access into the clean area of B20 thru B63? If not, why don't those other flights from the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, etc. open up to the clean area of B20 thru B63, just as they would were they to arrive in AEUW or Z11 thru Z69 (but not Z50A thru Z69A)? Even if they were clean non-Schengen bus arrivals to T1B, they could be designated as "BEUW" or "BEUO" and buses could let passengers off to enter the terminal at any of the bus gates B30 thru B33 or B54 thru B63.

As it stands today, almost all non-Schengen T1B arrivals, whether from clean or unclean origins, are treated as unclean and designated as B20A thru B28A, B41A thru B48A, or BNS. B20A thru B28A and B41A thru B48A arrivals ascend from their jet bridges directly to T1B level 3 unclean, non-Schengen corridors which meet the junction of the T1B west and east piers. BNS bus arrivals drop off in former gates B50 thru B53 from which passengers then take dedicated elevators / lifts / escalators from level 1, skipping level 2, directly to level 3, letting them off in the same unclean non-Schengen level 3 corridor at the junction of the T1B west and east piers. The Schengen zone inbound passport control for all T1B non-Schengen arrivals is located at this same junction point, as is access to the unclean non-Schengen corridor to the non-Schengen carriage of SkyLine and other non-B non-Schengen gates.

Were T1B clean non-Schengen arrivals to actually be recognized for their clean status, then (1) terminating passengers, (2) non-Schengen transiting passengers connecting to gates other than B20 thru B63, and (3) non-Schengen to Schengen transiting passengers connecting to gates other than A or B1 thru B19 would simply proceed up to the clean corridor on level 3 (where the MLL and McDonalds food court are located) via the escalators adjacent to B22 and B42, pass through the clean to unclean exit portals located on either side of the opposite direction T1B level 3 non-Schengen transfer security checkpoint, and arrive at this exact same T1B unclean non-Schengen junction point as they do today. Clean non-Schengen passengers transiting to other non-Schengen flights departing from B20 thru B63 could just proceed directly to their next gate with no security checks or passport checks at all. And finally, if Fraport were to simply reverse the flow of a few of the passport check booths on level 2 at the T1B west and east pier junction point, they could enable clean non-Schengen to Schengen transiting passengers to connect to gates A and B1 thru B19 with no security check and just one passport check, just as they do when arriving at AEUW and Z11 thru Z69 (but not Z50A thru Z69A) today.

It doesn't seem to make any logical sense that flights on the same airlines from the same clean country origins be would treated as clean when they arrive to AEUW or Z11 thru Z69 (but not Z50A thru Z69A), but nearly always as dirty when they arrive to T1B, especially when the fix to this problem seems so simple (as spelled out above). Other than the zero cost procedural changes of (1) opening the jet bridge doors to departure lounges B20 thru B28 and B41 thru B48 directly (rather than diverting clean arrivals to the level 3 unclean corridor via B20A thru B28A and B41A thru B48A) and (2) establishing a "BEUW" or "BEUO" clean non-Schengen bus arrival procedure via any of existing bus gates B30 thru B33 or B54 through B63, the only physical modification required to enable this solution would be spinning around a few of the passport check booths on T1B level 2. The money saved on the reduced volume of transiting passengers requiring security screenings pay for this modification rather quickly I reckon. Am I missing something here? What do you all think? Is there a reason that anyone is aware of that these simple changes haven’t been made to date?

Lastly, does anyone think this bus would be even more valuable if it added a stop in the C14 thru C20 range as well? It would seem the same justification exists for a Z11 – B63 route as a Z11 – B63 – C14-20 route. Does anyone think this would ever be considered or feasible?