Passenger opinions of Frankfurt Airport

Here`s a subject close to most expats hearts. Airports!

Was looking at a website which features passenger reviews of airlines and airports. Interesting to read the first hand experiences of Frankfurt FRA airport. Rude staff, incomprehensible signing, poor food, and of course - smoking - are amongst the many pet-hates...

http://www.airlinequality.com/Airports/Airport_forum/fra.htm

The Rude Staff can really only be put down to the individual Airline staff, as these are the ones you would have most contact with. Of course there are the individual shop units too... but that falls into the same category. They all work for different employers

The signage gets you from A to B (as well as C,D, & E) I have personally never had any real problems with it.

Poor food? That would be an international standard. Poor & overpriced. I dare say that Frankfurt does not stand alone.

Smoking - German problem in general, not just a Frankfurt Airport thing!

I have always found the signage reasonably easy to follow as well it has always got me around.

What I don't like about Frankfurt airport is that the toilets never seem to be very clean!

I couldn't comment on the food at those inflated prices I'd rather go hungry

Apart from the smoking issue, I find Frankfurt pretty good as it goes. There's building work at the moment so there are diversions everywhere to go get your bags but I find the signs fairly easy to follow.
I find the annoying thing is that you need to go through 2 sets of security to get to the plane, and no-one seems to be in a rush when you are!
I have eaten breakfast there a couple of times on early flights, and found their service very fast indeed which is great. Quality is OK too. The Lounges there are the only ones I know of which serve gummy bears next to the peanuts and biscuits, nice touch.
I'm sure the staff are helpful, but I don't really talk to them as I use those e-ticket machine thingys. Made a big mistake once when I checked in using one of these machines, saw my bag start the trip down the chute, then remembered my passport was in the bag! Nightmare! They stopped me climbing after the bag before it dropped, and needless to say I missed the plane.

the greatest invention since, er, airplanes. Absolutely fantastic - make the airport experience swift and easy rather than standing in a queue all day long. Now i never turn up for a flight until 1hour before take off time, card in, ticket out, security, plane. Perfect

To be honest the best thing about Frankfurt airport is the sheer choice of direct flight destinations and times. Want to fly to Munich? No problem, choose from any 1 of 10 or so flights a day.

Worst thing - no cheapo airlines

Otherwise - service, food, etc etc - don't know and don't really care as I dont go there for a day out

only happened to us when we flew BA in the new terminal. We were pissed off that nobody told this at the check in (was after 09/11 happened).
We almost missed the flight cuz we only went through the 1st check and then had coffee etc.

They told us, it's BA's extra security check.

I like Frankfurt airport but the experience depends alot on where you are going and on the departure gate you have to go through. Really hate when I'm running late and your flight is leaving from the end of the A terminal... how long is that
Used to work for a company that was part of Lufthansa, was great getting flights for only 10%. Would be at work on a Friday afternoon, have a look to see what flights were not too overbooked and pick one. If I left work at 14:00 I would always be at my gate at 15:00 and that included getting into Frankfurt, s-bahn to airport, upstairs to purchase my ticket, e-ticket check in and through security. Nowhere else would that happen in just 1 hour...
In Hamburg now, really like the airport, just so laid back and relaxed
I think the dearest food I ever came across was in Helsinki airport, paid €13 just for a beer and a sandwich

You should try out the Madrid Airport, good god, the Spanish are really laid back about things like signs, messages boarding calls etc.

Flew in the other with our dog and was meeting the wife, got off the plan and followed the signs for baggage, opps, should have followed the passengers, got to the baggage area and it was completely empty. Had to run through two terminals in order to get proper area before the dog came off the belt, timed it perfectly she was just coming out as I arrived out of breath.

The week before when we landed we didn't see any signs for taxis so when we were appraoched about needing a taxi we took it, seem legit as it was a proper taxi, only problem is he didn't turn on his meter, charged us (or more correctly the company) 50 euros for a 25 euro taxi ride.

My main complain with Frankfurt is that parking is poorly laid out for people with bulky luggage, doors are very narrow, and unless your at 117 its a long walk to the stairs.

Well I was seeing someone off at Frankfurt airport, I went with them down an escalator, at the bottom was a door "no non-passengers beyond this point" or similar such sign, A security guy sitting doing a preliminary passport or ticket check.. Said goodbye to my guest, then turned to go back. No escalater back up. So followed the corridor along - and found myself in the baggage collection area for incoming flights!! Only way out was to go through customs control and out again! Luckily I wasnt stopped. I had no passport with me. Could have nicked someones bag and straight out again. What lousy security, if its as easy to get in as that.

