I've been reading some of the past experiences/comments about transfering in Frankfurt and starting to get a little worried.

We are flying VCE-FRA-ORD in late May. VCE-FRA is on LH4083 and FRA-ORD is on UA941. We will have checked baggage. It sounds like baggage will be checked through to ORD by LH but we will not be able to obtain boarding passes for the FRA-ORD portion of the flight by LH.

What are wait times at the UA transfer desks in FRA? Where are the UA transfer desks located?

Is a 55 minute transfer time even "legal" in Frankfurt anymore? Do I have any recourse to get the ticket changed without having to pay the change in ticket fee? We can leave VCE on an early morning flight instead of mid-morning.

Thanks for any assistance!

I don't know how you could book it at 55 minutes if it weren't legal. Since you're coming in on LH shorthaul, you're likely to get a gate, rather than a stand but it'll be one of the Schengen gates. You'll have to go through passport control and at least two security checks before boarding, so it'll be close.

You can only make the change if you have a changeable ticket, otherwise a charge will apply. Note that you cannot generally go standby on non-changeable tickets in Europe like you can in the US for free--you'll be charged the fare difference if you want a different flight.

What information do you have that makes you think LH won't print the UA boarding pass? I'm sure they've done this for me in the past as long as you're on one PNR. Has something changed recently?

I just flew FLR-FRA-IAD last March on a single itin I puchased from UA. The LH agent at FLR had no problem issuing my UA BP so I did not have to stop at the transfer desk.

Under perfect conditions the transfer is doable but I would not want to cut it so close.

I had a 55 minute connection from Berlin last week and had no problem making my connection. However my TXL-FRA segment was on a separate LH ticket and the TXL agent was useless and would not print my connection from FRA-SFO. I had to go to United check in at FRA and get a boarding pass.

I did not have bags to check.

I did BCN-FRA-ORD a few weeks ago (all on the same ticket), and my bags were checked all the way to ORD at BCN and I also received my UA BP (upgraded w/ a SWU no less!) for FRA-ORD at BCN.

In the past, LH did not print boarding passes for UA connecting flights; one had to handle that at FRA, MUC, or DUS. It seems that has changed -- perhaps one of the recent "enhancements."

If you arrive at the A terminal at FRA (where a lot of intra-Europe flights do), the walk is L-O-N-G over to the UA C gates. Be prepared for a hike.

The next obstacle that took me the most time was the security checkpoint for the C gates (read: U.S.-bound flights). There is no elite line, and when I was there, only about 4 scanning stations were available to handle two UA flights, one AA, and one US. It wasn't pretty.

I'd say 55 minutes should be enough, but you don't have time to stop at duty free to save $2 on your Marlboros. Your baggage should make it as well -- LH is very good about that.

And if you don't make it due to a delayed VCE-FRA, your flights are all on the same ticket so UA/LH will work with you.

LH (at point of original) has always been able to print my boarding passes for UA flights out of FRA because their computer systems seem to be in synch.

One time in HAM, I was surprised when LH printed a red boarding pass, and that's how I found out I had been upgraded on the UA flight.

55 mins in FRA can be plenty of time....or can be an hour too short. It's nothing you can control; just head towards the gate and don't dawdle.

55 minutes intl - dom and dom-intl is not legal. They changed it in November.

That's why LH will refuse to print BP. It will be your "fault" if oyu miss the flight.

VCE can be easily a bus gate ... nevertheless its possible... I can do A to C in 15 minutes plus security check for US flights..

55 Minutes as others have mentioned is acceptable, if your flight is delayed by 10 to 15 minutes you will be sweating it!

A classic example was the couple eliminated from the Amazing Race who missed their Kuala Lampur connection as they only had a 45 minute connection window and their flight was 10 minutes late getting in, and the flights to KL do not have the same security requirements as the USA flights!

[QUOTE=dsm;7577642]I've been reading some of the past experiences/comments about transfering in Frankfurt and starting to get a little worried.
QUOTE]

Hmmm ... you should be worried. While it's physically possible to make that connection under ideal conditions, too many things can go wrong. Distant arrival gate, understaffed and/or long lines at passport control and re-entry security, not to mention the very obvious possibility of a late arrival!

Wish I could be more upbeat. FRA is one of those airports where you're going to want a little extra time.

A couple of points:

1. if you purchased this ticket through UA/LH then the connection is "legal" even if they changed the min conx times. If you misconnect UA/LH will have to reroute/rebook you on the next flight. Dont let them tell you otherwise. If you bought this elsewhere they should still work with you but then it may depend on how you work it.

2. from A (Schengen) to C is def possible in 55 minutes. I flew LH from AMS and connected to UA at C4 in under 30 minutes the other day but it was around 400 in the afternoon and the lines were short. BTW if you are leaving out of C1 to C8 there is no second screening just the the main one at the entrance to the concourse. so given an on time arrival and a favorable gate you should be OK.

The last time that I flew out of Frankfurt on UA was out of B. It was terrible.

So you can control the length of the security line to get into C? Can you enlighten us on how to get that superpower?

Last year we were late inbound from Malpensa but did come in to a gate. Then we walked for a mile, past the RCC and then were told to go 'that way' which nearly put us out into the terminal--the signage was not visible and we lost ten minutes finding our way. The only thing that saved us was we were so late that the passing through the final security for boarding UA, there was no line to speak of. We were last to board the SFO flight. Amazingly our luggage made it--it had not on the inbound from ORD with a 75 min connection. FRA is not the well-oiled machine it once was.

Good luck.

Flyer 420
in sunny Boulder

Thanks for all of the information! It has been very helpful.

I've been tracking arrival time for our flight into FRA from VCE and it has an excellent on-time record. The flight has been arriving at terminal B for the past week. The gate is listed as 00. Is this the bus gate? The UA flight has been leaving from C8

The ticket was purchased through Orbitz in October before the rules changed. I now realize the "hidden" risks of not purchasing directly from the airline.

Sounds like we will be running through FRA in late May.