Changing Flights in Franfurt (FRA)

If it's a US Airways itinerary on a single ticket, you can check your bags all the way through to Florence. An hour might be enough.

If it's 2 separate itineraries and tickets, you'll have to retrieve and recheck your bags. In an hour, you'll have to be very lucky. If your flight from the US is even a little bit late, you'll never make it.

i just now noticed its one itinerary. Its a US Airways Flight, but its operated byt Lufthansa which should mean that the luggage should be checked through to Florence.

Matt, I would call US Airways and make sure you're going to be able to check your bags all the way through.

If the answer is no, I'd call Orbitz and ask them what they're going to do for you if you miss your connection.

We arrived in frankfurt on Luthansa and had to change planes for our connecting Luthansa flight to Amsterdam. You haveto go through immigration in Frankfurt, the immigration check itself was fairly quick, however, it was a long walk and then we had a long wait in line. There were over 400 passengers on our flight from Boston plus all the other arriving passengers, so everything just kind of bottlenecked. It took us over an hour to get thru immigration.

Makes you wonder why Orbitz even sells transatlantic itineraries that allow only an hour to change planes.

We just flew into Frankfurt and changed planes for Madrid. One hour does not seem like a lot of time with the Passport check and then an additional separate security check. With a delay in your first flight and then the number of people involved? Will the next flight be held for you?

I spoke with US Airways and they asured me if there was a delay or we did not have enough time to make it through security, we would be placed on the next flight to Florence.

I had a similar experience flying Air Canada/Lufthansa through Frankfurt to Venice. I had only 50 minutes to connect. When I checked in for my Toronto-Frankfurt leg, I asked if they could look up a gate assignment for the Frankfurt-Venice flight. They were able to tell me, then offered to change my seat assignment to one nearer the front. I ended up with a bulkhead seat, first row in coach. Armed with my pre-printed map of the Frankfurt airport I RAN to the immigration line, then RAN to my gate. I arrived in plenty of time, albeit sweaty and stressed. It can be done!

"Makes you wonder why Orbitz even sells transatlantic itineraries that allow only an hour to change planes."

It's the airport and the airlines who decide what the minimum allowed coonection time is, not the travel agent. For Frankfurt, it's 45 minutes and set by the airport. That means that the airport and the airlines have decided that 45 minutes should be enough time to navigate through the airport under normal circumstances, and they take the responsibility if you miss your flight (in fact it means that they put you on the next available flight free of charge if you miss your flight). There are many considerations to be taken when these minimum connection times are set, e.g. number of possible connections, risk of delays, percentage of passengers missing their flight in relation to the costs involved etc. As far as I remember, there is a special immigration line in Frankfurt for people with an imminent flight departure (within 30 minutes or so).

We made an hour connection there last summer. Just a warning, you'll have to go through at least one security check. We hit 2 of them on the way to our departure gate. It was tight, but we made it.

Your bags should be checked all the way through. US Airways is part of the Star Alliance with Lufthansa.