Consolidated FRA connection time/logistics-Domestic & International
 

Flying SFO-FRA in First, arrives at 9:45. Next leg is on another airline in Economy at 12:00 leaving from T1 C gates. Question is would I have enough time to grab a shower (and maybe some breakfast) at the Arrivals Lounge? (worried about clearing Immigration then having to go back through Security as Economy Passenger)

Thanks!

FRA Arrival
 

Vantagebox,

In order to address you question about connecting in FRA we would need some more info. What airline are you connecting to and is your connection flight to a EU destination ? If you are transiting through FRA and NOT connecting to the EU, you do not need to go thru immigration nor security.

As to the arrivals lounge... United closed it's Red Carpet Club in FRA last October (2009). Your profile does not indicate whether you are a Star Alliance Gold member such as United Mileage Plus Premier or 1K. If you are a Star Alliance Gold member, you can use the Lufthansa Business lounge which does have showers. However, they are usually very crowded and the waits for a shower can easily exceed an hour. Also, you did not indicate if your connecting flight is in F on a Star Alliance carrier. If so, you might be able to use the Lufthansa First Class Lounge. This is one of the nicest lounges around and you will have a very short wait, if any, for a shower. If you are connecting to a Lufthansa First Class flight, they will drive you from the First Lounge to your flight.

The length of time you have should be enough to get a shower unless you are connecting to an EU destination.

Have a great flight !!

Sorry, I thought I made it clear that I was connecting to an economy flight with another airline. It's a non-EU flight leaving out of the C gates most probably (MEA to BEY). I don't have premier status with any airlines any more. I think my only option is the Arrivals lounge which is landside if I understand it correctly (since I'm flying F to FRA). And I'm worried about the amount of time it would take to get there and then go back through security as an Economy passenger.

Thanks!

The immigration clearance is usually very quick in FRA - no more than 10-15 minutes, at worst. But as you are connecting on an international flight, you should not have to clear immigration. Even without lounge access you will probably have enough time for a shower, but it could be tight at that time of the morning. The walk to the C-gates from A and B (where the *A flights dock is very long - you will need at least 15 minutes to get from A to C. Good luck.

Thanks again for the reply. I must be really confused but I thought I HAD to clear immigation to get to the Arrivals Lounge which seems to be the only option for a shower (after much research on this great website)!!!

Hi, vantagebox. Are you referring to the Lufthansa Arrivals Lounge? It looks like you can access it if you're flying from SFO on Lufthansa in a premium class (Business or First). Here's a thread on the topic: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...ankfurt-3.html

If you're referring to the United Arrivals Lounge, there isn't one at Frankfurt - only London, Chicago, San Francisco and Sao Paolo. http://www.united.com/page/article/0,,50001,00.html

Yes, I'm talking about the Lufthansa Arrivals Lounge. I do know I can access it. I'm just wondering if I'll have the time and still catch my connection.

Thanks

I am on UA926 (SFO-FRA) which arrives at 3pm. My next flight is LH4224 (FRA-CDG) and departs at 4pm.

Will I have enough time to clear customs/immigration?

You only need to clear immigration at FRA - you clear customs at CDG. But that's still a very tight schedule.

I just flew SFO-FRA (UA900) and FRA-CDG yesterday (Wednesday). We landed in Hall B, although the plane landed in a remote airstrip and we had to take a bus to Hall B. The FRA>CDG flew out of Hall A. So first hope that your plane isn't landing with the bus, which of course you can't control, but if it happens, don't get too shocked (it's happened to me the last couple years I've flown on UA900, but I only fly it once a year). It really really sucks though even if not in a rush, especially if FRA is the final destination. More wasted time :D It offsets that the SFO>FRA flight tends to arrive "earlier" than expected.

We had 2.5 hours so weren't worried; we went first to LH SEN to get BPs for our CDG flight (as we were given 3 window seats in SFO and wanted 3 seats together), and after we received the BPs we were warned that A was still a 20-minute walk. Sure enough, it took some time to get from B to A. And there is still another security check to enter A, although you keep your shoes on and they don't care about liquids.

