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I am travelling from Dresden to Delhi via Munich (holding Indian passport with Schengen visa) through Lufthansa airlines. The transit time at Munich airport to board Delhi flight is just 45 minutes. Can I cover passport/security/customs check within 45 minutes?

If I am reaching Munich on exact time and due to all the customs and security checks, if I miss my connecting flight to Delhi, whether airlines will arrange the next available flight for me or we need to get it?

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    @Gagravarr: Many countries have passport controls on entry and exit; looking at my own passport, I have an exit stamp from Germany from 2011, so at least until then there were exit controls. If that's not the case any more (or not in Munich), that's useful information.
    – Max
    May 22, 2014 at 9:15
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    There should be a Schengen exit check. That's mandatory and Schengen wide so there is no reason it should have changed in Munich since 2011.
    – Relaxed
    May 22, 2014 at 9:22
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    Security will happen in Dresden, but passport control may happen when boarding in Munich.
    – Vince
    May 22, 2014 at 9:22
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    One thing to remember is that even if you make the connection, your bag might not (I don't know about Munich, but I wouldn't expect my bag to make a 45-minute connection at Heathrow, for example). So make doubly sure that you have all the essentials in your hand luggage to survive at your destination if your checked luggage is delayed.
    – Max
    May 22, 2014 at 9:56
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    @Gragavarr My experience is usually the same, but we don't need a stamp and wouldn't use the "all passports" queue. For third-country nationals, exit checks can include a database look-up and a verification that the person did not overstay, which does take some time.
    – Relaxed
    May 22, 2014 at 10:55

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If you bought the ticket directly from Lufthansa or some reputable website they will get you there. If you miss your connection, they will re-book you to the next available flight and may put you in a hotel overnight. If you have booked your ticket on some no-name website, this may be a problem.

45 minutes is awfully tight for a connection. Flights from DRS to MUC typically park out on the tarmac and you need to ride the bus to the terminal, which can be really slow. Make sure you notify the flight attendant that you have a tight connection so they can make sure you are getting on the first bus. More often than not there are two buses and the second bus needs to wait for the very last person to get off the plane no matter how slow they are and what item they forgot to take along.

LH typically flies an Airbus A330 from MUC to DEL. That's not a huge plane (200 people or so), so it boards pretty fast. Still boarding time will start even before you touch down, so this is a dicey proposition.

Your best bet is to call Lufthansa directly with your detailed information (ticket number, point of purchase, etc.) and ask them about your concerns. If they say it's cool, it's cool. If not, at least you don't get stranded at an airport.

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If you booked this connection at once, there is no reason to be concerned, Lufthansa will take care of you in any case and wouldn't sell it if they did not think it was doable. An earlier question on this site confirm it should be OK in Munich even if 45 min is obviously cutting it close. Luggage, check-in and, most likely, security inspection will be taken care of in Dresden and do not need to be done again in Munich. There are no customs inspections for carry-on on the way out. You will have to get through a border checkpoint to get a Schengen exit stamp.

If you booked this as two separate tickets, it's a different story.

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    I had a short layover once. I checked in online early to be on a seat at the front of the plane. They actually put me even more at the front when I showed up at the airport. I gained precious minutes getting off the plane.
    – Vince
    May 22, 2014 at 9:28
  • @Vince “Réservation” is the way it's called in French, it does exist in English but it's not very common. “Booking” would be good but “booked a booking” sounds awful so I prefer to go with “ticket”.
    – Relaxed
    May 22, 2014 at 9:31
  • @Annoyed that's why I didn't change for booking, but AFAIK, reservation is also used in English to mean the same (forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=758479, and some airlines use this word on their website and google shows results for booking also when typing reservation). And ticket sounds like a paper ticket which can be confused with two boarding passes.
    – Vince
    May 22, 2014 at 9:40
  • @Vince You might be right. I think "ticket" is OK, at least informally but I tried to sidestep the issue by changing the first sentence.
    – Relaxed
    May 22, 2014 at 10:48

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