International connections

[debnjoe1438]

I've got an International flight from Florida to Copenhagen with connecting flights in New Jersey and Germany. My question, what can I expect when in FRA (Germany) when I leave my United Flight and go to the Lufthansa flight. Will I have to go though customs, or a security check, or just go from one terminal to another? Any information is appreciated. 

[hallasm]

You do Enter Schengen area In Germany - immigration will be in FRA - your luggage will be transferred to your CPH flight and you will collect you luggage at arrival in CPH - customs in CPH. There will not be any special customs check - you just use the ‘green exit’ in CPH.

i do not expect any additional security check in FRA.I do find FRA easy to navigate.

Lufthansa flights from FRA to CPH can be operated by SAS (codeshare).

Edited March 18, 2019 by hallasm

[debnjoe1438]

• Thank you

[CruiserBruce]

The flight from FRA to CPH can also be handled by Lufthansa...another Star Alliance member. I agree, immigration check (called Passport Check in  Europe, a perfectly appropriate name) but no Customs at Frankfurt. Please learn the difference between Passport check and Customs procedures.

 

You will likely change terminals to get your CPH flight...we did. Like any other airport, just follow the signage.

[debnjoe1438]

8 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

The flight from FRA to CPH can also be handled by Lufthansa...another Star Alliance member. I agree, immigration check (called Passport Check in  Europe, a perfectly appropriate name) but no Customs at Frankfurt. Please learn the difference between Passport check and Customs procedures.

 

You will likely change terminals to get your CPH flight...we did. Like any other airport, just follow the signage.

Thank you, will do a google search for both Passport check and Customs. Didn't know there were two separate procedures.

[CruiserBruce]

There is definitely two separate procedures. In almost all situations, Immigration (which is checking YOU for entry, in some cases, checking you for exit), or Passport Check, comes first. Then Customs (which is checking your property for entry) comes after you claim your luggage. So two separate procedures, separated by claiming your baggage. In most cases.

 

How each country does it is what is tricky. Almost all countries do Immigration at your first touch of their soil. In your case we are considering the EU as one country. But they don't do Customs until you arrive at your final destination.

 

In the case of the US, we require both procedures at the first touch of US soil. Or, in the 'pre-clearance" situation, you do both before you touch US soil.

[waterbug123]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

 In your case we are considering the EU as one country.

 

Schengen Zone, not EU. 

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

How each country does it is what is tricky. Almost all countries do Immigration at your first touch of their soil. In your case we are considering the EU as one country. But they don't do Customs until you arrive at your final destination.

 

39 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

Schengen Zone, not EU. 

 

And remember that the Schengen immigration border is drawn around a different set of countries from the EU customs border.

 

Fly from France to Germany: no immigration, no customs.

Fly from the UK to Gemany: immigration, no customs.

Fly from Norway to Germany: customs, no immigration.

 

And I have encountered exceptions. On a trip from London to Stockholm to Kiruna, I had to clear immigration, collect my bag and then re-check it before proceeding to the domestic flight. If I had been crossing a customs border, I would have cleared customs at Stockholm.

[Zach1213]

16 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

The flight from FRA to CPH can also be handled by Lufthansa...another Star Alliance member. I agree, immigration check (called Passport Check in  Europe, a perfectly appropriate name) but no Customs at Frankfurt. Please learn the difference between Passport check and Customs procedures.

 

You will likely change terminals to get your CPH flight...we did. Like any other airport, just follow the signage.

 

I would also urge OP to make sure the flight is actually Lufthansa. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines, formerly Scandinavian Air System) is also a Star Alliance member and there's a chance it could be an SAS flight with a Lufthansa flight number sold through United. ODDS ARE it's a Lufthansa flight, and you may already be 100% certain it is, but check out that flight number (if it's four digits instead of three (such as LHXXXX), odds are pretty high it's SAS; if it's three digits instead of four (such as LHXXX), odds are pretty high it's Lufthansa that is actually operating the aircraft).

 

(Also, if it says something United XXXX operated by Lufthansa, then of course you already know it's a Lufthansa plane).

