I find immigration lines pm (the arrival time of UA 926) generally to be light. Under normal circumstances you should have no problem to make it.

Are you on one ticket? If not and if you miss the connection, LH won't let you fly on a later flight to BCN free of charge unless you are on a fully flexible ticket. The good news is UA926 usually seems to arrive early.

If you miss connx due to UA's fault and are on another ticket, I have taken up extra charges with UA CS and always gotten compensation at least in the form of a $ credit. Admittedly, a process you want avoid if you can.

UA 926 has a 87% ontime performance this summer:

http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight...yCarrier=false

UPDATE:

I was able to do on online checkin, so I got my UA BPs before we ever left VIE.

The UA flight left from A33 (which is the same area I left from last time), and when we stopped in the first Senator lounge we encountered, they sent us to the tower lounge, whcih was better than I expected and very close to the gate.

Immediately before the lounge you go through passport check. The new wrinkle this time is that UA has a small security desk just past the immigration station where you answer the security questions and get the sticker on your passport. Everyone I talked to missed it the first time, and was sent back to complete the process.

UA has an agent inside the tower lounge who confirmed that my bags were checked through, and sternly told me that my OLCI printout was NOT a boarding pass, and insisted on printing new ones. When I asked "then why does it say 'boarding pass' on it" I just got glared at and was told "that is NOT a boarding pass."

I believe that if I hadn't of had my BP I could have gone though immigration and then the agent at the Tower Lounge would have printed them there, no need to seek out the other UA service desk if you have lounge access.

I am on through ticket UA/LH, though the PNR is different for the two segments. Not sure what that means. In any case, if I miss, I will get as far as BCN. I will miss the last flight to SVQ :(

No preference for UA, *A elites transfering at FRA
 

Things I saw when I flew into FRA to transfer to UA901 FRA-SFO:

1. No special lines for elites to get boarding passes, anywhere.

2. No elite security entrance. The security process itself was the most dehumanizing security check in the western world. If your daily vitamin pill includes iron, that will be more than enough to set off the magnetometer and trigger the procedure.

3. More passport checks in one day than I have encountered practically the entire previous year worldwide.

4. A staff that seemed to be made up of LH employees and outside contractors who really didn't care.

5. Inadequate and poorly designed airport toilet facilities.

I guess if you are LH F and go through the special terminal, it's a different world. But for all the rest of us, this is an abysmal airport to transfer at.

Where were you flying in from? Last time I transferred at FRA to UA901 I flew in from BLQ. Landed at a parking stand, bussed to Terminal A and walked directly to my gate. No passport control (other than at the gate) or security.

Coming in on an intra-Europe LH flight last year, I had to go through passport control (but not security check) when changing to UA's FRA-SFO.

LH is among the worst airlines in operation today; certainly they've got to be the worst within *A. I have many times left RDM and EQM on the table to fly a better airline with whom I have no FF affiliation. They will never fail to fail you if they possibly can work it out.

D'oh! FRA sucks.

What does this have to do with UA?

This is the extra security demanded by the US government since the Christmas Bomber tried to do his number. Same at MUC if you're on any flight to the USA. Don't blame FRA or LH, it's the anal idiots at Homeland Security!

I was flying in from LCY. By "passport checks," I mean people demanding to see my passport to proceed, not immigration into Germany. I was asked for my passport at least 6 times in total.

Doesn't UA have control over whether or not there are elite checkin lines, for example, for their own flights?

I disagree that LH is a poor airline, but I 100% agree that FRA is the worst airport in the entire western world. Bar none.

Transferring at FRA to UA901 is very frustrating these days. Recently endured a very negative experience and posted my experience here, but it was moved to the Germany thread.

Between the passport checks, 10 questions for a sticker, no elite line for either, no place to print a boarding pass, and very unhelpful LH staff, I now can say FRA is a nightmare to transfer at. Used to be my preferred transfer point in Europe. On my last trip, the flight was at a remote gate. First time for a departure since several times now they do this for arrivals on UA900. If they move to the old 747s for SFO-FRA-SFO, I will be looking elsewhere.

I only wish there was some dedicated UA staff available. Some report one being available at the Tower Lounge, but I never have seen the person. Saw a UA station supervisor onboard during the boarding process and wanted to share my feedback, but she was in a hurry to get off the plane for departure. Might have to send the 1K desk an email.

At least: UA must bring back the RCC in FRA!