I will be flying Lufthansa from LAX to Munich on an A380 and then have 1 hour and 25 minutes to make a connecting flight to Basel, Switzerland. I have a couple of questions. Will my luggage be checked straight thru to Basel as I am flying Lufthansa on both legs or will I need to retrieve my luggage in Munich to go thru customs? My customs experiences flying into Europe have varied greatly, so I am not sure what to expect. On some trips flying into Europe, I have been in and out of Customs and Immigration in 10 minutes and my checked luggage continued on to the next destination without me having to retrieve it. Other times, I had to have my luggage with me when going thru Customs and Immigrating in my first arrival airport. Has anyone done this recently? Also, I am concerned if an hour and 25 minutes is enough time to make my connection since I will be getting off an A380 with 564 passengers? I would have preferred a little more time between flights, but this is what Viking booked us on. Fortunately I have two days in Basel before our river Cruise begins if I were to miss our connection in Munich. Any information on what to expect would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Chicago
8159 posts
Your luggage will go straight to Basel. The agent checking you in at LAX will confirm that. The 1 hour 25 minutes is a legal minimum connection time otherwise the airline would not be able to sell it to you that way. If you miss the connection you will be put on the next flight available from Munich to Basel. Assuming that you are suppose to fly on the 2;55 pm to Basel, there are two other flights after that at 6:50 and 9:25 pm
Posted by
Everett, WA
1299 posts
You should not have to go through customs if you have nothing to declare. (The only times I have had to go through customs is when I return home) You will have to go through passport control. The time that takes varies depending on how many flights have arrived at around the same time yours has. I will say, I have never had a long wait coming into Munich, but no guarantee. Watch the signs as you leave passport control and follow the ones that say you have nothing to declare. The only time I have had any trouble in Munich was during Octoberfest. Hopefully, you are not traveling during that time period.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I've only been on an A380 once, and like you, I was concerned about how long it might take to board and de-board. However, mine used two jetways, one for each level, so it didn't take any longer than a smaller plane. Mine was Air France from JFK to CDG, so I can't promise that LAX and MUC will also use two jetways - but they probably do.
Posted by
OP
Placentia, CA
1073 posts
Thank you so much for your responses. It looks like I won’t have stress about my connection.