tods27

I don't think that there is any free wifi in FRA (unless it's fairly new). To alleviate a bit of fear, you might use the LH website to check on her flight and what gate she'll arrive at in FRA (search by route and arrival, then go to the details for her flight and it will show the arrival gate). It would be good to warn her that there is a decent chance that she'll arrive at a remote stand and take a bus to the terminal.

Also, FRA can be a bit confusing and there are times that following the signs to a gate in the Schengen area (which would include flights to France) can result in having to go through security again, so it would be good to warn her about this as well (see earlier posts in this thread).

NewbieRunner

I agree with what others have said already except there are separate passport control channels for EU and non-EU passport holders. Arrivals from the US are not supposed to need further security clearance, but the layout of FRA does not always allow this. She is likely to have to go through security check.

For free wifi check here.

colonius

The EU does not care whether you went through security in the USA, China, Afghanistan or Disneyland. As long as you arrive from outside the Schengen area (which has common security standards), you will be channeled through security.

Orange France SIM card should work in Frankfurt, but:

1.) the rates are not good. I just checked their website (in French) and it is a whopping €1.18/min from European countries outside France to the USA. Better keep it short!

2.) The validity of the mobicarte is fairly short (maximum of 5 months after a recharge of €100) - so are you sure the card is still good? Last ditch alternative: use a "Telekom" card-phone (only those with the magenta T on them, there are too many fly by night operators at the airport) with a credit card.

3.) Does you daughter have a non-SIM-locked phone that is at the very least triband, better quadband GSM? Otherwise, no joy.

4.) This may sound stupid, but be sure that your daughter knows the dialing rules. (+1 from GSM anywhere for the US, 001 from a landline phone in Germany, etc)

halls120

There is no free wi-fi at FRA.

Correct.

NewbieRunner

It is not correct. If you went through security check in the US and are connecting in Germany you should not need to clear security again according to this press release from Lufthansa.

As I said the layout of FRA does not allow this to be implemented in many cases. I understand if you arrive in MUC from the US, you can proceed to your connecting flight without clearing security.

BTW Schengen and EU are not interchangeable. The common regulation on air safety applies to EU countries such as the UK and Ireland which are not part of Schengen.

colonius

Interesting news. Can anyone confirm that this is indeed the case now? If so, this would be a bad move on behalf of Germany, as there is obviously no reciprocity.

However, arriving from the UK in Germany - or in the UK from Germany, you still need to clear security.

NewbieRunner

There is free wifi in LH lounges. Yes, it is relatively new (since the beginning of July).

Also at McDonalds as I already mentioned.

halls120

Well, I went through security at FRA in June after arrival from the US. Now at MUC in July, that didn't happen.

NewbieRunner

US arrivals in MUC can now enter the terminal on Level H, rather than Level I. Level I is the corridor they built above Level H (non-Schengen level) for non-Schengen arrivals and only leads to passport control/exit or security checkpoints.

This is not true as far as arrivals from the UK to Germany are concerned. I've never arrived from Germany to the UK for a connecting flight, so cannot comment on the latter.

If you arrive in FRA from the UK it's almost impossible to be separated from other non-Schengen arrivals, but I have connected from the UK via FRA and MUC without having to clear security again, or passport control for that matter since I was connecting from non-Schengen to non-Schengen without entering Germany/Schengen.

Some reports of this being implemented in MUC. It is unlikely to happen in FRA until they sort out T1.

colonius

We must use completely different UK <-> Germany routes then. No such luck for me, ever - always a security check. It seems there are so many exceptions to "no security check", that for all practical purposes we should just assume that there will be one.

NewbieRunner

I agree. I cannot see how it can be implemented in FRA though it used to happen from time to time depending on the arrival gate. Last time I managed to escape security check when arriving from the UK and connecting to non-Schengen, my flight arrived at a remote apron position in FRA 2 minutes before the scheduled departure time of my connecting flight. Since they knew the connecting flight would be late departing, they drove me directly from one aircraft to the other. ^

In MUC most arrivals from the UK used to park at gate positions and you could walk straight into Level H. If you arrive at an apron position the bus should drive you to an entrace where you can go straight up to Level H without security check.

There have been reports this also happens in DUS but not every time.

p.s. If you wonder why the EU/Germany is implementing one-stop security it is to save money.

http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/safety_.../one-stop.aspx

nmenaker

Checking baggage?

Quick question about checking baggage? I booked UA ORD to FRA, and then later on the arrival day we have FRA to ZAG on LH. United told us to book it seperately as for some reason they were NOT able to book the itin, open jaw from SJJ to FRA on the return.

So, we have UA F tickets ORD to FRA, and LH tix FRA onward. Is there going to be any problem at ORD checking baggage all the way on the LH connection to ZAG?

Innerloop

We had no problems checking bags through in a similar situation. However, you have to be sure to tell them you are checking the bags through both when you check in at ORD, and then again when you check in with LH in Frankfurt. The implication was that failing to do this would leave the bags in some state of limbo that would sort itself out eventually, but not in a timely manner.

Be sure to keep the bag receipts - they actually type in each bag number into the computer. FRA seems to have a pretty good automated system for bags.

They managed to even get our bags to arrive with us despite IRROPS leaving FRA, which frankly amazed me.

nmenaker

thanks for the tips, I'll make sure to RE-CONFIRM at FRA prior to LH checkin. I'm planning to do online seat selection tomorrow in the EARLY AM (t-23 hours from our LH flight time) and maybe even check-in online?

MarkedMan

Well, I can confirm that there is no security re-check either in MUC or FRA now when coming in from the US. It's a different world. I didn't know ...

When I got to MUC three weeks ago, an airport attendant was standing at the doors at level H waving us through, I was first up as usual as I only had a backpack and most of the F dudes in front of me (only 5 people anyway) had carry-on luggage. So I sprint up the flight of stairs rather than hanging around the escalator, attempt a swift turn to go up to level I, but am waved through. I'm like pointing at myself ... "you talking to me?" ... yes, they are. We had a pretty sizable delay on the flight, and for a second I thought they may be cutting us a break, but no, all was as it was supposed to be. In the G level Senator lounge in 5 minutes, and promptly rebooked on the next flight having missed a connection. You could always make a connection in MUC in 40 mins with a bit of legwork, now you'd easily make a 30 min one. As it happened I now had a 4 hour layover, so used the really nice shower facilities and availed myself of the newly offered free wifi.

My wife came in a few days later from ORD on the 747, they got a gate, and she also did not need to clear security, though I am not sure how they worked the layout. It's simply unreal how much faster the whole thing is now in FRA, 1 hour UA to LH connection is NP. This time I also got to take a flight from T2 in FRA, a vastly superior facility, something went wrong when they built that and handed it to non *A

UA will through check luggage on a separate itinerary. Surprisingly, so will LH now - I had to do some creative re-routing that meant I ended up doing MXP-FRA-LHR with FRA-LHR on a separate BA ticket, and they checked my bags through. First off at LHR too. Amazing. Separate tickets typically means the airline won't know the number of the tags for your rez, even if you told them you were checking bags, so you may need to show the tags to someone at the gate just in case. I forgot, and my bags got there first anyway.