Changing airlines in Frankfurt

You’ll have to retrieve your luggage and check it in with Air Dolomiti and go through passport control and security once again. Frankfurt is a massive airport with high passenger numbers, so be sure to give yourself several hours between the flights or risk having to buy a new ticket to Pisa.

Personally, I would not do what you are contemplating.
Between Frankfurt being an extremely busy airport and the frequency of Italian labor strikes— the risk of something going wrong is higher than average.

Air Dolomiti is a frequent target of Italian labor strikes.

You might look at flying into Milan.

www.Skyscanner.com

Thanks, yes, Frankfurt is an enormous airport! I’ve been through it a few times but never changed airlines there. That’s the answer I was looking for!

As I recall, if you book the flights on one ticket with the same airline and code share partners, they should transfer your luggage to the next flight. However you'll still have to go through Passport control as that will be your first point-of-entry to the Schengen zone.

I've had that experience several times, such as flying Canada to Dresden via Frankfurt, flying Canada to Florence via Frankfurt, and flying Canada to Rome via Frankfurt. All of the onward flights from Frankfurt were with local regional airlines (code share partners).

You might find it helpful to talk to a Travel Agent.

Why fly into Germany if your destination is Italy? With all the deep discounts on flights this year. It really doesn’t pencil out especially after factoring in Air Dolomiti’s labor strike history.
Check www.Skyscanner.com for flights to Milan and Pisa. You’ll likely find flights at a good price that make more sense than flying to Frankfurt and then rolling the dice on Air Dolomiti.

I have had bad experience in Frankfurt Airport and try to avoid it. Most travelers going to Pisa are going elsewhere in Italy. You could go Icelandair into Milan Malpensa making a connection in Iceland. Or Delta can take you into Rome--FCO. British Airways can take you to Heathrow where you might can transfer to your final destination.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m not a fan of Frankfurt airport either, but it’s been the international airport I’ve always flown into as Condor and Lufthansa have been my go to airlines. Pisa is my final destination. I’ll look into nonstops to Milan as someone suggested.
An extra factor is that I travel with my dog in cabin. That limits airline choices. Air Dolomiti may have strike issues, although I’ve never had a problem, but they are simply the best when it comes to accommodations for pets in cabin.

I can't speak to Air Dolomiti, but I have used that Condor SEA-FRA flight twice now, first for a trip to Ireland and second for a trip to London (among other places). You have to get over the Atlantic somehow, and I can get more legroom for less money on Condor. Unless you have mileage or status on British Airways, the suggestion to travel through Heathrow makes zero sense to me.

Thanks G3rry, that’s really helpful. Condor is definitely much cheaper than Lufthansa!!