Flight connections at Frankfurt
 

Anyone have experience with making connections at Frankfurt? Specifically, we're flying United to Frankfurt, then Lufthansa to Marseilles, with an hour 40 minutes between. Is that ok (barring huge delays, of course)?

Since you will probably go through customs and immigration at Frankfurt, 1 hr 40 m could be close. If there are no problems, you will probably make it, but there is not a lot of room for error. I have stood in passport controls lines for nearly an hour more than once.

I believe that United and Lufthansa are code share airlines (effectively a single airline for ticketing, customer service, etc.). So if you do miss your connection, the airlines will take the incentive to fix the problem. Less stress on you.

Still, if you can add another hour to your layover, I would consider it. Even if all goes well in the end, it won't prevent you from stressing over this in the meantime. The fact that you posted suggests you're already concerned.

I think 1 h 40 min. is fine. UA and LH usually fly out of the same terminal as they are both Star Alliance members. Also due to the jet stream eastbound flights across the Atlantic are quite likely to arrive slightly ahead of schedule which would add some time to those 1 h 40 min.

I have to disagree with hsv. Last September we flew a UA flight from SFO to CDG with a connection in Frankfurt and landed at the absolute opposite end of this very large airport from the gate from which the connection departed. Making it even more difficult was the fact that the UA flight had been delayed.

We had to literally run to the train that took us to the other terminal and run from there until we prevailed upon a very nice electric shuttle driver to take us the rest of the way, although this was not really allowed as we weren't disabled. Even then he could only take us as far as the security gate and we had another long hike from there to the final gate.

On the other hand, I've had long connecting times in FRA where I thought I'd die from the boredom and wished there was an earlier flight.

The answer to your question? You never know.

This type of question comes up repeatedly in this forum and there is no simple answer.

It depends on several things, including how easily you become stressed out, how catastrophic would the consequences of a missed flight be, etc. What would qualify as a hassle in the US, could be a super hassle in a foreign country.

I tend to fuss a lot over details and our European schedules are generally pretty tight, so we are inclined toward minimizing the likelihood that things will go wrong as opposed to minimizing transit time.

We have been on several originating flights that left more than an hour late, but we didn't stress because we had three- to four-hour layovers to catch our transAtlantic flight.

I don't mind most layovers because I always manage to find airports interesting (except DIA where I have been to so many times), this is especially true for foreign airports.

In my experience, Terminal 2 is for other US carriers, etc. If you fly into Frankfurt on United, you will come into Terminal 1.

If you have luggage checked through to another Schengen country, you should not have to go through customs with it. You will have to spend a short amount of time in passport control.

If you have to go from Hall A to Hall B, you will have to go through security again. If you stay in the same hall, you will not.

In 2002, my wife and I connected from Munich to the US through FRA. There was some hassle due to security, but 1 hr would have been plenty of time.

I routinely connect in FRA with less time than 100min, with numerous different airline combinations. I see no problem with this connection, and if there are huge delays, it's out of your control anyay.

Immigration normally takes all of 5min, usually less, there is no customs as you're continuing on to France, and a long walk will feel invigorating after an overnight flight.