When we got off the plane, however, I discovered an email from Lufthansa stating our bags had only been checked to FRA and we needed to pick them up and recheck them with United to the USA. We found a service desk and the attendant gave us directions on where to go to pick up the bags and where to go to recheck them.
Finding baggage claim was not an issue, it was well marked, but we had to wait 10 minutes for the bags to arrive. Once they came, we raced to find where to recheck them as my three-hour layover was quickly diminishing.
We finally found the United counter and it was utter chaos. We checked with several people working there and they insisted we wait in a very long line with one slow-moving attendant. It took over 45 minutes for this person to wain on less than 10 people! Once it was our turn she told us we’d better run if we wanted to make our plane!
Run we did, through halls and terminals until we reached passport control. There was not much of a line here and we passed quickly.
Once outside passport control, we faced lines that snaked back and forth; it was a maze of people! It was now time to board our flight, we heard the boarding calls over the speakers but when we approached an attendant to see if there was any way to pass quicker they said no (we asked several attendants, and they were consistent in their answers). We finally came to the conclusion that we were just not going to make our flight. We chatted with others in the line, everyone was in the same situation. When you travel to a foreign country you have to play by their rules. Getting upset and being mean to the folks working there can have serious consequences.
So we waited patiently with our new line friends. At one point, we noticed a man in a red jacket taking some people out of line and down the hall. I casually mentioned to him that our boarding time had already been called and we were concerned that we would miss our flight. He told us to follow him (and the group he had assembled). He took us down the hall, up and elevator, and to another security checkpoint that had very short lines. We followed his instructions on which line to go in and once again, patiently waited our turn.
As we neared the screeners, two women slipped under the lane markets and demanded to be let into the front of the line as they were going to miss their flight. I gently mentioned that we were all in the same situation. All of a sudden, three large men from the screening service approached them and demanded they go back under the lane marker to the end of the line. When they shouted that they were going to miss their flight the three guards yelled at them to leave the area and to the end of the line or they would call the police. I believed them and stood perfectly still until the situation was resolved. This interaction took place two feet from where I was standing! The woman retreated and the guards went back to work. Whew, that was a bit scary. I stood perfectly still until I was directed to the next screening station, answered the questions I was asked (politely), and passed quickly through.
We were once again off to the races, literally running to find our gate. I got winded several times and had to slow to a fast walk. We were totally exhausted when we arrive at the gate at our departure time. Normally the door to the plane closes about 10 minutes before the flight departs; luckily for us, that was not the case this time. After several document checks by the gate agents, we were able to board the plane. Our departure was delayed slightly due to luggage transfer but we were just thrilled to have made the flight.