Pakman1951

We will be taking a cruise in July. We will be flying home from Trieste, Italy, via Munich and Frankfort, to LAX. We have a tight connection in Munich (and hour) and a fairly tight connection in Frankfort (two hours). If we are checked through from Trieste to LAX, I'm assuming it is a question of immigration and security, and not customs. Is this doable? We have few options as the air transportation is booked with frequent flyer miles and these were the only flights available with our available miles.

Andrew

No customs upon exiting the EU or connecting within. If all is on time, an hour in Munich probably isn't too tight as you're still in the Schengen zone (like taking a domestic flight in the US). You will go through passport control in Frankfurt before you get to your gate to the LAX flight. Not sure how they do security at FRA, as I haven't flown through it. In Amsterdam, security for a flight departing to the US was only at the gate (so not even a line, depending on when you get there). The only line was at passport control - ten minutes tops, probably five minutes. Line length varies by airport and how busy it is when you get there, of course.

If you miss a connection, the airlines will put on you the next available flights. You can check out what the options there might be right now if you are worried (not a bad idea). If you miss your flight in Munich, for example, then what's the next flight/set of flights that gets you from Munich to LAX? Say you are due to depart Munich now at 10:00 and you miss it. What's the next flight leaving after that still gets you to FRA or through some other city to LAX?

Check yourself on Kayak - and make sure they are partners of the original frequent flyer airline. Maybe you'll see another connection on the same airline/partner airlines that would get you into LAX say two hours late. If you have to go to a change desk in Munich or Frankfurt, ask for that flight - have it ready to suggest. Unless flights are completely full, you can expect to be put on the next flight out. At worst, you are stuck in Europe another day. Plan on what happens worst case - get home a day late? Is that the end of the world? If not - don't worry about it. Make a plan and backup plan then relax and enjoy your vacation.

greg

To answer this question, I would make two crucial assumptions.

1. Frankf<b>o</b>rt = near Lexington KY, USA? or Frankf<b>u</b>rt, Germany? I am assuming Frankf<b>u</b>rt, Germany = FRA because there seems be no direct flights LAX-LEX or LEX-MUC.
2. Are all you flights on Star Alliance? I am assuming TRS-MUC-FRA are on Lufthansa and FRA-LAX is either on Lufthansa or United.

With these assumptions, at MUC, you would most likely stay in T2. You can look at "usual" terminals used at http://www.munich-airport.de/en/cons...che1/index.jsp. Of course, it can change in June. If you stay in T2, one hour is more than enough for layover. It is not a big airport.

At FRA, Star Alliance flights usually use the terminal 1A. Because FRA-LAX is a U.S. bound flight, you go through passport control to exit the Schengen region. You may or may not go through carry-on security. They frequently change the security procedure. If you stay in terminal 1A, you have enough time for layover. Even though FRA is a busy airport, they process people through the passport control and security efficiently.

Pakman1951

Andrew, Greg...Thanks very much for your reply

Alec

From my frequent trips through Germany, intra-Schengen flights through MUC with layover of 60 min and non-Schengen flight out of FRA with 2 hours are ample. Security checks for US-bound flights change frequently and you may go through two security checks, once after the passport control and another at the gate, but as stated, they are quite efficient.

vincenzo32951

I've twice made very tight connections through Munich. They're pretty good about whisking you through. (One time my bags didn't make it, but it was no big deal, as I was headed home and the bags got delivered to me a day later.)