Personally I find the signage at Fraport a nightmare, more than once Ive had to traipse from one terminal to the other and then back again on false advice of staff. What I find especially bad, though its not really down to the airport itself is the lousy S-bahn connection into town. LOk when the train comes its only 15 minutes or so into town. But you can often wait 20 minutes or so for a train, and when it comes its invariably dirty inside, litter, grafitti, very grotty. Doesnt give a good impression at all.

The Fernbahnhof on the other hand is excellent. But they need to spruce up the S-Bahn link as well.

By the way, some of the airport and airline descriptions on the http://www.airlinequality.com site are hilarious, the things the passenges have had to put up with eg China Eastern Airlines (not to be confused with China Air). Sounds like one of the worst airlines in the world. Not so funny though if its you on the receiving end!

@Rick de I have done exactly the same thing with the escalator and come out in baggage.

I dropped a friend off at Frankfurt and she was taken to one side to have her suitcase checked. We both realised that the key to the padlock of her suitcase was back at home and so after we explained this he let her go through without checking or ripping it apart!! I was horrified that he did not seem bothered. OK apart from PMT I know she is not some nutter out to cure the world of all that is evil, but she could of been.

ssssssshhhh! :doh: If you tell everyone that, you will never get a parking space at 117 ever again! :$

All the parking areas with red lights on are empty and the ones with green lights have 2 parking spaces left which someone has conveniently parked their people carrier in the middle of.

You need a week and a half to get off the plane and walk the miles to arrivals, no moving walkways.

On the good side, I have never seen anyone at customs and when my BA plane was delayed they invited me down to the toffs lounge where I helped myself to refreshments and free newspapers.

You want to try flying in and out of Tel Aviv then. Frankfurt is a dream compared to that.

That's so they can take their time getting your luggage on the carousel.

I remember flying into Atlanta, when you pick up your luggage its right next to the exit/entrance doors to the airport. Anyone can just walk in off the street, pick up a bag and walk out into a taxi rank. Now that was pretty awful.

In general Frankfurt airport is ok.

Smoking was a real nightmare there, but that has been helped alot with the installation of those ashtray / fan things with the Camel advertising.

If you look at reviews in the internet, one consistant problem you read about is the security staff - used to have a problem with these bozos but sorted it out real quick with a couple discussions with the relevant people.

As for parking when I fly out, I just park two s-bahns away in Niederrad ( in front of my client's office ) and take the s-bahn to the airport ( 7 minutes ) - saved alot of money this way over the years!

ive flown out of frankfurt a few times and must agree there is room for improvement.
unfriendly staff (hey frankfurt is in germany) what do you expect.
smoking (real problems here) try as i did i coudent find anywhere discrete to skin one up.

If all you want to do is fly back and forth to the Uk its an easy choice - British Airways through Terminal 2. Dead easy - book on the internet, stick your credit card in the check-in gizmo when you get there and get your boarding card.
Two security checks is a minor inconvenience - but these days reassuring. Only drawback is that once you are through these checks there is no food / drink to be had.
Used to use Lufthansa via T 1 but found it too big, smoky etc + the Lufthansa card check-in gizmos were a bit unreliable.
The real problem's at the other end where you can spend many happy hours flying in circles over Kent or wherever waiting to get into Heathrow.
Overall (and I have had the dubious pleasure of using many "major" airports around the world) I'd say that Frankfurt's pretty good.
Jakarta's the worst, by the way...unless anyone else knows different.

I would also recommend:

- Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport may give it a good run for its money
- Moscow Sherymetyvo (spelling) - nothing like a guaranteed 2 hour wait at customs queuing back up stair case

The benefit of Terminal 1 is if your flight is delayed you can kill some time in the sex shop.

So you're the guy who is always reading those scat magazines!

For the size I find Frankfurt Airport quite good. It beats Charles de Gaulle and Heathrow by miles (and all the American airports I've been to be hundreds of miles - try going to Dulles and you can start talking about a sh..hole of an airport).

I really like how easy it is to get there. I'm a very frequent user and I've never had a traffic jam on the motorway on the way there (happened every morning when I lived in Paris). I don't see the parking as an issue. Tried in Paris once that there was no more parking spaces!! Then you have a problem.

The thing I hate most is when your gate is A42 or something similar. Feels it would be faster to walk to your destination than to the gate.

