Really stupid/beginner connecting flight query
Apr 7, 2016, 4:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 68
Really stupid/beginner connecting flight query
Hi all,
As a Ryanair cheap-flight-man from Dublin there really isn't much need for me to act around with connecting flights so apologies for the beginner nature of this. I've to fly Dublin - Nuremberg and although I know I could do DUB - STN - NUR - STN - DUB with Ryanair I'm not too fond of the point to point nature and the loss of 'connecting' flights and the expense of rebooking if one sector is late.
For not much more money, the Lufthansa website is offering me DUB - ZUR - NUR - FRA - DUB, with Swiss Air - Austrian on the way out and Lufthansa - Lufthansa on the way home. Transfer times are 3h00m in Zurich (in which I have every intention of leaving the airport for a quick (Geocaching) walk... should be plenty of time) and 2h05m in Frankfurt on the way back. I could do Lufthansa the whole way there and back via FRA but for the same price I want to find me a Geocache just outside Zurich airport, basically.
I'll be traveling with hand luggage only so no worries about through baggage.
Not having had any experience with connecting flight boarding cards... I'm quite sure for the return journey I'll be ok as its all Lufthansa and if the NUR - FRA flight is late I'll be given a spot on the next flight. But because the DUB - ZUR - NUR uses Swiss and Austrian, booked via the Lufthansa website, does the same apply? If the Swiss flight is late, will Austrian put me on the next ZUR - NUR flight, or find another routing for me?
Apologies for the newbie question but I'm so used to blatant abuse of Ryanairs €9.99 deals (daytrip to Amsterdam, anyone?) that I've never needed connecting flights like this before. Would be great if anyone can see any holes in these plans as well, I'm aware there will be some Schengen/non-Schengen mucking about but IIRC that'll only be a quick passport check anyway.
Thanks!
As a Ryanair cheap-flight-man from Dublin there really isn't much need for me to act around with connecting flights so apologies for the beginner nature of this. I've to fly Dublin - Nuremberg and although I know I could do DUB - STN - NUR - STN - DUB with Ryanair I'm not too fond of the point to point nature and the loss of 'connecting' flights and the expense of rebooking if one sector is late.
For not much more money, the Lufthansa website is offering me DUB - ZUR - NUR - FRA - DUB, with Swiss Air - Austrian on the way out and Lufthansa - Lufthansa on the way home. Transfer times are 3h00m in Zurich (in which I have every intention of leaving the airport for a quick (Geocaching) walk... should be plenty of time) and 2h05m in Frankfurt on the way back. I could do Lufthansa the whole way there and back via FRA but for the same price I want to find me a Geocache just outside Zurich airport, basically.
I'll be traveling with hand luggage only so no worries about through baggage.
Not having had any experience with connecting flight boarding cards... I'm quite sure for the return journey I'll be ok as its all Lufthansa and if the NUR - FRA flight is late I'll be given a spot on the next flight. But because the DUB - ZUR - NUR uses Swiss and Austrian, booked via the Lufthansa website, does the same apply? If the Swiss flight is late, will Austrian put me on the next ZUR - NUR flight, or find another routing for me?
Apologies for the newbie question but I'm so used to blatant abuse of Ryanairs €9.99 deals (daytrip to Amsterdam, anyone?) that I've never needed connecting flights like this before. Would be great if anyone can see any holes in these plans as well, I'm aware there will be some Schengen/non-Schengen mucking about but IIRC that'll only be a quick passport check anyway.
Thanks!
Apr 7, 2016, 8:12 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: British Airways Gold
Posts: 2,636
Yes you're fully protected and get both boarding passes in Dublin.
In reality Austrian is just operating the ZUR-NUR flight on behalf of Swiss as they have a more suitable plane.
In reality Austrian is just operating the ZUR-NUR flight on behalf of Swiss as they have a more suitable plane.
Apr 7, 2016, 8:39 am
#3
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
Welcome to Flyertalk, THE_Chris
I am moving your query to the Miles and More Program, which include Lufthansa, Swiss, etc.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator
I am moving your query to the Miles and More Program, which include Lufthansa, Swiss, etc.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator
Apr 7, 2016, 10:18 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Posts: 1,129
Hi Chris,
You must be doing...
http://coord.info/GC120HB
Anyway, you'll get off the Swiss flight from Dublin in the Non-Schengen area, do passport control, and exit into the public area. Head over to Parking Garage 6 and the rest looks to be easy.
