Flights within Europe- checking in
 

We have an 08:10 Flight on Lufthansa from Naples Italy to Munich then connecting directly to USAIR to Philadelphia. Is the 2 hr advance checkin necessary in Naples? I know it probably is, but wondering if others have any experience with this and might tell me it is safe to be a LITTLE later.

If you are going to pick up your luggage in Munich and recheck your luggage with USAIR to Philadelphia, one hour should be sufficient to check your luggage and go thru security. You want to make sure your luggage is on the flight from Naples to Munich. Again, one hour should be sufficient.

If you are checking your luggage all the way thru to Phila, it may take more time for "international" check in (check you passports, tickets, security, etc.) I would get to the airport by 6am.

Maybe somebody who has flown recently out of Naples can address the "security" issues -- how much time it might take.((b))

I'm very risk-averse in situations like this. You never know when you will encounter long lines or security snafus. They say to get there 2 hours early for a reason. I wouldn't chance it.

Hi JD,

You will be in Naples.

I think that that says it all. :)

((I))

I totally agree with Ira !

says what all??

I think you should get there 2 hours in advance in <b>Naples</b>. ((b))

If I were flying LH from within Germany to Munich or Frankfurt, which I do very often, I would get to the airport around 7:15 or so, and I'd be early. Invariably some American would run up, insist on getting to the front of the line thinking he was late, then being surprised to find out that everyone ahead of him was on the same plane.

Naples, Italy, might well be a different story. An important thing to check is how many other flights are departing that morning - probably few, if any LH flights, so checkin wouldn't be a problem, but there may be other carriers like Alitalia with more flights that cause a morning rush.

I'm not sure it will take any longer to checkin NAP-MUC-PHL than it does just NAP-MUC, expept for the min or so it takes to check the passport at checkin. The checkin agent is the only one who will care what your final destination is. There is no different security, since you are getting on the NAP-MUC flight, not one departing for the US.

We took the 8:10am flight from Naples to Munich in June.

We arrived two hours early and, yes, we did have some extra time. BUT, we were traveling business class, and the check-in line for economy was longer. There are a few 'commuter' flights from Naples that leave early, so the security line was not entirely short - maybe 15-20 minutes. And, you very likely will be bussed from the gate to the plane, and I recall they loaded up the bus and closed the gate about close to 30 minutes before the flight time. The good news: at that time of the morning, there was no traffic and we made it from the centro storico to the airport in 15 minutes. Actually, the Naples airport isn't bad; if you get there early, the Autogrill upstairs has good coffee.

In Munich, be aware that there is a secondary security check at the gates to the US-bound flights, and the line there was quite long. And it's not just a bag check - it is a full body pat-down for everyone.

BTW, be sure to get a window seat. We flew this route on an amazingly clear day and the views - from take-off right over downtown Naples to the Austrian Alps - were stunning.

Well if it was me and I was told to check in 2 hours early that is what I would do. If you don't get that flight you will not get to flight to the US either. Do you have your boarding passes? I never again will put myself in a panic by being stressed to catch a flight. Been there, done that. It is not worth it IMO. Best wishes.