You need to know your exact gate number because within both A and B, there are different sections/pathways depending on the gate number.

It isn't pretty, but if you miss your flight I'm sure they'll put you on the next one. FRA is a pretty big airport which means a lot of foot traffic of people in front of you if you are in a rush.

But like Mahasamatman said, you would have customs in CDG... and that was a quick breeze. Immigration at FRA can be a slow line if you are a non-EU citizen and there are other non-EU citizens in line ahead of you... because we stopped at LH SEN lounge to get our BPs, there was nobody at all in front of us both for immigration and security.

But we went to the LH SEN lounge closer to our actual departure gate, and we left about 5 minutes too soon, and thus waited at the departure gate longer than needed. Gate lice also with LH PAX - gate lice everywhere :D

This has happened to me as well. Long walk to a long line but at least I had the LH FCL as the reward in the end. :cool:

AFAIK, only LH arrivals merit a gangway - all other flights get the stairs and a bus. At least that's been my experience.

My last two trips (last month) through FRA: UA ORD->FRA arrived at a jet way. LH BLR->FRA arrived at the tarmac and a bus (fortunately a separate bus for F, and few hangers on [Hangers ON: that must be what HON stands for :D] from C). On UA or LH it seems to be about 50/50 for me. I've even been driven from the FCL to an LH flight departing from the tarmac. When arriving at LH, a coat during fall, spring, and winter is always advisable, and in the summer an umbrella.

LH Welcome Lounge
 

So the last time I flew into FRA from IAD I was in C. When I deplaned there was a woman with a clipboard. On the back was "Global Services" and then my name. I approached her. She asked if I was needing to use the arrivals lounge. I told her I was connecting to LIS, she then directed me to the SEN lounge. She said, "if you ever are staying in FRA, don't forget you can use the LH Welcome Lounge in arrivals B".

This past Monday I was on UA F from IAD-FRA. I needed a shower/shave, change of clothes when I landed. We arrived to 'A'. The connector from A to B is closed temporarily. So outside, through the German nicotine and tar haze, then back inside to the Welcome Lounge at the far end of B arrivals. When I checked in with the dragon (and she was contract dragon no less) she grilled me about my flight, status, how did I know about the lounge (reiterated above, handed over BP, GS card, first born, small DNA sample)....as she is interrogating me, I glance down to see a plastic sheet that indicated only UA F or GS were allowed to use the lounge. No guests permitted for either. LH F or HON allowed guests. There was a box that said that *G or UA/CO/US C-class were NOT permitted to use the lounge. I couldn't see much else. There is NO *G sign on the door.

UA GS or F passengers are treated like LH F passengers...which meant (according to shower agent....Free clothes pressing (great to have it). The shower rooms were FANTASTIC (I arrived on 952 and the lounge was pretty empty around 9:20am when I got there). The shower rooms were much roomier than the BA Arrivals lounge at T5. Much nicer than anything in the SEN lounges airside. Reminded me of the showers in CDG at the Star Alliance lounge. (I digress for a moments to say...I managed access to the CDG Star Lounge by missing my LH flight in the morning, checking in at UA at 10:45am for the non-stop to IAD (rebooked by GS)when they opened and then getting to the STAR lounge BEFORE 11:00am when the RCC opens. Apparently if you have a F BP or a GS card and the RCC is not open yet, they will let you in, if you are not GS or have a C-card, you must wait. I watched that train wreck unfold in front of me late last year). The breakfast offerings were not much different than that is found in the SEN lounge, but the shower suites and pressing service (NOT FREE for LH C-Class passengers) were fantastic. L'Occitane products. TWO huge soft towels. Just a great, great lounge. With a 1.5-2 hour layover could easily have cleared immigration, gone out, used lounge and then used the new F-class security line at the far end of A to get back through security to my connecting flight. Wi-fi is standard T-Mobile pay as you go.

Didn't see info about the WELCOME lounge (and I searched for Frankfurt Arrivals Lounge) and thought this would be helpful for folks.

Why did they close the RCC and are they going to reopen it?