You'll have or get both boarding passes when you check-in at Dublin, and you'll need the second one to get back through security in Zurich, and out to the gate.
On the return journey, through Frankfurt, you should have time to do..
http://coord.info/GCA33A
it's at gate A42, which should just involve a walk from your arrival gate NUE-FRA. To get to the Dublin flight, you have to change from the A terminal to be B terminal, within the security area.
This is an excellent connection thread.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lufth...on-thread.html
Check with GoldCircle - he's pretty good on this connecting flights deal.
Aidan (aidanic)
You must be doing...
http://coord.info/GC120HB
Anyway, you'll get off the Swiss flight from Dublin in the Non-Schengen area, do passport control, and exit into the public area. Head over to Parking Garage 6 and the rest looks to be easy.
You'll have or get both boarding passes when you check-in at Dublin, and you'll need the second one to get back through security in Zurich, and out to the gate.
On the return journey, through Frankfurt, you should have time to do..
http://coord.info/GCA33A
it's at gate A42, which should just involve a walk from your arrival gate NUE-FRA. To get to the Dublin flight, you have to change from the A terminal to be B terminal, within the security area.
This is an excellent connection thread.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lufth...on-thread.html
Check with GoldCircle - he's pretty good on this connecting flights deal.
Aidan (aidanic)
Apr 7, 2016, 11:30 am
#5
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
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Posts: 29,514
Welcome to FT and the Mile & More forum, THE_Chris!
As aidanc (who as you might have guessed is from Ireland) has already responded, you should be fine if you are on one ticket for this itinerary. You should have plenty of time for your transfer in Zurich and Frankfurt. As Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian all belong to the same group they'll take care of you if one flight is delayed and you miss your connection in Zurich or Frankfurt.
By the way the airport code for Zurich is ZRH and Nuremberg is NUE.
In Frankfurt on the way back after Geocaching near gate A42 (the furthest gate in A Pier), go down the lift between A15 and A17, walk through the tunnel and go through passport control at the end of the tunnel into Pier B where your flight to DUB departs from.
As aidanc (who as you might have guessed is from Ireland) has already responded, you should be fine if you are on one ticket for this itinerary. You should have plenty of time for your transfer in Zurich and Frankfurt. As Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian all belong to the same group they'll take care of you if one flight is delayed and you miss your connection in Zurich or Frankfurt.
By the way the airport code for Zurich is ZRH and Nuremberg is NUE.
In Frankfurt on the way back after Geocaching near gate A42 (the furthest gate in A Pier), go down the lift between A15 and A17, walk through the tunnel and go through passport control at the end of the tunnel into Pier B where your flight to DUB departs from.
Apr 7, 2016, 11:59 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 68
Thanks folks, looks like it'll all be ok. See thats the thing, Ryanair usually take me where I need to go and I've gotten used to having absolutely no backup if a flight is late... being looked after (to an extent) by an airline will be a novelty.
Aidan I'll have a check with Goldcircle the next time I see him. Its a small world! I tried to do that GateA42 cache when I was flying into Frankfurt from Dublin last... got some pics of the gate from outside (we taxiied past it), some photos of my GPS showing we came 30-40m from the actual co-ords... but the CO would have none of it. I thought I'd made a decent effort so we had a bit of a war of words and I posted a DNF with some colourful language. So I'll definitely take the opportunity to grab that one.
Aidan I'll have a check with Goldcircle the next time I see him. Its a small world! I tried to do that GateA42 cache when I was flying into Frankfurt from Dublin last... got some pics of the gate from outside (we taxiied past it), some photos of my GPS showing we came 30-40m from the actual co-ords... but the CO would have none of it. I thought I'd made a decent effort so we had a bit of a war of words and I posted a DNF with some colourful language. So I'll definitely take the opportunity to grab that one.
Apr 7, 2016, 1:32 pm
#7
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Apr 10, 2016, 3:39 am
#11
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Sep 28, 2016, 4:38 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 68
Well, a big bump, but just to say that everything (unsurprisingly) worked out.