The smoke is a pain everywhere in Germany - not only in the airport. Actually it is less of a problem there than at most restaurants.

Henrik

I recently flew out of T1 and it is pretty outdated and scruffy because basically the airport has been holding off investment until Lufthansa has moved over to the other side of the airport ( Where the US air force used to be ) into the new 75 gate Terminal 3 which will be constructed in stages . I don't know what there gonna do with T1 maybe knock it down or just revamp it. One of the things that gets on my nerves is that second security check which catches a lot of people out. Having to empty my pockets again and get searched just seems stupid. But Frankfurt took a lot of Criticism for that bag that blew up Panam 103, it passed through the airport and there is also a lot of US servicemen transitting through the airport as well. Another reason is that the UK is a non Schengen Agreement country and does not allow the free movement of people even though they are EU citizens which as a personal opnion is a restraint of trade.

a few links to the airport website, the terminal compertition and the winner!

http://www.ausbau.fraport.com/cms/default/...64.projects.htm

http://airport.absence-of-fear.de/terminal3.php

http://www.chm.de/en/competitions_content.html

the 2nd security check is only on T2, isn't it? I am asking cuz we'll go from T1 in April and last time we went (in October), there was only 1

Well I flew out of T1 on Lufthansa (The old one) to Manchester 3 weeks ago and I had to go through TWO security checks. I am not sure about Terminal 2 I know BA use that terminal. The gate I think I used was B55 which means they take you on a bus to the aircraft maybe that's why we had a second check!

Hiya,
all British, american and austrailian airlines (and a few other countries involved in the iraq war) Have to by German law have 2 security controls. Luftansa manages to get out of this. I have worked at the airport for 5 years and we know the passengers hate the inconvienance of all this but its german law. Also the rude security people who cant even speak english have nothing to do with the airlines they are sub contracted by Fraport (airport managers) The staff also have to be checked by them and trust me we know they are awful.
I think they have now built a cafe in T2 after the 2nd control as sooooooo many passengers complained about the lack of refreashments.

I have a 5 hour layover in Frankfurt tomorrow, I am not looking forward to it, as its my least fav airport in Europe, and from reading the comments hasn't improved in the last years.

ugh, a 5 hour layover anywhere sucks. and you hadn't even left germany. have fun.

funny this should come up - I was just in the Frankfurt airport last week and was approached by someone doing a survey of what people thought of the airport, as far as shops and food options go, things to do to kill time, etc.

Gave her my honest opinion.

maybe improvement is on the horizon!

You could take a 45 Minute Tour...

Or Get your hair done (which is where I typically get my hair cut ).

And ooh look, a new Häagen-Dazs shop!

There are generally good selections of English language magazines as well (if you're into that sort of thing), much better than the selection in Munich, CHG, well the best I've found outside of an english speaking country in Europe.

Well, layovers are typically a drag, but airports can be fun! (If you want, you could try running through the security gates without letting anyone stop you - kinda like Red Rover)

Big supermarket in the basement? The dry cleaner is pretty good in FRA too. Or get airline staff to take you to the staff shop down near where Dorian Gray used to be.

acutally leaning towards a haircut, never had time to do that before. On my return trip, I only got 2 hours there. Not as bad.

Hi Bryony, it's weird on the security thing flying to countries that like to bomb the f*** out of others for oil.
Sometimes you get the extra security checks, sometimes you don't.
At least at Munich anyway.

Neither is the level of security consistent at any airport.
Sometimes its shoes off, sometimes not.
Sometimes a stick of chewing gum in a silver foil has them snapping on the latex gloves but I walked through last week having forgotton to reove my keys and not a peep.

Had the misfortune to fly to Frankfurt the other week.
Badly signed, rude staff, felt cramped. The little train between the terminals was cute though.

VERY fit bloke at security searching me. But we kept it respectable.

Zippos are always fun for security. When I flew with a Zippo and they told me to take the flint out. I had about 3 other lighters, matches etc in my handluggage and they were fine with that. A zippo however causes you so much grief. I started to believe I was a terrorist.

The last time, savvy to the security checks' method of disarming this weapon of mass destruction, Al Qaeda agent Grimsby took the flint out. Confident in the knowlege that he could always rip apart one of his back up weapons and rearm the silver WMD. Smiling, I walked up to the security check and brandished my now impotent death bringer. "Ahhaaa!" says the security guard. "Now take the cotton wool stuff out as well."