We are traveling to Switzerland in June. Flying United/Lufthansa. We will depart Zurich to Frankfurt then Frankfurt to Houston. The connection is only 1 hr 15min. We have traveled thru Frankfurt before and I believe we had to go thru a security & passport check to get from the European flights to the U.S. departing gates. From information based on today's flights at this time the Zurich flight arrives in Terminal 1 Gate a14 and the Houston flight departs Terminal 1 Gate Z19. I know that most of the airlines keep somewhat the same arrival departure gates over time so I am hoping will be similar in June. Is 1hr 15min enough time to make connection? Only 2 travelers and luggage will be checked all the way through fr Zurich to Houston. I have a knee replacement & always get pulled aside in security for a wand scan which can take additional time. If they have body scan machine I will not have that problem.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23268 posts
We have been through the Frankfurt a number of times with short connections and never had any problems. The Germans are pretty efficient. If you think you are running short you should grab one of the attendants. They will bump to the front of the line.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11180 posts
United scheduled it that way, so presumably they are aware of the logistics for passengers to make the connection.
As always it is dependent on the first flight being on time.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
You probably won't have to go through security at all. Gate Z19 is literally on top of gate A14. The two floors are separated by escalators and pass port control. From the A level, you will go through outgoing pass port check before going up to level Z. Once on level Z you will be effectively outside Schengen.
We did something similar last October, but we were coming to FRA on the train. After checkin we went through security to get to the A/Z concourse on the A level. From where we came into the A level it was a short walk to pass port check and then we went up to the Z level.
Some people coming in from a non-Schengen country, like the US, and going on to a non-Schengen country, like Turkey, never get of the Z level. They don't go through security or pass port.
Whether you use A or Z, the gate number is the same (A14 or Z14). It just depends on which door they have open at the end of the jetway.
Here is a layout of the A/Z concourse. If you click on "Ebene" (level) 2, you see you come into the A concourse opposite gate A13. Pass port check is right there, then you go up an escalator opposite A11 and walk from Z11 to Z19.
When we left from FRA in October, because my partner is mobility challenged and gets transportation to our gate, they took us by cart from check in to security. After we cleared security our guide had us sit in seats opposite A13. After about 20 minutes, a cart picked us and another couple up and drove us down concourse A to gate A25, where they let the other couple off (presumably they had less time), then came all the way back to where we started and took us 20 feet farther to pass port control! After pass port control we went up to level Z where another cart took us to gate Z15. I think in 20 minutes we could have walked 20 feet to pass port control and not had to wait so long.
Posted by
PA
2740 posts
We did a similar transfer our first time through Frankfurt, almost the same gates. Because of all I had read here about difficulties at Frankfurt I decided to time it. It was easily under 15 minutes from off the jetway and intro the new gate area, including stopping to verify directions and going through immigration exit to the Z level. And we were moving at a leisurely pace, too. Note however that it is possible that your arrival may not be to an actual gate, but by bus with the plane parking on the tarmac. If so, the bus unloads just above the orange number 1 on the above map, and you will be directed from there to Z without having to go through security again, and as you can see it is not very far to gate 19 from there.