Frankfurt Airport Terminal 1

[rbslos18]

Are Lufthansa flights in close proximity to United flights in Frankfurt Terminal 1? We are arriving on a United flight from ORD and connecting to a Lufthansa flight to FCO. Thanks!

[FlyerTalker]

You will most likely arrive at Concourse Z.  Now comes the fun....Z doesn't show up on many terminal maps.  It is actually the floor above Concourse A - with Z for non-Schengen flights (your incoming from ORD) and A for Schengen flights (your onward to FCO).  What you have to do is follow the signage for the concourse for your departure.  Although it is most likely that you will be in on Z and out on A -- DO NOT ASSUME.  You may also have to deal with concourse B.  Or C.  But that's less likely.

 

If going from Z to A, you walk towards the center of the terminal, where you have passport control and an escalator taking you down to A.  If from B, you will have to also pass through passport control and a security check.

 

Wish I could be more helpful, but you could have any combination of concourses and gates.  There isn't dedicated "United" gates, and T1 is most all Star Alliance flights.  Best suggestion -- when you deplane, look for a flight monitor and head straight towards your new gate.   Signage is good, so you should have no problems.  FRA is a big airport, so don't dawdle.

 

You may want to download the LH app for your phone.  Also, know that for both the airport and for the LH flight, German federal law requires "medical" masks -- no cloth masks allowed.  This can be any of the "95" masks or the "blue" paper masks.

 

Also, most gates have convenient restrooms right in the gate area.

 

https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/flights-and-transfer/transferring-at-fra.html

 

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by FlyerTalker

[CruiserBruce]

A lot of connecting flights to local (within the EU and Europe) destinations go out of Terminal B. 

 

Your layover time is the key question. How long? If FRA is your first touch of Europe, you will be clearing Passport Check (the term for Immigration). Pre Covid, if you arrive at a busy time on a non-Lufthansa plane, you may also park away from the Terminal at a stand, and bus to the Terminal (typically between Terminal A and B). That had happened about half of our several trips through FRA.

 

We have done it in 40 minutes for a connection to Copenhagen, but wouldn't recommend it...it was extremely tight, and we were in Business, so front of the plane, got an actual gate, and off quickly. We beat the rush in Passport Check, and had to bus to a stand/plane in Terminal B. We were the last people boarding on our connecting flight.

 

A 90 minute or longer connection time is more appropriate.

[edward01ca]

Get off your flight from Chicago, immediately find a display that lists flights/gates/airlines.  Find your flight.  Look for signs around you and start to follow them.  If you have a problem,. ask for assistance at any of the information kiosks, they will put you in the right direction.  Listen carefully since they will likely speak English with a foreign accent.

[CruiserBruce]

24 minutes ago, edward01ca said:

Get off your flight from Chicago, immediately find a display that lists flights/gates/airlines.  Find your flight.  Look for signs around you and start to follow them.  If you have a problem,. ask for assistance at any of the information kiosks, they will put you in the right direction.  Listen carefully since they will likely speak English with a foreign accent.

Get off the plane...possibly board a bus, then enter the terminal, go through Passport Check, then check the displays of flights and gates.

[FlyerTalker]

41 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Get off the plane...possibly board a bus, then enter the terminal, go through Passport Check, then check the displays of flights and gates.

 

Gotta disagree.  Checking gate has to come first, so that you are headed in the right direction.  If you follow the signs to your designated concourse, you WILL come to the appropriate immigration station.

 

Was at FRA in the last month.  I don't recall any signage for "Passport Control" or the like, but lots of signage pointing to other concourses.  Which I followed and....voila....immigration and the right concourse for my onward gate.

[CruiserBruce]

Just now, FlyerTalker said:

 

Gotta disagree.  Checking gate has to come first, so that you are headed in the right direction.  If you follow the signs to your designated concourse, you WILL come to the appropriate immigration station.

 

Was at FRA in the last month.  I don't recall any signage for "Passport Control" or the like, but lots of signage pointing to other concourses.  Which I followed and....voila....immigration and the right concourse for my onward gate.

You were arriving in the EU...your first touch of European soil? They didn't keep you "sterile" until you have your passport checked? That's a new one for me.

