Connecting Thru MUC / Customs
 

Sorry for these newb questions, but I can't seem to get an answer from UA that isn't contradicted somwhere else -

1) have a connection through MUC without a lot of xfer time - do we go thru passport control/customs in MUC or at the final destination? And if at MUC, how long does it take? Any "short-cut" suggestions? :)

2) It looks like I can check-in for international flights on the Easy Checkin - but for checked baggage, it says to go to the Easy Chicken, get a baggage tag printed out, and drop the checked bags at the bag drop kiosk (origin is IAD). But the EC kiosks at IAD all display on the welcome screen "carry-on bags only" (at least the lower-level ones, where I usually check-in) and don't really remember seeing anything about printing baggage tags - so, anyone know what the deal is on checking bags using EC?

Thing is, its a weekend departure in March, and it looks like all the Spring Breakers are leaving with me - so I'd *really* like to shortcut those 2-mile lines to check-in, (other than arriving at the airport 12 hours early) so any advice gratefully appreciated.

Thanks!

If you continue to a Schengen Country, you will clear immigration in MUC.
Customs is ALWAYS cleared at final destination, you do not pick up your luggage.

From international to Schengen incl passport control and from one end of Terminal 2 to the other I need about 15 minutes. If oyu are not used to it it takes 20 minutes. You do not go through security again. You probably have neough time to go shopping in between.

The upper level EC have baggage printing as well

If you are *S or *G you can use the priority line in IAD

Re check in at IAD. International check in really sped up after the self check passport readers were installed. Even when the area was busy the self check for international has never taken me more than a few minutes. You simply go to the counter scan your passport, print luggage tags, slap them on and go!

Thanks for the feedback - I haven't flown int'l for almost a year, and my last experience was less than fun. I feel *much* better now ... :cool:

If you are coming from the US/Canada, you will need to clear passport control and security screening, which is between G and H terminals.
You'll exit H Terminal and come out into the main terminal/check-in area and have to go through security. If your flight to MUC was in Int'l C or > you can use the Elite security line, otherwise you'll have to go through the Y lines.
After clearing security you'll take the elevator/stairs up to passport control, tell them you're transiting(You may have to show a forward-connecting BP), show your passport and then you're through. At that point you'll be in G terminal.

I've done all this a number of times w/ a 45 minute connect time and made it to my gate w/ about 20 minutes to spare. This is coming in @ H48 and having to get over to G70-ish. It's one of those times that ruthless German efficiency really helps.

Last time I though that I would miss my connecting flight because my transfer was going to be less than 20 minutes.

At the end it took less than 10 minutes from gate to gate.

In my recollection, and as roundtheworld wrote, you'll only need to clear passport control if your connecting flight is to a country in the Schengen area (don't recall the complete list, but it definitely includes Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Portugal, Luxemburg, Belgium, and the Netherlands). For other destinations (e.g. Great Britain, Russia), you won't have to clear German passport control.

Actually, G and H indicate two different levels of Terminal 2, not separate terminals. The G gates are located on level 4, and the H gates are located on level 5. In my experience, the G gates handle the Schengen-area flights, and the H gates handle the non-Schengen flights. Therefore, if you are connecting to a non-Schengen area flight, you'll stay in the "H" area on level 5 without any need to go through passport control. If you need to get to the "G" gates for a Schengen-area connection, you go through passport control in the central area of the "H" area. Afterwards, I believe (though I never did this), you have the choice of proceeding downstairs to either the G gates without having to re-clear security, or to proceed downstairs to baggage claim. Only if you do the latter will you end up in the terminal/check-in area (after clearing customs) and have to re-clear security as described correctly by Jet'Dillo.


Of course, if your connecting flight is on a non *Alliance airline, you will need to clear passport control at terminal 2 and then walk over to the old terminal 1 and re-clear security.