Help with flight decisions

[TikiIslandGirl]

Hello, booked flights into Luxembourg via Frankfurt with United points almost a year ago (flight to frankfurt is on Lufthansa and flight to Luxembourg is on Air Dolomiti). Originally had a 4.5 hour layover in Frankfurt which was good-but somewhere along the way they changed it to a 65 minute connection-which I'm not good with. I have been reading about the Frankfurt airport and have flown out once from there (didn't connect). My mother is 79 and I can't just drag her and run to get to our flight.  So I'm exploring my options. I called United and since it was changed I can have one free change. So I was told there aren't any flights from Frankfurt to Luxembourg on the same day (I looked there is-but 9 hour layover). But I can fly into Frankfurt landing on 9/2 and overnight and catch a flight on 9/3 to Luxembourg at 0655-arriving at 0735 (and the flight would actually be on Lufthansa CityLine. I would be getting on a Avalon River Cruise on 9/3. I always have flown in the day or days before a cruise-but the flight is within Europe and short. Tried to ask about checked luggage and the 22 hour connection-but the agent said since it's 10 hours they would keep it. Confused on that. Anyone know if we would pick up luggage and recheck in the morning or would Lufthansa hold it??

 

Second option is to fly to frankfurt and catch the train into Luxembourg from the Frankfurt airport. 4.5 train ride with a connection in Kloblanz. Than would have to take the bus to the hotel. Would also then bus from the hotel to Remich-where if we fly into Luxembourg on the day of the cruise then could just get Avalon to pick us up and take us to the boat. 

 

My first thought would be to overnight in frankfurt and take the plane to Luxembourg-but of all the cruising I have done I have never flown in the same day. That's my only hesitation-along with my bag not getting to Luxembourg with me and having no wiggle room to get it before leaving on the cruise. Any thoughts???
 

 

[Gourmet Gal]

Is there another airline you can switch to completely?  Is there another hub you can fly through besides FRA?  Otherwise, the train ride is the same length as your original (long) layover and not much trouble compared with navigating FRA.  Why do you have to take a bus from the train station to hotel in Luxembourg? Why not just Uber?  Same with Hotel to pier…why bus?

[texasstar]

Another thought since your mother is 79.  Request a wheelchair for her.  They will wisk her to where you need to be.  In JFK, one time, my husband had to have a wheelchair because of a foot issue.  They took us on "secret passageways" and took us to the front of the line.  Is that a doable connection if all goes well?

 

[TikiIslandGirl]

31 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Is there another airline you can switch to completely?  Is there another hub you can fly through besides FRA?  Otherwise, the train ride is the same length as your original (long) layover and not much trouble compared with navigating FRA.  Why do you have to take a bus from the train station to hotel in Luxembourg? Why not just Uber?  Same with Hotel to pier…why bus?

I booked with points with United. I've looked at other hubs but I'm meeting my mother and niece and they live in a rural area and not much choice of flights (they are actually flying Southwest Airlines from lubbock to Austin to catch the flight to Europe). Unless I can get wifi at the train station in Luxembourg trying to use cell service-figured just catch a bus. I have asked here about transportation from the hotel in Luxembourg to remich here but didn't get any response. I posted same question on Tripadvisor-had a local say it would be $100 plus for a taxi (and hard to get private transfers)-so looked at the bus schedule to figure out how to get to the pier

[TikiIslandGirl]

21 minutes ago, texasstar said:

Another thought since your mother is 79.  Request a wheelchair for her.  They will wisk her to where you need to be.  In JFK, one time, my husband had to have a wheelchair because of a foot issue.  They took us on "secret passageways" and took us to the front of the line.  Is that a doable connection if all goes well?

 

It's a doable connection if all goes well-but can't rely on airlines anymore. I fly for work all the time and since covid restrictions are over it's been horrible-seems like I always have delayed connections and packed airports-so have resorted to direct flights and drive the rest of the way to my destination. So I'm just plan for the worst. Adding to the international aspect and the end destination is Luxembourg which doesn't have as much flexibility getting there

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, TikiIslandGirl said:

Unless I can get wifi at the train station in Luxembourg trying to use cell service-figured just catch a bus.

I'm sure that you can just get a taxi at the train station to take you to your hotel.