[FlyerTalker]

Just now, CruiserBruce said:

You were arriving in the EU...your first touch of European soil? They didn't keep you "sterile" until you have your passport checked? That's a new one for me.

 

I was in the extra-Schengen concourse (Z) and then went downstairs to A (Schengen).  Z is a sterile area, not part of Schengen.  Same as if you are at AMS - there is a Schengen side and an extra-Schengen side with passport control between the two.  Same at CDG and more.  But when I went to change to the Schengen side, that's when I need to go through inbound immigration.

[zdcatc12]

31 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

I was in the extra-Schengen concourse (Z) and then went downstairs to A (Schengen).  Z is a sterile area, not part of Schengen.  Same as if you are at AMS - there is a Schengen side and an extra-Schengen side with passport control between the two.  Same at CDG and more.  But when I went to change to the Schengen side, that's when I need to go through inbound immigration.

I was there last month and it was the same for me.

[rbslos18]

We arrive at 5:45AM on UA and depart for FCO at 7:25AM on Lufthansa.

[CruiserBruce]

9 hours ago, rbslos18 said:

We arrive at 5:45AM on UA and depart for FCO at 7:25AM on Lufthansa.

Very doable. Pre-Covid, there would be a reasonable chance you would park at a stand and be bussed in, which eats time. Not sure how busy FRA is right now, so that might mean you get an actual gate.

[rbslos18]

On 10/24/2021 at 10:01 PM, FlyerTalker said:

You will most likely arrive at Concourse Z.  Now comes the fun....Z doesn't show up on many terminal maps.  It is actually the floor above Concourse A - with Z for non-Schengen flights (your incoming from ORD) and A for Schengen flights (your onward to FCO).  What you have to do is follow the signage for the concourse for your departure.  Although it is most likely that you will be in on Z and out on A -- DO NOT ASSUME.  You may also have to deal with concourse B.  Or C.  But that's less likely.

 

If going from Z to A, you walk towards the center of the terminal, where you have passport control and an escalator taking you down to A.  If from B, you will have to also pass through passport control and a security check.

 

Wish I could be more helpful, but you could have any combination of concourses and gates.  There isn't dedicated "United" gates, and T1 is most all Star Alliance flights.  Best suggestion -- when you deplane, look for a flight monitor and head straight towards your new gate.   Signage is good, so you should have no problems.  FRA is a big airport, so don't dawdle.

 

You may want to download the LH app for your phone.  Also, know that for both the airport and for the LH flight, German federal law requires "medical" masks -- no cloth masks allowed.  This can be any of the "95" masks or the "blue" paper masks.

 

Also, most gates have convenient restrooms right in the gate area.

 

https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/flights-and-transfer/transferring-at-fra.html

 

 

Thanks so much. This is very helpful.

[CruiseMH]

On 10/27/2021 at 1:33 PM, CruiserBruce said:

Very doable. Pre-Covid, there would be a reasonable chance you would park at a stand and be bussed in, which eats time. Not sure how busy FRA is right now, so that might mean you get an actual gate.

They are currently at approx. 70% of the pre-covid numbers.

[yogini06]

I am arriving on a United from IAH in May.  I have 75 minutes to connect to Lufthansa flight to VCE.  We will be on business class.  Is this doable?  

 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, yogini06 said:

I am arriving on a United from IAH in May.  I have 75 minutes to connect to Lufthansa flight to VCE.  We will be on business class.  Is this doable?  

 

You will need to move with a purpose, but you should make it. When do you arrive...mornings are generally the busiest. Be prepared to bus from a hard stand both when you arrive, and possibly when you board your flight to VCE.

[yogini06]

12 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

You will need to move with a purpose, but you should make it. When do you arrive...mornings are generally the busiest. Be prepared to bus from a hard stand both when you arrive, and possibly when you board your flight to VCE.

We arrive at 11:15 am.  We'll wear our running shoes off the plane 🙂

[CruiserBruce]

11 :15 is generally past the rush. But FRA does a ton of international arrivals in the morning. More than they have gates.

