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-   -   Frankfurt Airport (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/frankfurt-airport-406439/)

dmlove Aug 2nd, 2008 01:52 PM

Frankfurt Airport
 
We are arriving from the U.S. on Lufthansa and taking a Lufthansa flight to Cairo. Do we have to go through security once in Frankfurt, or will we be "inside" and just have to get to our departure gate?

sharona Aug 2nd, 2008 06:26 PM

You will more than likely have to go through security again in Frankfurt. We have taken Lufthansa flights from the US and then continued on Lufthansa to other parts of Europe and have had to go through security even though we did not leave the airport nor the secure area.

traveller1959 Aug 3rd, 2008 02:11 AM

TSA requires that you pass security immmediately after deboarding your plane if you have a connecting flight. (Don't ask me for the reason.)

Last time they confiscated a bottle of Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux which I was given by the flight attendant in business class.

The European Union has been keeping on negotiating with the U.S. administration in order to get rid of this silly regulation. But the Americans can be adamant..

StCirq Aug 3rd, 2008 03:17 AM

Yes. I've had to do that twice this year en route from the USA to Africa. PITA. Be prepared for some fairly rough treatment from the German TSAs, too - their "pat down" was more like assault. And make sure you have plenty of time for that connection - I swear I walked about 5 miles through that airport!

traveller1959 Aug 3rd, 2008 04:10 AM

>>>Be prepared for some fairly rough treatment from the German TSAs, too - their "pat down" was more like assault.<<<

The security staff at Frankfurt Airport is manned by former staff of GDR secret service ("Staatssicherheit"). They have gotten thorough training and experience in humiliative treatment. And they hate Americans, they hate West Germans and they hate business class travellers.

daveesl Aug 4th, 2008 04:09 AM

The part I really enjoyed was going through security, going through security again, walking the BAZILLION miles to the gate, getting everything set for the plane wait. Then, about an hour before you board, you have to leave the waiting area with all of your stuff, go back to the entrance of the waiting area, and go through security, AGAIN.

I Hate Frankfurt Airport!!!

:-)

dave

anita63 Aug 4th, 2008 04:42 AM

I, too, hate the Frankfurt Airport. Daveesl hit the nail on the hid with his description. And, I don't think that I have ever seen more filthy bathrooms anywhere (large cities). Also be prepared for major highjaked prices for a bottle of water should you need to rehydrate after your mini-marathon.

I recall the security being pretty rough the first time and not so bad this past January. But you will have to go through again.

FrankS Aug 4th, 2008 04:50 AM

I guess I was a lucky one, I justed waited inside the intl terminal and boarded my connecting flight.

dfr4848 Aug 4th, 2008 05:40 AM

The last 3 times we've been through FRA you had to go through security checks (not customs) twice - once upon arrival, then on your way to connecting gate. And yes the walk can be looooong, but the signs are good and it's pretty easy to navigate.

traveller1959 Aug 4th, 2008 06:01 AM

To be sure, there are worse airports in the world (e.g. Heathrow or JFK), but Frankfurt is pretty bad.

Lufthansa has already started to use new hubs like München, Zürich or, recently, Düsseldorf.

Hans Aug 4th, 2008 06:10 AM

As far as I understood it, the problem with multiple security checks at Frankfurt Airport results from differing security standards. If transit passengers from places arrive which don’t use the EU security standards, they have to go through a security check at Frankfurt. If you enter the transit area instead of going directly to your gate, you have to go through security again. If your destination then requires security standards differing from the EU standard, you get yet another security check. If your flights start and end within the Schengen area, this problem normally doesn’t come up, but with international flights it happens quite often, especially if some country introduces a new standard and they need to figure out how to schedule the gates to cause the least disruption. It can pretty much get on your nerves if you have to pass two identical security checks with 500 meters.

As for the pat down, I got at least a dozen of them at Frankfurt Airport and I never found them aggressive in any way, much less coming close to assault. It was always professional and distanced. They touch your body, but that’s kind of the idea of a pat down, isn’t it?

traveller1959 Aug 4th, 2008 06:29 AM

Last winter, we arrived in Frankfurt coming with Lufthansa from Atlanta. The flight was on time, but we had to wait 45 minutes on the tarmac because Frankfurt Airport had no free gate.

The passengers with connecting flights were getting somewhat nervous, understandably.

Then we were able to dock and to unboard. The first passenger who left the plane was an American business man wearing a suit and tie. He was checked thoroughly by security and finally they found a 5ml tube with facial cream he was given on the plane in business class.

The security staff with their heavy East-German accents seemed to enjoy humiliating him.

The whole process took almost 10 minutes while all other passengers had to wait in line.

The next passenger was my almost 80-year-old MIL. Her bag was thoroughly searched because she brought a bottle of wine which she had from the flight attendant in business class. Confiscating the bottle would have taken 10 seconds, but security used to opportunity to search everything - and let 250 other passengers wait again.

From security staff, I overheard a comment about those "rich moneybags".

Do not think the Communists are gone. You can still meet them where they are allowed to handle weapons.

jdc26 Aug 4th, 2008 06:56 AM

I've found navigating through Frankfurt airport relatively easy and as mentioned above, the signs are very good. And, yes to the OP, you will have to go through security to get to your connecting gate upon arrival.

Have travels to Cairo!

jdc

2010 Sep 1st, 2008 01:40 PM

Arranging our return LH flight from Florence to Vancouver, Canada via Frankfurt --- our first time at this airport. Thanks for allowing me to ask my own airport questions!

Which option is more viable?

Option 1 leaves Florence at 06:35 arriving in Frankfurt at 08:15. The connecting flight departs at 14:20.

Option 2 leaves Florence at 10:00 arriving in Frankfurt at 11:40, with connecting flight leaving at 14:20.

Does option 2 leave us with enough time to go through security in Frankfurt before boarding? We are concerned about unforeseen delays & not relishing the thought of a missing flight. On the other hand, this flight leaves Florence at a more decent hour!

Also, for those who are familiar with the aiport, where is the office where I would apply for a VAT refund located? Is this a lengthy process, needing time to complete?

Many thanks!

2010

J62 Sep 1st, 2008 04:10 PM

There is no need to take the 6:35 departure out of Florence only to sit in Frankfurt airport all day long.

3hrs is plenty of time to connect.


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