Munich Airport Question ** UPDATE **
Hi Everyone!
Due to Covid, my flights to Switzerland from Boston changed from going on Swiss Air (Boston to Geneva via Zurich, then Zurich direct to Boston) to now flying on Lufthansa going thru Munich on the way there and Frankfurt on the way home. At first the flight to Switzerland had a 1hr 35minute layover to now only having 40 minutes to get to our connecting flight. Of course a delay in leaving Boston is always a possibility, but what are your thoughts on a 40 minute time frame to get to the next flight???
Our flight home thru Frankfurt is a 2.5hr layover, but I may ask to change to a later flight thru Munich that has 1.5hr layover. I'd rather a 1pm flight out of Zurich than a 10am flight meaning a super early departure time from the hotel.
Thoughts??
Comments
There are so many questions and ifs and buts here Kathy. I certainly would not chance a 40 minute layover, especially now, but when is your tour? If it’s soon, yikes. You had the right to refuse such a short layover when your original flight was cancelled/changed. I guess Tauck did not book your flights. But I also guess there are slim pickings right now. We had a similar problem just before Tauck canceled our Scandinavia tour, they called us just barely a month before it was canceled and changed our flight that included and extra leg, yuck, we were so glad that tour got canceled because of the flights.
If you are stuck with these flights, my advice would be to ensure you are wearing shoes you can run in and a bag you can carry as you run. I would also have two complete changes of clothes in your carry on in case you make the flight. but your bags don’t or vice versa.
I’m certainly jealous of all the people on the forum who are managing to travel internally right now, but my husband absolutely refuses to consider foreign travel until next year, not because we are afraid of catching Covid, just all the hassles with testing, horrible flights and itinerary changes over and above what night happen in any usual year.
Kathy0529,
I think 40 minutes is not enough time to make a connection especially since you will have to traverse from the international area to the domestic area. I suppose if you were flying first/business class and your flight was on-time, you will de-plane first and can chase through the checkpoints. I, personally, would not want to risk it. Good luck.
Thank you both for your responses.
Actually British, the flights were booked by Tauck. I was notified of the change to Lufthansa and had to call them to get the times, but was not notified of the change from 1h35mins to only 40 mins. We leave August 26th for our trip and this is our 3rd time trying to go on this tour, and our last time to try and go. My mother who is travelling w/me will be almost 81yrs old and feels this is her last big tour. I may be able to talk her into a River Cruise, but for land w/Tauck, this will probably be it for her. I have checked different airlines and the options aren't great.
We're flying economy so that is another issue kfnknfzk. My mother wouldn't be able to run thru the airport to get to the other flight.
I plan on calling Tauck next week to try and figure this out. I keep hoping Swiss Air will add flights since they are now open for travel from the USA, but so far not happening. :-(
Kathy0529,
Yes, call Tauck and have them assist you. I wish you the best of luck!
Kathy: OMG, 40 minutes is super tight, I wouldn't risk it, especially with your 81 year old mother. Even if the flight arrives on schedule, in my opinion that is not enough time to make the connection between the International and Domestic Terminals, which requires a shuttle that runs every 10 minutes, and you may also have to go thru passport control. I have traveled thru Munich airport before and depending on where your domestic gate is located, you may have to walk a bit after exiting the shuttle. I don't know why Tauck would have booked such a connection. I see that you are going to call them next week, good move.
Tauck tried to book bad connections when our Lufthansa flight was canceled, we would not accept their original suggestion and they found a better option. If Tauck can’t get you there, they will have to give you all your money back. So sorry that this may be your Mom’s last tour.
It’s a nuisance that Tauck is no longer open at the weekends. I wonder if others are having issues with all the flight cancelations
Thanks travel maven. I see a flight leaving at 5:50pm from Boston on Lufthansa and it has a 2 hour layover, now in Frankfurt, so I'm going to talk to Tauck about switching to that flight. I prefer the 8:45pm flight, but would rather 2 hours than 40 minutes. I don't even know how that is doable! I'm going to switch our return flight from 10am to the 1pm flight w/a 1hr45min layover and that will take me thru Munich.
