Layover in Frankfurt

There are two things people often think of as "customs". First is immigration, or passport check. The second is actual customs, in which you are checked for what items you are bringing into the country.

With the advent of Schengen, you only go through immigration when you arrive in the Schengen zone, which means you will have your passport checked when you arrive in Frankfurt.

If you are flying on a single ticket and your luggage is checked through to Milan, you won't see it until you get to Milan and that is where you will go through customs. If you some reason, they only check your luggage through to Frankfurt (FRA), then you will have to retrieve it in Frankfurt and go through customs there.

Hi Lee, does it mean we get our passport checked in Frankfurt then the actual custom check in Milan? Thanks

Sorry , We are actually flying UA to Frankfurt then will fly thru Luftansa ( UA code share ) to Milan. So , I think we will do the actual custom check twice as it is 2 different carriers.

does it mean we get our passport checked in Frankfurt then the actual
custom check in Milan?

Yes. You will go through customs when you retrieve your luggage. As you have undoubtedly found in the past, customs is usually a formality. If you have nothing to declare, you just walk out through the "nothing to declare line". In thirteen trips to Europe I have never had my suitcase examined at customs in Europe.

You will change airlines in Frankfurt, but I think your luggage will be tagged for Milan (MXP) and automatically transfered to you Milan flight in Frankfurt, just like it would be in this country. You won't see it until you pick it up at the carousel in Milan.

I think we will do the actual custom check twice as it is 2 different
carriers.

Sounds like two carriers, one ticket. You'll get luggage receipts at SFO. Check them. If for some reason they are for FRA, you'll have to pick up your luggage in Frankfurt, go through customs there, recheck it, and then go back through security to get to your Milan flight.

Thanks Lee.

The only time I ever changed planes going into Europe was 1987, at Heathrow on my way to Brussels. I had checked luggage and as I remember, it was checked through to Brussels. Since 2000, I have only had carryon luggage and I have never change planes in Europe coming from the US. Perhaps someone who checks luggage will offer more information.

We recently flew UA to FRA and Austrian from there to Vienna. Our bags were checked through. LH is part of the Star Alliance, along with those two and many others. On more trips than I can keep count of, I have never had to go through customs more than once; and it's always been a rather perfunctory "clearing.". The only place I've ever heard of requiring you to clear customs and then recheck your bags is the USA, if you have a connection here.

Thanks Rosalyn and Lee.