ERtraveler

Would love to stick with the 767 and 747 with lie-flat seats for most of the time. The options to connect are through FRA, IAD or ORD. The ORD and IAD connections are as short as 90 min. Is that doable? The threads I've searched on this topic are several years old. I was thinking of going through FRA to FCO and through ORD on the return. Any thoughts?

djmp

I connected through ORD to SFO yesterday and personally I think 90 minutes is cutting it fine. You've got to get through passport control, wait for bags then take the train to T1, go through security and hoof it to a gate. Despite an early arrival, it took a solid hour+. Bags took a longgg time to come down. Three other flights were in the baggage hall (BA + 2 other UA flights) before us.

jetismyname

Definitely agree I've been jammed up on this many times in the past coming back from FRA via ORD. It is very hard to do it in under and hour - also doesn't help if you are groggy / tired / grumpy from the flight back. You need to make a good effort.

unavaca

Although I have had no problems connecting at IAD back into the US (but have only ever done it once), many others complain about problems at IAD. If the schedules work for you, you may want to consider ORD.

SFflyer123

I just got back. Took UA900, 901 via FRA to and fro in C. Very nice. It was great.

I think the SFO-ORD in the lie-flats then connect to FCO is also a very nice option.

ERtraveler

Thanks. So it sounds like through ORD instead of FRA is preferable both ways? So I would be clearing customs in Rome outbound and ORD inbound. We will not be checking luggage unless it's not allowed to carry on 2 pieces.

nigos

I an a US citizen and frequently transit through IAD but always with carry-on bags. The worst experience e.g. longest line from the entry way to the hall - took 30 minutes to reach the customs agent. The most rapid from the hall entry way and then all the way down to the end of the D gates as 12 minutes - I was obviously running to make my connection. I tend to avoid clearing customs at ORD because in my experience, the walk from the arrival gate to the customs hall has always been extremely long and sometimes the wait for the train can be frustrating if your connection is tight. Once you clear customs midfield in IAD you can usually clear security into the gate area within a very short time. The downside is IAD is a slum.

halls120

ORD is my favorite international arrival airport in the US, but only if there is a decent time for connections. Midfield customs clearance at IAD is far easier if you are connecting to a flight leaving from C/D concourses, but as the OP notes, IAD is a dump - the C/D concourses in particular.

ERtraveler

I don't care about the slum factor especially since my layover would be short and I'm flying business. What would you consider a decent connection time?

ERtraveler

So now my husband informs me that he would prefer to fly the updated 747 which connects in FRA vs flying through ORD both ways. Is flying the 747 on the outbound worth going through customs in FRA? I'm inclined to connect both ways in ORD. Any thoughts or other considerations?

carbonchaser

Changing in FRA is a piece of cake - do it all the time. Would way prefer to have one shot in the upgraded C than have the double connect in ORD and the shorter time in C and three plus hours each way in domestic F

ERtraveler

Thanks Carbonchaser. Any idea how long we should allow for the layover in FRA? The connecting aircraft on Lufthansa is an A321. Is that likely to be at a main terminal? Last time I flew through FRA to Florence we were on a small plane that was in a very remote area of the airport and the bus trip added significant time to the layover. The choices are a 1 hr and a 2.5 hr layover. We usually carry-on 2 pieces of luggage but something tells me that won't be allowed leaving FRA so would have to check it.

SFflyer123

You can see exactly what it is like here (I recommend 2.5 hour lay over to pad in delays):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ip-report.html

MarkedMan

The theory is still that you can do this in an hour. It will work OK even for FLR if you have a boarding pass in hand, otherwise you might be scrambling. FRA is pretty big and even a standard airbus might be quite a ways from your initial flight. That said, I've done 55 min connections through a variety of central european airports, FRA, MUC and ZRH, and have yet to miss one except when hosed through extraordinary wx situations. There's so much padding in the flight times now that a half hour to an hour of delay is usually manageable for the connection.

ERtraveler

I'm assuming on the outbound if I connect in FRA that I will only be able to carry on 1 piece of luggage under the current rules. How about on the return if I go through ORD on United metal all the way - CDG/ORD/SFO. Can I carry on 2 pieces, 1 bag and a smaller tote?