[Ajay_the_Don]

Originally Posted by Ajay_the_Don

Should I apply for the Visa and try my luck or is the 3 month validity is good enough?

I secured a Schengen Visa and completed my trip back home with no hiccups. Cheers!!

[dearchichi]

Hello air travel experts.

Back in February, I had asked for advice regarding booking flight tickets from Bengaluru to Detroit for my wife and daughter, and had received very useful information. I ended up booking them on Lufthansa (BLR -> FRA via LH 755, a 2h 15m layover, FRA -> DTW VIA LH 442).

The journey is almost upon them. However, I see that LH 755 is routinely late, averaging about a 22 minute delay in departure from BLR and a 33 minute delay in arrival at FRA. On the 14th of April however, it departed 1h 7m late and arrived 2h 35m late at 11:35 local time. Those who were to connect via LH 442 would have missed that flight since the latter took off at 11:32 (after a 17m delay).

Can you please advise what my wife and daughter are to do should they suffer a missed connection? I believe such protected flights provide food, accommodation and seats on another such flight to the intended destination. Is this correct?

Lufthansa do state the below, but I would like to know what the passengers are entitled to.



Thank you for any advice.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

Can you please advise what my wife and daughter are to do should they suffer a missed connection? I believe such protected flights provide food, accommodation and seats on another such flight to the intended destination. Is this correct?

But since the flight is from BLR-FRA-DTW on same airline, won’t you get the boarding pass for the entire journey from BLR? In that case, it's the responsibility of the airlines to make you reach the final destination. Lufthansa staff at FRA will have the list of passengers coming from BLR and various other hubs, If the delay is minor they will ensure that you get to board the forward connecting plane.

I don’t know much how the things work post corona pandemic. However, around 8 years ago, I was flying from NYC to DXB with Lufthansa and having a layover at FRA. The flight from NYC to FRA was delayed due to blizzard and I reached hours beyond the next flight to DXB.

Since both connections were Lufthansa, I directly went to their counter at the airport and they put me in the accommodation at the nearby hotel and booked me on the other flight, which was not even Lufthansa. I vaguely remember they even asked me 2/3 choices of the flight within next 24 hours.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Hello friends, i seek your advise :

My daughter will travel to St Louis - USA in the last week of May 24 and will return back in the first week of August 24.
She is going on J1 visa for internship.
This is her first international travel and most probably she will travel alone.

There is no direct flight from India ( Mumbai) to St Louis and i am exploring following options.

1) Lufthansa - 1 stop at FRA- layover of 2:30 hrs only .

This will be my first preference but Mumbai departing flight is often delayed by 30+ min and just 2:30 hrs layover at FRA is causing me to rethink multiple times.
There are chances that other guys/gal from different IITs departing from different cities may reach to FRA on the same date to travel to St Loius on same connecting flight.
So, there are chances that my daughter will have someone to accompany her for FRA onward journey.

2) Mumbai- Newark/Newyork Air India and then domestic flight for onward journey to St Louis:

This will be my second choice. By taking this flight, my daughter will land in USA ( On time or few hrs delayed doesn't matter).
I will book onward flight with gap of at least 6hrs between incoming and outgoing flights.
But there will be change in airports which is not preferable by my daughter.

3) Choice 3: Your suggestions please.

So, travel experts, please advise on which flight and route i should prefer?

[jigar1791@gmail]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Choice 3: Your suggestions please.
?

Do check BA, Turkish and the ME Big3 (Emirates/Etihad and Qatar).

All of the above have multiple departures (except Turkish) from BOM at convenient timings, you can check the onward connection from these hubs to St. Louis and then decide on the best option.

I'd recommend Swiss as well, it's a fairly under-rated airline with decent onward connections to the US from Zurich.


Happy journey in advance!

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Choice 3: Your suggestions please.

Tricky situation.

Lufthansa looks like the best option - only one stop. Makes it easier for first time travel. The 2.30 hours transit time is enough, I would say for Frankfurt airport, around 45 mins is sufficient unless you are taking a EUR region connection (Emigration done here).
Even if you consider the incoming flight gets one hour late, still she will be having 1.30 hours, which is more than enough.

However, a rough check shows the rate for this combination to be around double that of alternative options.


Second preference for me would be Qatar. Via Boston - 2 stops. However the Boston transit is just 1.40 hours. I guess US visa check for Qatar airways passengers are done in Doha itself ? ( Read an article mentioning something like this earlier, not sure)
If thats the case, its one less headache on landing at US and the 1.40 hours transit is fine.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Tricky situation.

