supine

• Risk of buses is non-zero, particularly for the arrival from HAJ
• T1A to T1A (outside chance of T1B Schengen but unlikely)

blitzen

So how long would be the connection 30 min without bus and 45 minutes with ?

Happy

When checking UA award, the site gives me such itinerary MXP-FRA-EWR, LH to UA. But the transit time at FRA is only 1.5 hours. I have doubt this would be enough, especially this is the flight returning to US. IIRC in the past if your flight was directly from EU to US, usually you have to go thru security screening before check in, and it was almost a given you would need at the airport 2+ hrs to start the process.

On top of that LH MXP-FRA is in coach, so would get off the plane last. I am not even sure what about our carryon bags, does LH allows 20-21 bags in the cabin? Weight limitation? It would be impossible for us if the weight limit is the 7kg that KLM has.

Anyone has done a tight transit at FRA on US bound flight, please give your data point. Very much appreciate the information.

WineCountryUA

LH like most european carriers the rules for carry-on are:
and yes they do check at check-in. If going UA to LH, you might be OK. But LH to UA, you may have to check, so have a way to bring things you must have inflight. Don't worry about the bag making the connection, bags generally do better than people for tight connections.

The MCT is 45 minutes for that flight, while I would not do less than 1:30, and would prefer 2:00 to allow for a lounge visit, 1:30 is doable. I have done 1:00 due to a schedule change.

Happy

So would it be advisable that we check thru the bags at MXP, then pick up at EWR, the US entry point? We have another connecting flight to FLL.

Or we do the carry on, and hope to be able to take them as the UA flight to EWR is in J ?

Even for EU to US connection? I assume we would still need to get thru EU passport control then proceed to UA departure gate. Is that it, for the immigration formality?

Yeah, at this point my mind is not on the lounge. Our current itin is for a BRU return to EWR then FLL when at booking time nothing at MXP or FCO was available. FCO is using LX, but there is 5 hours long layover at ZRH! and it goes to ORD then backtrack to FLL or MIA late at night. Though the TATL is on LX, not UA's lousy Polaris. Sigh.

Thanks for the info.

jeri534

question, flying IAD - FRA - BLQ, 1 hour connection window in Frankfurt...if I miss my flight it's not a huge deal as there are 2 more the following day.

If I make my flight, but my bag doesnt get on the plane, will it just get put on the next flight to BLQ?

jsloan

Bags often make connections faster than passengers -- they have less distance to cover and can be added even after the passenger door is closed.

That said, yes, if you make the flight and your bag does not, it will be delivered to BLQ (although the 'next flight' may be optimistic).

StuMcIlwain

You can try to do carry on. Just make sure you can check the bags if anyone objects (have any medication, valuables, etc. in a small separate bag).

I've done 60-minute connections like this several times, although I prefer to leave a bit more time since flight delays do happen at FRA. 90 minutes should not be a problem.

gold23

We're a bit worried about a 2:40 connection from EWR-FRA-VIE coming up. The reason is that we're in VIE for exactly one day, then on a train to PRG for two days, then to Italy. If our bags do not make it with us, I can envision a nightmare scenario to link them up to us! Should we be worried? There are four LH or OS flights on to VIE after ours, so theoretically they SHOULD make it even if they don't onto ours. But maybe I have PTSD from the baggage debacle at FRA last summer?

Happy

I have a new itinerary AMS-FRA-IAD-FLL, with AMS-FRA in LH I, but there is only 1 hr 15 min connection at FRA for the UA FRA-IAD also in I

This replaces an existing itinerary that AMS-FRA was in the evening and then required an overnight layover at FRA hotel, and a next day noon departure at FRA to EWR is rather awkward. So I bit the bullet and took the chance on the new itinerary that has a tight connection at 1hr 15min only.

I believe both LH and UA are using T1? LH would have to check our US Passports at check in to verify our documents for US entry.

Do we still need to go thru any border control / custom at FRA to get to UA gate? Or we stay at airside the whole time?

The AMS-FRA luckily is in I, so we could get off quickly. That should help I hope.

Thank you for advice.

hirohito888

You still need to go through exit immigration at FRA. Then head upstairs and you will need to do doc check on way to UA gates. You will be airside the entire time.

Happy

Thanks. I hope our AMS-FRA would not be a Bus Gate arrival. Does the FRA airport map shows the path between A and Z?

The trip is in Mid May so hopefully by that time operations would be more geared up to meet the travel demand.

hirohito888

A and Z are in the same terminal. Z-gates are literally a level above A-gates, you go upstairs after clearing immigration. A-gates are for Schengen flights and Z-gates are non-Schengen flights.

blitzen

That is usually way more than enough time. And bags are most of the time quicker to connect than passengers

BelmontRef

A and Z are the same gates. The A concourse is the Schengen concourse; the Z concourse is directly above and is non-Schengen. The jetbridges can connect to either as needed. To connect from A to Z, you merely go from your A arrival gate to the Immigration exit checkpoint and then exit the checkpoint to the Z concourse (at some point, you'll go up an escalator but IIRC, depending on which checkpoint you use, it may be before or after the checkpoint). It is possible to arrive and depart the same gate arriving it as an A gate and then departing from it as a Z gate or vice versa (I did the equivalent in 2003 at YYZ's old T2 arriving at a gate on a trans border flight and then departing a few hours later on a domestic flight out of the same gate).