It was the reverse if I keep the original flights - to Switzerland via Munich, to Boston via Frankfurt. Now it would go thru Frankfurt first, then Munich on the way home. Now I just hope Frankfurt isn't a bad airport to deal with in 2 hours.
British - this is all Lufthansa changing things and that was after Swiss Air cancelled their flights. At first Swiss Air had me going over on Lufthansa, then coming back on Swiss Air, but on Friday when I only extended to stay until Thursday. They or Tauck moved me to Lufthansa round trip to come back on Thursday. If Tauck wanted to foot the bill for the extra night, fine w/me, but we all know that's not how it goes. :-)
Oh well, guess I'll see what happens next week!
I looked at the flight options on KLM for August 26th from Boston to Geneva...there are many available, not as many with just one stop but those are not that tight of a connection as you were booked on. I have found that in the post Covid flights, a computer often is making the changes and not a human...perhaps a Tauck agent didn't really look at the unrealistic connection and just passed it on. It is impossible to make that transfer in Frankfurt...especially since all the restrictions are in place now. Fortunately you aren't flying soon...so there is time to make this work for you. Make sure your Tauck agent understands who you are traveling with...I have found that airlines are trying hard to work with passengers these days...very challenging times but aren't we happy we get to travel again! I wish you well...please come back and update us.
Kathy0529,
Not that your mother requires one, but all airlines offer free wheelchair transport throughout all airports. You can arrange for one through Tauck or when you check your flights yourself to ensure seating choices were confirmed. Once you check in at the counter in Boston, remind the agent that you have "pre-registered" for the wheelchair. The agent will flag your bookings. Having the wheelchair will enable you to follow your mother as the attendant whisks the both of you through all checkpoints and from gate to gate. Of course, it is customary to give the attendant a few dollars/euros. I hope this information helps.
In addition to the suggestion on setting up wheelchair service, you might check out the Hilton hotel in the Munich terminal. If you end up trying the short connection and miss it, the airline may put you up there. Would sure beat sitting around the airport for however long it may take to get the next flight out. We've also learned to take a change of clothes and toiletries in our carry ons when making connections- just in case.
Thanks kfnknfzk. We are familiar w/the wheelchairs at the airports because when my father was with us, he would need one to get thru the airports. He was on a portable oxygen machine and needed the extra help getting thru the airports. I always ask my mother if she needs one, but she isn't there yet. It's just having to walk fast that causes her to get winded.
I'm hoping to switch the flights to have 2 hours in Frankfurt on the way over and 1 hour 45 minutes in Munich for the return flight in stead of Munich on the way over and Frankfurt on the way home.
I googled and it seems 2 hrs would be more than sufficient for a layover in Frankfurt so I'm hoping to get that all squared away when I talk to Tauck.
jeffr775 - will def take some items in my carry on just in case, but fingers crossed we can switch flights and Lufthansa stops changing their schedules!! :-)
Thanks for all of your input!
Kathy0529,
Because of the holiday falling on Sunday, Tauck might be closed on Monday. Anyway, please be sure to post again when you have revised your flights. Again, best of luck to you!
Kathy0529,
I have traveled through the Frankfurt airport twice in the past few years. Once, I had to go through security again, never could figure that one out.
Both times we had to walk/trot forever and I would warn against a 40 minute layover. It seems extremely tight.
We have gone through Frankfurt a number of of times hand have been nothing but pleased with Lufthansa. On one flight we were delayed leaving the US and arrived in Frankfurt with little time to spare and were worried about connections. When we left the plane in Frankfurt we and a few others with short connections were met at the exit from the plane and taken down the stairs to the tarmac to board a bus which took us to a special immigration desk where we were all processed quickly. We then reboarded the bus and were taken to our connecting flights where we walked up the stairs and out to the check in area where our boarding passes were scanned. We then returned to the plane in ample time for take off.e
Not only did we make the connection but our luggage arrived at our final destination with us! This may not be the norm but it sure made us happy about flying Lufthansa.
