85 min connection in FRA, time enough to make connection to US? Stressed in ATH now!

1) Customs was not your problem in Frankfurt. It was immigration. There is a difference and it's not just semantics. Before departing FRA for the USA, you will go through exit immigration since you are leaving Schengen. You will not be able to get to your departing gate in FRA without going through exit immigration. Don't worry about trying to find it. Just head towards your departing gate and you'll find it.

I can't help with the other questions.

1. No, you clear customs and immigration at O'Hare. Assume you have you negative Covid test paper work. Exit Schengen check point, and get passport stamp (if they still do that).
2. You should not have to go through security again, but there may be secondary security at the gate for a flight to the US.
3. Unfortunately, you are on the last flight to O'Hare that day. If you miss it, you'll just have to spend the night and they fly you back the next day.

Most (all?) airports in the Schengen zone are divided into 2 parts. One side of the airport is where flights to and from other Schengen countries arrive and depart from. They other side is for flights to and from outside the Schengen zone. Sometimes these different parts are in completely different buildings/terminals, sometimes these different parts are under the same roof.
What is always the same is that to get from the non-Schengen part to the Schengen part, or from Schengen to non-Schengen you must go thru immigration/passport control. Unlike in the USA, there is passport control upon exiting the Schengen zone, not just on arrival. So, you will definitely go thru “exit” passport control at FRA and “entry” passport control in the US.

For your particular flight, you will go thru security in ATH and thru passport control at FRA. Whether or not you will have to go thru security again at Frankfurt, depends on what gate you arrive.

Thank you for responding. Any thoughts on the ability to do the connection in 85 minutes? Or less?

Then again, we travel to see and experience things, not to worry! I will just wait and take it as it comes. But thank you again for posting since we know a bit more what to expect.

Take a deep breath! It will be the airline's responsibility to get you home if you don't make your connection. FRA is a major airport and Lufthansa is a major airline in an alliance with other major airlines. You will get home.

I realize that no one likes to have travel plans go sideways or face missed connections, including me. However, a missed connection is only that. If it works out that there is not enough time, you will still make it home. It might be the next day, but it will happen.

Second Carol’s sentiments. It’s another example of traveling calling for the serenity prayer.

Chas De Gaulle is the NIGHTMARE Airport in Europe... I have no suggestions except prayers ... anybody who's come from N. America to Greece a number of times (for me it's 13 so far) will do anything to avoid a connection there again. Even when they promise 2 hrs (which is really a squeaker), it somehow changes. Furthermore, Airport info-booth staffing & other employees oof AIr France & airport are not only not helpful, but on several occasions openly mocked our questions. Never again. I'll pray for you.

FRA is the airport code for Frankfurt Airport. The airport code for Charles de Gaulle is CDG. The OP is flying via Frankfurt not Paris.

Personally, I flinch and get twitchy whenever I contemplate any connection in FRA less than at least 2 hours -- I prefer 3 hours or more there to avoid stress. I've connected in FRA plenty of times in less than 2 hours, but every time I have it has been a stressful, crowded, chaotic, frustrating, "will we make it or won't we?" mess. All that said, every time I have sweated my way through FRA, I did make my connection -- though usually not by much.

Given your current situation, I'd probably look at it this way...

1. You're on vacation, you have better things to do than sit in front of your computer, on hold for hours, trying to reach your airline and change to a looser connection (and you probably couldn't even do that if you wanted to -- no computer, no 10 hours on the phone to spare, right?).

2. Your flight is next week. You might have to pay (maybe a lot) to switch flights at this late date.

3. Lufthansa is not only a big airline, they're also a major partner with the biggest US airline going where you are going: United. United has lots of flights from the continent to ORD. If you misconnect in FRA, United will have lots of options you could use (maybe not all wonderful options, but more chances to avoid a night in FRA).

4. It's your flight home, not your outbound flight. Worst case, you miss your connection, you have to overnight in FRA, you get home a day late. So maybe someone misses a day of work, which while awkward and inconvenient, is not as bad as missing a connection on your outbound flight, potentially causing your carefully-scripted vacation to collapse.

Given all of that, I'd take a deep breath, maybe have another sip of Ouzo, and let it go. Roll the dice, hope for the best, and if you don't make that connection, you will live to flight another day. Good luck.

Just to calm you down a bit . . . I have found FRA to be a super efficient airport. It’s not the most appealing one, not even close; but it is efficient. We’ve had a number of experiences there that had me gnashing my teeth with worry about making a connection, but we always made it. The worst was Zagreb to FRA, FRA to SFO . The scheduled interval was an hour and a quarter, already dicey. Then, our flight from Zagreb was half an hour late departing. Wonder of wonders, we not only made it, so did our luggage. Those Germans are so efficient. Lol.

My goof, careless quick reading ---- and SO relieved to learn of my mistake. Thank heavens it is NOT CDG. I have also connected in Frankfort, and found it to be very efficient -- AND airline & airport staff to be helpful. b e reassured... you can do it.

Every time I've flown through FRA, I've been bussed to the plane. This is very common.

When you’re on the ATH-FRA flight, ask the flight attendant for your arrival gate in FRA and your departure gate for ORD. Look at the terminal map in your Lufthansa magazine and familiarize yourself with the terminal layout so that once you land you can move quickly. We had a very short (50 minutes) ATH-FRA connection there on our last trip, due to a flight delay, but we race-walked through the terminal & made it in plenty of time.