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What is the average connection time in Frankfurt airport

Hi,

I would appreciate from your experience, to know what is the comfortable transit time to have in Frankfurt to catch a connecting flt on a single tkt and the same airline for international travel

Posted by
2923 posts

That depends on the carrier but Lufthansa (LH), Germany's flagship carrier allows a minimum of 45 minutes. You should check your flights history performance rating. LH overall performance rating is at 85% which is not spectacular.

Posted by
2613 posts

I always hear about how easy it is to transit at Frankfurt and how efficient they are there. But, somehow, I always get lost at Frankfurt. Even if I'm going single ticket from Lufthansa, I still need to change floors of the airport, walk down some hallways, clear an official station etc. And i've never done it quite right - we always find ourselves lost for a bit.

I'd always rather have too much time and get a snack and wait than to find myself on a panicked run through the airport.

I give myself 3 hours there, even on a single ticket.

Posted by
23178 posts

There is no answer to that question other than three or four hours. We have done it quickly, slowly with long hikes between gates, and one time even longer when hitting an extra level of security. If it is a single tickets, and just switching gates, a good hour or so. If an international with the need to go through immigration and custom then two or three hours more.

Posted by
11056 posts

I avoid Frankfurt airport as it has been confusing to me, very large.

Posted by
6177 posts

I've done it comfortably in less than an hour with plenty of time to spare. But that was Schengen to Schengen, if it is a non-Schengen flight involved more time would be needed.

Posted by
4217 posts

Having done it several times, I'd feel comfortable with an hour and a half. If you want to have time to grab edible food, give yourself two hours for comfort.

Posted by
2599 posts

I prefer to connect through Frankfurt, have done so many times and it's always been an efficient and comfortable airport for me--I like to allow at least 2 hours so I can have a good browse through the Pocket Bookshop.

Posted by
268 posts

There is one mistake you should never make: Trying to make sense of the airport layout. It is a frequently changing maze. However, signage is good, so if you pay close attention to the signs and follow them blindly, you will be fine.
Travelling on the same airline, you will not have to change terminals (even during normal times). Schengen to Schengen and non-Schengen to non-Schengen connections are not an issue. I would be okay with 45 minutes in that case (assuming the incoming flight is on time). You basically walk to the next departure gate and that's it. The only complication could be a bus transfer from the plane to your gate, which slows the process down. 45 minutes should still work in that case, though.

Posted by
69 posts

I used to hate Frankfurt Airport. It is so large and very easy to get off on the wrong stop when taking the terminal train. If you make a mistake the time is takes to correct puts even more pressure on your time. In addition, the level of security they have and the time it takes to clear security cannot be underestimated. Seriously! However, since I started allowing myself 3 hours, I love the airport. The Lufthansa lounges are quite nice, especially since they opened up the Panorama Lounge. Lots of small, quiet rooms, makes the whole airport experience.... pleasant. With time and willing the spend the money to get into a lounge, it makes a 18 hours travel day bearable.

Posted by
6386 posts

I dislike that airport. We try to leave 2-3 hours. In 2019 United/Lufthansa changed our flight from Madrid back to the U.S. and the new flight took us through Frankfurt. Time between flights was 1:45 minutes which should have been plenty. However, we left Madrid late. By the time we landed and fast walked through the the airport, we arrived at the gate as boarding began. Of course I had the dreaded SSSS on my boarding pass so had to go through extra security while boarding was going on. Fortunately, we had been through the airport previously, knew where we needed to go, and there was only a minimal line and wait at immigration to get our passports stamped. No time for food and just enough for a quick restroom break.

Posted by
763 posts

It's probably too late now for you, but I'd avoid Frankfurt like the plague. A few years ago, we foolishly thought we could walk from gate to the dreaded concourse Z. It literally took 3 hours. With a transfer on the same airline, you might get away with two hours, but I'd never go through Frankfurt without allowing at least three. You might want to take a look at the airport website to give you a better idea. If you are at all mobility impaired, definitely request assistance. They're very understanding when a person requires a wheelchair. You're also more likely to make the connection than you would be trying to get there yourself.

Posted by
19052 posts

Although I've flown into or out of FRA numerous times, I've only once change flights there. That was part of a Munich to Denver, all Lufthansa connection in Jan. 2002, four months after 9-11. We flew into A and out of B, using the underground connecting tunnel. Because security was tight at that time, we went through security three times. We made it in less than an hour, 45 minutes if I remember, but we had to hurry.

A few years ago, we flew to Denver from FRA, but it was almost like a connecting flight because we went through security into the A concourse (which is on the lower floor of the A/Z building). That's where all of the A gates that receive flights from all over Schengen are. located. There was an outgoing passport check desk on the A concourse with escalators to Z. Getting to Z and the out-of-Schengen gates was a breeze.

Some incoming and outgoing Schengen and non-Schengen Lufthansa flights also use terminal B, which is accessible from A/Z by the Skyline from the top levels of the concourses.

So I would not be concerned with only an hour to connect in FRA, particularly if the flights were in concourses A and Z. One hour would be doable; two hours should be plenty.

But the real problem for transferring is the probability of your incoming flight being delayed, particularly if it is a trans-Atlantic flight. In 11 flights from the US to FRA in the last 20 years, my flight has been an hour late arriving at FRA three times. However, if your flights are on Lufthansa, and you miss your connection due to a late flight from the US, Lufthansa will arrange for you to catch a later flight.

Another problem would be if, for some reason, your luggage does not get checked through to you final destination. In that case, you would have to leave security, retrieve your luggage, recheck it, then go back through security to your gate. That would be very time consuming.