Munich is a much smaller airport than Frankfurt. While 40 minutes would concern me, it is possible because of the size of the airport and the smaller distances to travel. I would ask about needing to go through immigration before you get to the connecting flight. If you do, you will need more time to make the connection.
Wow Kathy M! That's amazing service from Lufthansa. Not knowing if that would happen for us, would be too stressful. Will hopefully know tomorrow after I call about the airfare. I'm looking to change it. Not excited about leaving at 5:50pm out of Boston, but to get the 2 hour layover will give me peace of mind and some leeway in case we do leave late. That change will take us thru Frankfurt in stead of Munich on the way over. We'll then switch to coming thru Munich on the way home to get a later flight out at 1pm, as opposed to 10am from Zurich. We'll see what happens when I call Tauck!
You should be able to get the flights you want. I have used Tauck to get our flights and generally tell them which we want. I agree with your desire to have two hours in either Frankfurt or Munich. That gives you leeway in case there is a delay due to weather or something else. We've been very pleased with the service out of Boston. While the later flight time is better for sleeping on the plane, the earlier flight gives you some leeway to get another flight in case you miss your connection. I also agree with the later time leaving Europe. It's nice having the morning in Europe before leaving. As long as you do not need to make a connection the US, it's much more restful.
I would check the same flights each day to find out if they operate on time, the gate locations etc. Very often the flight you will be connecting to is delayed. I also would book the wheel chair. It’s a bummer.
Sometimes you can find a utube video on changing planes in many airports
*** UPDATE ***
I called and spoke to Tauck Air and changed my flights.
We now will fly via Frankfurt w/a 2 hour layover and coming home we'll leave later (at 1pm, opposed to 10am) and connect thru Munich w/1hr45 minutes between flights.
The rep said we do not go thru customers in Frankfurt, just Passport Control.
Thanks everyone for you input!!!
OH, and they do have the callback feature working today as I have some questions about the tour that I needed to speak to a reservation agent about. I'm waiting on the call back now. :-)
Great to hear your news Kathy! When we called last week and spoke to the air department, I asked her to put me through to a tour agent and she said she could do that too, which was a surprise.
Thanks! She did transfer me back to the reservation agent line, but I know they have a short staff due to the Holiday. My questions aren't urgent, it's just that I have the day off so would like to get this done while I can focus on it and not worry about work interrupting my personal business. lol.
First, Wow! Tauck is open today- the Post Office, Stock Market, etc. are not.
Second. Tauck's reservation sales lines, etc. are on a pretty capable system. For the past year+ almost all agents were working from home, but with VOIP (computer) communications (no telephones!), etc. you would hardly know- it appears seamless, like agents and others were in adjacent cubicles, not at their homes and miles from Wilton Woods.
Since Tauck is open today I called to make some minor changes. The prompt for a call back came after a few minutes of Peter Tauck's promos (no elevator music today), however the actual call back took a little longer than predicted. That was a good thing, however- the call didn't come until I was out of the shower!
After a little over an hour I got a call back from one of Tauck's legions of very pleasant agents who quickly took care of me.
I'm almost all set for 2022- all three tours are paid in full, there is no money in my Travel Wallet or Dream Saver accounts, and haven't lost a cent (actually gained from the re-booking bonuses), and I've booked flights for all but the last tour which comes at the end of 2022. I have also been able to either get a refund or credits from Delta that I used for the 2022 flights and haven't lost a cent on airfare. Contrary to what I had thought about fare increases- they haven't gone up that much in two years and by switching to Turkish for J&E I'm paying less overall than I paid last year.
Kathy0529,
I am so glad you were able to have your flights changed. Enjoy your trip and please post a review!
AlanS - my callback came in just about an hour, too, which worked as I was able to get my vacuuming done!
Thanks kfnknfzk! I'm so looking forward to finally getting there! Now to make my plans for my extra pre and post days. :-)
Except when there are screaming kids in the background. This happened to me last week (NOT with Tauck).