BuildingMyBento

I may be in the minority, but I don't mind connecting in FRA, for two reasons:

1)You get a pretty good snapshot of the world at the behemoth that is FRA, and I like seeing passengers boarding flights to places that'll never get service from my usual "home" airports (in NY or HK). More so, the charter destinations to lots of small European towns make me curious about what the deal is (or has been).
2) http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/con...t____city.html There's a supermarket in Area C, kind of outside the terminal but very close to it. Not that these two reasons are FRA-only reasons, but since that's the subject at hand...

chinatraderjmr

+1. FRA is my favorite airport in Europe. It's LHR I stay away from like the plague

UA-NYC

If I never have to do another deep-A-to-deep-C run again, it will still be too soon

NewbieRunner

You even get to see flights to places which don't exist. Take a close look at LH3728 just above LH710 to Narita in this recent picture.

I'm not sure if FRA is my favorite airport but I do avoid from LHR like the plague.

chinatraderjmr

I said IN EUROPE

NewbieRunner

No, it was taken last week.

oneworld82

So, I am planning an all-award long-way-around trip to Australia and NZ. My plan is to jump on LH 4.05pm flight ex-DFW which lands in FRA at 9.05 and to connect on EY flight to AUH which leaves FRA at 11.20. Given the fact we need to clear immigration in FRA, will there be enough time to check in with EY or do we risk missing our connection?

Thanks!

Just to be clear... It would be two different award tickets (one UA, one AA). Do I need to re-check in or the two airlines have an interline agreement?

alexperi

I think that both FRA and LHR are horrible airports but at least T5 at LHR is aesthetically pleasing. FRA is so... grim... and I hate the little "smoking chambers" that spew cigarette smoke at you as you pass by.

ZRH is fab - especially with kids, they have a lovely little (and free!) kids lounge...

GBadger

I still prefer AMS over FRA, but FRA is way better than LHR and CDG...

mre5765

Why do you have to clear immigration in FRA? You should only clear immigration if connecting to another Schengen-area country, and AUH is the airport code for Dhabi Intl Arpt, Abu Dhabi, AE.

What you will most likely have to do is clear security screening. You will require a boarding pass to do that. And yes indeed, if you don't have a boarding pass on EY and EY doesn't have a transfer desk before security, you will have to clear immigration, line up at the EY counter, get a BP, clear immigration and security.

And so yes, you don't have enough time.

Thunderroad

In late April my wife will fly Y from on UA 900 from SFO to FRA, arriving at 9:45 a.m. She can then connect to GVA on either an LH flight that departs at 11:30 a.m. or one that departs at 1:00 p.m. She will have checked luggage with her that she needs for a class she will teach the following afternoon in GVA. (It's hardware, not paperwork, so she can't simply do it as a carry-on.)

Right now we've booked her onto the 11:30 a.m. flight with the reasoning that even if she doesn't make the connection LH will get her and her luggage on the next flight. But would anyone recommend the 1 p.m. flight for any reason, including making sure the luggage gets to GVA? She'd like to make the earlier connection simply to avoid hanging around FRA longer than necessary and to get to GVA a bit earlier to see friends, but obviously neither consideration is crucial.

Also, FWIW, she shares my 1K status and is flying on an award ticket, though I realize those are most likely not relevant to my question. Also, like me, she might find FRA confusing.

So...any advice on which flight to take and/or how someone unfamiliar with FRA might best navigate the airport would be much appreciated. Thanks!

USFdonWill

I would recommend the 11:30am flight to avoid a long connection at FRA. I think the best piece of advice I have even received about connecting at FRA is to "Follow the signs! Don't apply logic! Follow the signs!"

Mike Jacoubowsky

Yep. Follow the signs. And best to get away from FRA as quickly as possible. It's an airport that's not bad enough to be interesting and not good enough to be a place you want to spend any time.
After a trip that long on UA 900, a 747, in Y... her priority will be to get to a shower as quickly as possible. Since that won't be at FRA, get her to her final destination sooner, not later. It's nice having a direct flight to FRA; it's not so nice having that direct flight on a UA 747 in Y.

Thunderroad

Well, in addition to the advice, I've gotten a couple of good chuckles out of these replies. Thanks!

NewbieRunner

UA900 is likely to arrive at one of the (old) Z gates and flights to GVA will leave from A gates one level below in the same pier (two levels down if a bus gate). Passport control between the flights but no need for security check. This will be one of the more boring connections in FRA.

Unless UA900 is very late there should be no problem with this connection. However, in order to be absolutely certain you might consider booking her on the later flight to GVA so she can visit one of the new lounges.

There are 10 showers in the new non-Schengen (Z level) Senator Lounge (close to gate Z50). I can't remember exactly how many showers in the new Schengen (level A after passport control) lounge but I think there may be as many there. No more waiting for hours for a shower.

A few weeks ago at least there was some cooked breakfast in the morning and a pasta bar after 11am in the Schengen Senator Lounge, which is in the same position as the non-Schengen lounge but one level below (on the way to gate A50).

^
Have you been to FRA since the new Pier A+ opened? It won't be voted the best airport in Europe but some connections (like this one) are much more straightforward than they used to be. However, passport control could take a long time and the Senator lounge (especially the Schengen lounge) could be busy that time of the day, though not as bad as the A26 lounge used to be.

I've posted some pictures of the new Senator lounges in the M&M forum:
Non-Schengen Senator (*G) Lounge
Schengen Senator (*G) Lounge