Lufthansa looks like the best option -

Zeroing on this option.
My daughter will be all alone from start to end till St Louis airport. The university there has arranged pick up from airport.

My only concern now is ---

1) Read that Transit visa not required at Frankfurt airport if passenger have valid us visa and not leaving airport, is it so ?

2) Is there help available at Frankfurt airport for transit passengers ?

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

1) Read that Transit visa not required at Frankfurt airport if passenger have valid us visa and not leaving airport, is it so ?

2) Is there help available at Frankfurt airport for transit passengers ?

1. Transit visa is not required. Even if US visa is not present.
2. I recollect seeing helpdesks there, however unsure of the operating hours. If the flight is reaching in off peak time, being Europe one can expect few of the helpdesks to be closed and may have to reach out to others. However, irrespective of that, it wont be a big issue since she will have sufficient time to just move across terminal and catch the next flight. She will only have to go through the signages to find the gate and head there.

With a transit time of around 1.5 hours, I was able to manage easily inter EU flights. Which involves immigration too at Frankfurt. So it surely wont be an issue.

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

My only concern now is ---

1) Read that Transit visa not required at Frankfurt airport if passenger have valid us visa and not leaving airport, is it so ?

2) Is there help available at Frankfurt airport for transit passengers ?

1. No transit visa is required.

2. Yes. Most Indian flights reach FRA in the morning around 9 AM. Lufthansa help desk is available on the way of transfer arrivals. She can give her boarding pass and get the gate written down. Or if she wants to change flights due to any huge delay, they will help out in the counter. Security gates have people too and if there is a paucity of time, just show the boarding pass and get fast tracked to gate.

In fact, to transit within EU if you need another connection and have to clear immigration, you can show boarding pass and get fast tracked to clear immigration. Not needed in your case.

And don't worry, our desi folks are everywhere and easily approachable. All the best for your daughter

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Zeroing on this option.
My daughter will be all alone from start to end till St Louis airport. The university there has arranged pick up from airport.

Check connections via Etihad, in which case she will clear the US Immigration in Doha. However, not all flights are presently covered by this.

If Lufthansa has a direct flight to the destination, that will be the best option. You don't need to worry about Frankfurt. The signage is clear, and she can find help if required. You don't need a transit visa as she has a US visa.

[androdev]

Go with Lufthansa, it will split the journey nicely so one can avoid crazy long single flight. Just need to confirm the terminal and gate for the next flight after landing in Frankfurt - then you can just follow the directions. 2.5hr transit time is plenty. Even if there is a delay of 30min in Mumbai, they tend to arrive on schedule. You get free airport Wi-Fi and it would be day time for you here in India - so can always stay in touch. I would say port of entry immigration is the only thing to be careful of - rest of it will be no different from domestic flying experience and getting help is easy though no needed.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

I will book onward flight with gap of at least 6hrs between incoming and outgoing flights.

Make sure you book the entire journey on one itinerary (Mumbai - St. Louis), else baggage allowance will be a problem on the domestic flights within the US.

But there will be change in airports which is not preferable by my daughter.

3) Choice 3: Your suggestions please.

On a casual check, I can see a Qatar Airways option, with layovers in Doha and Chicago. That might be the best bet. Seems to be the cheapest option, with a fairly quick travel time as well. At a slightly higher fare, you have options from Delta + Air France, which are also pretty good.

When you're booking the flights, call the airline and ask them for a student fare. Most airlines offer special fares + increased baggage allowance during the July - August period since that's the academic start period.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Check connections via Etihad, in which case she will clear the US Immigration in Doha..

Just one correction here. Etihad will have US immigration in Abu Dhabi, not Doha. My wife and kid just went through it some time ago en route to IAD.

If one wants to fly via Doha, then he/she needs to choose Qatar Airways, not Etihad. Also, as far as I know, US immigration doesn't happen at Doha.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

If one wants to fly via Doha, then he/she needs to choose Qatar Airways, not Etihad. Also, as far as I know, US immigration doesn't happen at Doha.

Yes that’s true, it’s either at Abu-Dhabi or at Dubai !

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by NomadSK

Yes that’s true, it’s either at Abu-Dhabi or at Dubai !

No, not even in Dubai. In Asia, it's only available in Abu Dhabi.

The other airports where this facility is available are in Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit...r_preclearance

https://www.businessinsider.com/airp...st-2023-9?IR=T