[Sea42]

So now I'm a bit concerned. Our Lufthansa flight from ORD gets into FRA at 7:20 AM and our connecting Lufthansa flight to AMS leaves at 8:05 AM on a Thursday morning. Reading this thread, it doesn't appear that we will have enough time to make our connection.

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, Sea42 said:

So now I'm a bit concerned. Our Lufthansa flight from ORD gets into FRA at 7:20 AM and our connecting Lufthansa flight to AMS leaves at 8:05 AM on a Thursday morning. Reading this thread, it doesn't appear that we will have enough time to make our connection.

 

That connection is shorter than the published Minimum Connection Time and is not legal. As far as I can see, a USA to AMS connection needs a minimum of 60 minutes (and many people wouldn't be comfortable even with that).

 

Are you on a single through booking from ORD to AMS? And has there been a schedule change that's reduced the connection time? If so, I expect that Lufthansa (or whichever airline you booked through) will catch this at some stage and rebook you. Although you don't give your travel date, it looks like there could be another FRA-AMS flight at 0910, which would be a legal connection.

[Sea42]

5 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

That connection is shorter than the published Minimum Connection Time and is not legal. As far as I can see, a USA to AMS connection needs a minimum of 60 minutes (and many people wouldn't be comfortable even with that).

 

Are you on a single through booking from ORD to AMS? And has there been a schedule change that's reduced the connection time? If so, I expect that Lufthansa (or whichever airline you booked through) will catch this at some stage and rebook you. Although you don't give your travel date, it looks like there could be another FRA-AMS flight at 0910, which would be a legal connection.

Yes, this is a single ticket, booked through United operated by Lufthansa. No time change from the original booking. When I looked at the MCT I thought it was 45 minutes so this just barely qualifies.

I did see that 9:10 flight and I think that would be a better option.

I'm more concerned about my luggage going astray if we miss the connection than I am about missing the flight. There are several later options on our travel day (15 May). 

[Globaliser]

2 hours ago, Sea42 said:

Our Lufthansa flight from ORD gets into FRA at 7:20 AM and our connecting Lufthansa flight to AMS leaves at 8:05 AM on a Thursday morning.

 

12 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

Yes, this is a single ticket, booked through United operated by Lufthansa. No time change from the original booking. When I looked at the MCT I thought it was 45 minutes so this just barely qualifies.

...

There are several later options on our travel day (15 May). 

 

This is a bit confusing: 15 May is a Sunday, so the connection at AMS would be on Monday morning.

 

Are you sure that the FRA-AMS flight that you've booked departs on the same day that you arrive from ORD? That's the first thing that I'd check if a booking has been accepted that is apparently under MCT.

 

Having said that, I can currently see at least one 50-minute connection that seems to have slipped through the net on UA-UA codes (IAH-FRA-AMS), so maybe there was a glitch/miscoding when you booked.

 

At any rate, if the flights are on the correct date, then in your shoes I would be getting on to UA to get this fixed.

[Sea42]

My mistake, Our flight leaves ORD on  May 11, arrives FRA May 12. (May 15 was the date of our now cancelled cruise).

[Globaliser]

Interesting, then: It looks like UA has actually filed different MCTs for this connection. It is indeed 45 minutes for a UA-UA connection (and that IAH-FRA-AMS connection is therefore legal so far as UA is concerned), even though UA-LH or LH-LH would both be 60 minutes. One of the more arcane perils of buying codeshares.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Globaliser said:

Interesting, then: It looks like UA has actually filed different MCTs for this connection. It is indeed 45 minutes for a UA-UA connection (and that IAH-FRA-AMS connection is therefore legal so far as UA is concerned), even though UA-LH or LH-LH would both be 60 minutes. One of the more arcane perils of buying codeshares.

Even more interesting is you can't do a UA-UA connection at FRA, unless you are turning around and coming directly back to the US.

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Even more interesting is you can't do a UA-UA connection at FRA, unless you are turning around and coming directly back to the US.

 

For these purposes, Sea42 is doing a UA-UA connection. It's UA8837 connecting to UA9147. This is the only way in which you can book those two flights as a connection. Both flights happen to be operated by LH, but so far as MCT (and many other things) are concerned, they are UA flights.