[debnjoe1438]

1 hour ago, Zach1213 said:

 

I would also urge OP to make sure the flight is actually Lufthansa. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines, formerly Scandinavian Air System) is also a Star Alliance member and there's a chance it could be an SAS flight with a Lufthansa flight number sold through United. ODDS ARE it's a Lufthansa flight, and you may already be 100% certain it is, but check out that flight number (if it's four digits instead of three (such as LHXXXX), odds are pretty high it's SAS; if it's three digits instead of four (such as LHXXX), odds are pretty high it's Lufthansa that is actually operating the aircraft).

 

(Also, if it says something United XXXX operated by Lufthansa, then of course you already know it's a Lufthansa plane).

Thanks, it is United operated by  Lufthansa, selected seats on the Lufthansa web site. I'll have to look at the flight number just because. :)

 

 

[Zach1213]

13 minutes ago, debnjoe1438 said:

Thanks, it is United operated by  Lufthansa, selected seats on the Lufthansa web site. I'll have to look at the flight number just because. 🙂

 

 

 

Sounds like it's definitely a Lufthansa flight, no need to worry

[CruiserBruce]

But...still likely you will change terminals. And you will likely take a bus from  your arriving plane to the terminal, and you may have to take a bus to your departing gate.

[debnjoe1438]

3 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

But...still likely you will change terminals. And you will likely take a bus from  your arriving plane to the terminal, and you may have to take a bus to your departing gate.

Hopefully 3 hours between flights will be enough. (Hopefully flight to FRA is on time) Later on I'll be checking what gate the arriving flight goes to and which gate departing flight leaving from. Not always the same, however mostly pretty close. (Not flying until October)

[debnjoe1438]

6 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

But...still likely you will change terminals. And you will likely take a bus from  your arriving plane to the terminal, and you may have to take a bus to your departing gate.

Change terminal as 1 to 2 or gate areas such as A, B or Z? Looking at FRA web site both United and Lufthansa go to terminal 1. One uses A & B the other B (according  to the web site)

 

Appreciate your comments

[CruiserBruce]

7 minutes ago, debnjoe1438 said:

Change terminal as 1 to 2 or gate areas such as A, B or Z? Looking at FRA web site both United and Lufthansa go to terminal 1. One uses A & B the other B (according  to the web site)

 

Appreciate your comments

 

A/Z are the same terminal, just different levels for international arrivals and departures. If you get a gate (as opposed to parking away, and busing to the Terminal), you will arrive at A. The flight to CPH will most likely be out of Terminal B. A number of Terminal B gates require a bus to get to the gate. This means you will go to a gate marked B21, for example, go down a ramp and get on a bus.

 

If you fly from FRA back to the US, you will depart out of Z.

 

3 hours is a good layover time.

[debnjoe1438]

1 minute ago, CruiserBruce said:

 

A/Z are the same terminal, just different levels for international arrivals and departures. If you get a gate (as opposed to parking away, and busing to the Terminal), you will arrive at A. The flight to CPH will most likely be out of Terminal B. A number of Terminal B gates require a bus to get to the gate.

 

If you fly from FRA back to the US, you will depart out of Z.

 

3 hours is a good layover time.

Thanks

[Globaliser]

14 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

A/Z are the same terminal, just different levels for international arrivals and departures. If you get a gate (as opposed to parking away, and busing to the Terminal), you will arrive at A. The flight to CPH will most likely be out of Terminal B. A number of Terminal B gates require a bus to get to the gate. This means you will go to a gate marked B21, for example, go down a ramp and get on a bus.

 

Sorry if I'm being slow here, but aren't all A/Z and B gates all part of Terminal 1 at FRA?

 

A quick look over the last few days shows FRA-CPH flights operating interchangeably from A and B gates, although with a preponderance of the former. Doesn't matter whether they're operated by LH or SK.

[hallasm]

14 hours ago, Globaliser said:

Sorry if I'm being slow here, but aren't all A/Z and B gates all part of Terminal 1 at FRA?

Terminal 1 is primarily used by Lufthansa and partners including SAS.

It hosts international and domestic flights worldwide -  concourses A, B, C and Z.

[debnjoe1438]

On 3/19/2019 at 9:35 PM, hallasm said:

Terminal 1 is primarily used by Lufthansa and partners including SAS.

It hosts international and domestic flights worldwide -  concourses A, B, C and Z.

Thanks for the information