Leaving EU via Frankfurt - what connection time?

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relaxalot

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Hi All,
There are some pretty good return flights (J circa $4K) out of the secondary airports in southern Europe for March/April/May next year (sold by LH) flying typically through Frankfurt and then LH down to Singapore to pick up SQ to Sydney or ANA via Tokyo. Some of them have tight connections in Frankfurt though depending on day and starting city. Leaving aside the chance (or not) of being able to fly by then, does anyone have a view on a sensible transit time to allow for arrival at Frankfurt airport from the starting (Schengen) city, transit the airport, exit EU formalities and make the plane. Would all be on one ticket booked through and likely carry on only.
 
Apologies serfty, MCT?
Minimum connection time.

It is the smallest time span between connecting flights that can enable a booking to be ticketed.

It can vary depending on several factors including carriers, terminals, port and even specific flight numbers.
 
Thanks - I'll see what is able to be ticketed. Good advice to double it though. The ones I am looking at (not necessarily the minimum - I will hunt round) are around 1:30 and whilst I regularly (or used to) go through Changi on SQ with that connection time, it is decades since I have been through FRA.
 
Thanks - I'll see what is able to be ticketed. Good advice to double it though. The ones I am looking at (not necessarily the minimum - I will hunt round) are around 1:30 and whilst I regularly (or used to) go through Changi on SQ with that connection time, it is decades since I have been through FRA.

I'd say 90 minutes is doable in FRA. There are frequent reports of delays clearing transit passport control at FRA, but IIRC there may be some sort of express channel for immediate/urgent departures.

All being on the one ticket you will be protected anyway, so the worst outcome would be an overnight in FRA, which your insurance should cover for hotel and food.

It's a bit like QF offering 1 hour transits DOM-INT at SYD. It's doable, but not necessarily 'stress free'.
 
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Thanks MEL_Traveller, it looks like the MCT that LH publish for FRA is 45 minutes so 90 minutes should work - although tight I suspect. As you say though, the worst case is not too bad.

Notwithstanding that LH J seats don't seem to be front of the pack, I'm sort of keen for a ride on a 747-8 which I haven't done yet and there aren't many options for that!
 
Thanks MEL_Traveller, it looks like the MCT that LH publish for FRA is 45 minutes so 90 minutes should work - although tight I suspect. As you say though, the worst case is not too bad.

Notwithstanding that LH J seats don't seem to be front of the pack, I'm sort of keen for a ride on a 747-8 which I haven't done yet and there aren't many options for that!

It's certainly a beautiful plane! That being said - the business class seats have very little privacy and the upper deck seats are very close together. Downstairs the centre seats are more spacious with a bigger gap between the two seats. I suspect you will want to fly upstairs however. Walking through the plane a couple of hours after takeoff the downstairs was a bit unkempt - curtains between cabins left open or only partially closed, napkins and breadcrumbs on the floor, etc. There's no solid divider between premium economy and economy, which made it look all a bit more disorganised.
 
It's certainly a beautiful plane! That being said - the business class seats have very little privacy and the upper deck seats are very close together. Downstairs the centre seats are more spacious with a bigger gap between the two seats. I suspect you will want to fly upstairs however. Walking through the plane a couple of hours after takeoff the downstairs was a bit unkempt - curtains between cabins left open or only partially closed, napkins and breadcrumbs on the floor, etc. There's no solid divider between premium economy and economy, which made it look all a bit more disorganised.
Yes, many fond memories of flying upstairs on earlier models (all of them I think) so will probably want to repeat that. Flying as a couple so can (probably) cope with my immediate seat neighbour!
 
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FRA is as unpredictable as it is confusing. Your Schengen flight can easily end up parked at a distant ramp spot requiring a bus to get you to the terminal. The plus to that is at least the bus drops you close to the centre of the applicable terminal and not at an end gate.

The signs can be confusing and there are multiple options if you are going from Schengen to non-Schengen and if you have to go through security some are pretty good and some can be incredibly long depending on the time of day.

I avoid FRA whenever I can. 90 minutes is ok if your inbound flight is ontime.
 
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