DUB - ZUR was a nice flight, as a Ryanair fan I'm not used to getting food/drink onboard so that was good.
After a three hour layover (during which Switzerland was ticked off for Geocaching purposes), and getting fleeced due to data charges (thanks Virgin Ireland, €7 per mb in Switzerland yet only 6c per mb in the EU, even forgetting to turn off data roaming can crucify you), it was a quick trip back through security for the ZUR - NUE flight.
On the way back, NUE - FRA was painless apart from having to taxi back off the runway due to a "minor technical error"... most likely a red light somewhere. A lot of clunking over 20 minutes as the engineers did their necessary and off we went. 25 minute flights are fun in their own way. No panic though due to the protected connection, a new luxury(!) for me as the Ryanair 'connections' of this world would have you in a panic even at that stage.
RWY 42 Geocache was my main aim in FRA and it was a very long walk but manageable. The lifts from the A gates (where I'd landed) to the Z gates (where I needed to take off from) were closed so I had to use the main entrance to the Z gates after my walk which took 15 minutes of queuing for passport control. Ireland: Join Schengen please, thanks.
FRA - DUB was fine but what was interesting was they were doing what they called an "Additional passport check", stamping everyones boarding cards long before boarding started. A check for space for standbys? (Of which there were two)
So all good and thanks for the help navigating Frankfurt.
Incidentally, when I landed at Frankfurt (at about 1945 local time) there was a plan surrounding in fire engines just off one of the taxiways. Any idea? Hard to find even on Flightradar.
DUB - ZUR was a nice flight, as a Ryanair fan I'm not used to getting food/drink onboard so that was good.
After a three hour layover (during which Switzerland was ticked off for Geocaching purposes), and getting fleeced due to data charges (thanks Virgin Ireland, €7 per mb in Switzerland yet only 6c per mb in the EU, even forgetting to turn off data roaming can crucify you), it was a quick trip back through security for the ZUR - NUE flight.
On the way back, NUE - FRA was painless apart from having to taxi back off the runway due to a "minor technical error"... most likely a red light somewhere. A lot of clunking over 20 minutes as the engineers did their necessary and off we went. 25 minute flights are fun in their own way. No panic though due to the protected connection, a new luxury(!) for me as the Ryanair 'connections' of this world would have you in a panic even at that stage.
RWY 42 Geocache was my main aim in FRA and it was a very long walk but manageable. The lifts from the A gates (where I'd landed) to the Z gates (where I needed to take off from) were closed so I had to use the main entrance to the Z gates after my walk which took 15 minutes of queuing for passport control. Ireland: Join Schengen please, thanks.
FRA - DUB was fine but what was interesting was they were doing what they called an "Additional passport check", stamping everyones boarding cards long before boarding started. A check for space for standbys? (Of which there were two)
So all good and thanks for the help navigating Frankfurt.
Incidentally, when I landed at Frankfurt (at about 1945 local time) there was a plan surrounding in fire engines just off one of the taxiways. Any idea? Hard to find even on Flightradar.
Sep 28, 2016, 7:35 am
#13
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Posts: 29,514
After a three hour layover (during which Switzerland was ticked off for Geocaching purposes), and getting fleeced due to data charges (thanks Virgin Ireland, €7 per mb in Switzerland yet only 6c per mb in the EU, even forgetting to turn off data roaming can crucify you), it was a quick trip back through security for the ZUR - NUE flight.
Fortunately my mobile contract now covers most of Europe without extra roaming charge. 
The lifts from the A gates (where I'd landed) to the Z gates (where I needed to take off from) were closed so I had to use the main entrance to the Z gates after my walk which took 15 minutes of queuing for passport control.
Ireland: Join Schengen please, thanks.
FRA - DUB was fine but what was interesting was they were doing what they called an "Additional passport check", stamping everyones boarding cards long before boarding started. A check for space for standbys? (Of which there were two)
they check your passport for eligibility to enter the UK or Ireland and give you a piece of paper to hand back at the gate (if using a mobile BP) or stamp the BP. Airlines will be fined and must pay to fly any passenger back if they are found ineligible to enter the UK or Ireland on arrival.