Frankfurt - transit security question

[speke2me]

Sorry if this has been answered before. Did a quick search but found nothing.

Flew last week Manchester to Rome via Frankfurt, with Lufthansa. Arrived Frankfurt T1, to depart T1. Yet we had to go through security again.

Why is this? Is there no such thing as 'being airside' anymore for transit passengers?

Or is it something to do with the fact that the onward flight from Frankfurt was classed as an 'internal' (Schengen) flight? Even so, why go through security twice?

A colleague also tells me he has flown from Manchester to Rome via Zurich. He had to deplane, do all the security thing again, only to find himself boarding back onto the same plane, with same crew - even the same seat.

How can this make any sense? Or am I just missing something blindingly obvious?

[raffele]

Unless you arrive on a domestic flight, when you transfer you go through security. Standard practice based on the theory that Government B can never be too sure that Government A did the screening right in the first place, and should something happen on B's soil there'd be some serious questions to ask...

[davidjohnson6]

Would the bloke who flew from Lagos via Amsterdam to the USA and who tried to cause a spectacular on 25 December 2009 have anything to do with this theme ? It looks the Dutch are quite keen to be perceived by Washington as making security at Schiphol rather tighter

[matkat]

The last time I flew to FRA (Feb 09) was routing EDI-FRA-IKA (Tehran) never had this problem just arrived airside and waited in the lounge with no requirement to go through security, has this changed???

[AUTOGLIDE]

I've done both when transitting FRA. It seems to depend on where in the terminal building you actually go. EG, if you take a UK flight from zone B (in T1) you have to go through security screening at two points. If you take the same flight from zone A (also in T1), you only pass security once.
I did MAD-FRA-MAN and didn't go through security again at FRA.

[zed3]

Transited through FRA from DUS to LAS a couple of days ago. My wife was held up by a woman ahead, in the security queue, at the gate. The woman had a (too, in my view) large piece of handluggage stuffed with among other things, bottles of chocolate spread, packs of chocolate bagels, lots of other foodstuffs and... a box of eggs!!! She kept the security woman busy for a good ten mins. or so during a busy period. The more security the better in my opinion - where do they get these people from and why are they allowed near an airport?

[10bob]

FRA is a shambles when it comes to this.

I usually buy my toiletries airside at LHR when travelling to avoid the cumbersome liquids rule, but this is very difficult when my route means changing at FRA. It also seems to depend on whether I'm travelling out or back.


Travelling from LHR and changing to the same non EU destination, I have experienced:

- 0 security checks at Frankfurt (7 times)
- 1 security check (2 times)

Travelling back to LHR via FRA from the same non EU country, I have experienced

- 0 security check (once)
- 1 Security check (6 times)
- 2 security checks! (2 times)

Just a bit of consistency would be nice :ugh:

The worst airport I've ever had the misfortune to travel through (taking into account plenty of experience of both LHR and IAD).

[tb10er]

Just arrived into T1, pier A from ORD this am, for a connection to MAN, had to go through 2 lots of checks.

My biggest gripe about FRA is the lack of information boards in the right place (especially today with some many flights being cancelled).

[Mark in CA]

>Just a bit of consistency would be nice

Perhaps the lack of consistency adds to the security.

[speke2me]

Thanks for the replies. It seems FRA is indeed a shambles when transiting and is best avoided.

To matkat (post #4): I had the same thing in 2008 when I flew from MAN to Beijing via FRA (Lufthansa again), so sadly this is nothing new. On that occasion, due to industrial action at Lufty, the usual 'coffee and cheese roll' was not available, so they gave us a small bottle of water instead. I had a few sips and took it with me. Yes, you've guessed it. At FRA the security confiscated it as a 'dangerous liquid', despite it being handed to me on one Lufty flight prior to boarding another one :ugh:

To 10bob (post #7): This is a barmy situation! I think your 'head butt the wall' emoticon sums up the frustration at this rigmarole admirably

To Mark in CA (post #9): Nice theory, but how can inconsistency enhance security when in 10bob's case it sometimes included a majority of ZERO security checks?

Incidentally I have just returned this evening from Rome again, this time both legs Swissair via Zurich. Same thing with security checks again at Zurich. Furthermore, only an hour was scheduled between landing and departing. On the way out the security checks made it very tight, but despite the stress levels and virtually having to run through the airport at Zurich, we made it.

On the way back the FCO-Zurich flight departed half an hour late. Fortunately the gate they sent us to at Zurich (B23) was a small hub of four or five gates, and there was no queue at security. The check-in staff were waiting for us (thankfully). The rest of the PAX had been boarded on a bus. Us five, and about four others who had come from elsewhere (prob delayed also) were promptly put into a small minibus (crew type bus?) and taken to the plane that was fuelled, hatches closed and ready to go. And then off we went. The plane took off about on time and landed on time.

Pat on the back to Swissair for waiting to board us at the last minute, although the three colleagues who had checked-in baggage were told it would not make it. Fortunately I was hand luggage only.

What with all the security palava, and the real possibility of 30 minute delays for no particular reason, would not a 1.5 - 2 hour transit period make more sense? At least it would likely have saved the cost to Swissair of delivering my colleagues bags to their homes tomorrow?

Oh what joy flying in Europe has become :)