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Lufthansa offers one of the more unique first class experiences with its First Class Terminal at the Frankfurt airport. The First Class Terminal is completely separate from the Frankfurt airport and is available exclusively to passengers flying Lufthansa First Class from Frankfurt, Germany. I recently had the opportunity to experience the Lufthansa First Class Terminal on a Lufthansa First Class flight from Frankfurt to Washington Dulles airport.
My flight departed from terminal 1 of the Frankfurt airport. The Lufthansa check-in process starts in the normal Lufthansa check in gate inside the Frankfurt airport. After receiving my ticket, the Lufthansa agent provided me with directions to the Lufthansa first class terminal.
Walking to the Terminal
The one downside of the First Class Terminal is that you have to walk down one level in the main airport and walk outside to the First Class Terminal. Luckily its right next door to the main airport terminal, but there are no signs pointing you in the right direction.
In total, the trip is a short ten minute walk. However, I made the trip in December when the walk outside included pretty cold weather. The Lufthansa gate agent informed me that in the past customers were offered car service directly to the First Class Terminal, but that service was cut back. Even though the walk is short, car service directly to the First Class Terminal would greatly limit uncertainty about getting to the right building and walking in the right entrance.
I could clearly see the First Class Terminal and walked in its direction. The ground floor entrance to the terminal included a closed gate by the entrance from the road and a warning sign about trespassing. I could see what looked like the main entrance one level above me, but I didn’t see any direct route to the 2nd level entrance.
Finding the Right Entrance
The Lufthansa gate agent was very clear that the airport didn’t want customers to walk over at the street level, so I assumed there had to be an entrance on the ground level. As I wondered whether I should just enter the door with the no trespassing sign, the cold wind picked up which encouraged me to just try it and plead ignorance if it set off some kind of security alarm.
It turned out to the be correct entrance as no alarms went off and I walked in to an elevator which took me up to the main level. The lack of a clear sign at the lower level ground floor entrance was really the only improvement I could suggest of what turned out to be a really phenomenal experience.
Inside Terminal
On the main floor, I was greeted by my personal concierge. All passengers of the First Class Terminal receive a dedicated concierge that handles all logistics for you inside the terminal. The first stop for me was the airport security gate.
Passengers in the First Class Terminal go through a separate security gate inside the First Class Terminal instead of the normal security process inside the main airport terminal. I was the only person in line. The security process took less than 2 minutes. It was by far, the most pleasant experience I’ve encountered when going through airport security.
After going through security, my concierge took my passport for processing and let me know that she would grab me from the lounge when it was time to board the Lufthansa flight. Customers leaving the First Class Terminal actually get chauffeured directly to the Lufthansa flight in a Mercedes.
Details
- Location: Frankfurt Airport next to terminal 1.
- Hours: 5:30am to 10pm.
- Access: Customers flying Lufthansa first class and departing from the Frankfurt airport.
- How I accessed: Lufthansa first class flight from Frankfurt Germany to Washington DC.
Layout
The First Class Terminal lounge occupies a single floor inside the terminal. The design of the lounge includes an upscale, yet minimalist feel with an open floor design and wood paneled accenting around the room. The lounge offers more than enough space yet is much smaller than some of the larger middle eastern first class lounges I’ve visited like the Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai and the Etihad First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi.
Outside Views During Winter
Some of the notable amenities available inside the lounge include:
- Full sized restaurant and bar with on demand food and drink service.
- Cigar Lounge.
- Shower and bath facilities.
- Office units with phone, computer, and internet access.
- Private nap rooms staffed by an attendant.
- Plenty of comfortable seating spread out in areas through out the lounge fully staffed for food and drink service.
Office Space
Nap Rooms
Bar & Restaurant
After settling into the lounge, the first stop was inside the restaurant for breakfast. The menu items were listed in both English and German.
Light Options
- Freshly squeezed fruit juices – orange, kiwi pineapple, grapefruit, carrot
- Smoothies – banana, lemon, strawberry, mango
- Coffee / Tea / Hot Chocolate
- Fruit / Yogurt / Cereals – fresh fruit, home made yogurt, muesli, selection of cereals, and granola
- Dried Fruit / Nuts – banana chips, apricots, raisins, cranberries, figs, dates, almonds, wasabi bouls
- Homemade Confitures / Honey – apricot, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, nutella, honey
Standard Breakfast Options
- Ham & Cheese – smoked farmer ham, bresaola, and spanish fuet.
- Scottish Smoked Salmon – horseradish cream, cream cheese, toast, and bagel.
- Free Range Eggs – scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, ham & eggs, poached eggs benedict, fried eggs, and omelette
- Meats – Bacon, grilled ham, sausages, baked beans, and roasted potatoes.
- Asian Breakfast – spring rolls, dim sum, and miso soup.
- Breads – white bread, brown bread, toast, croissants, and danish pastries.
- Waffles – maple syrup and pickled fruit.
- Pancakes – plain, raisin, redcurrant, and maple syrup.
What I Ordered
Both the meal and service inside the lounge were excellent. I would have loved to stay for dinner but you only have a few hours inside the lounge before your flight.
Showers
Shower facilities were available inside the lounge for use prior to your flight. The showers were located in the back corner of the lounge next to the restaurant and nap rooms. If you wanted to use the showers, you just needed to make an appointment with the attendant stationed at the back of the lounge. I didn’t have time to take a shower, but I did walk through the area to see what it looked like.
The shower facilities were designed like something in a high end spa and were kept in immaculate condition. The facilities were cleaned immediately after each use.
Cigar Lounge
The cigar lounge as located next to the restaurant. The lounge included a self service bar, but you needed to bring your own cigars to the lounge. When I asked about the lack of cigars, I was told they used to be available in the past but not anymore. Both the Emirates and Etihad first class lounges included free cigars in their lounges.
Using the Car Service
My concierge found me inside the lounge around 20 minutes before boarding the flight started. She escorted me downstairs in the elevator to the passport station. The attendant returned my passport and I was ready to be taken directly to my flight in a Mercedes. Even though its a short, five minute ride, I enjoyed the service almost as much at the Etihad Chauffeur Service.
Final Thoughts
The Lufthansa First Class Terminal offers a really unique, exclusive experience. It’s probably the closest thing you can get to the experience of flying like a dignitary or VIP. The food, service, and the lounge experience were all amazing, but what I really loved was the ability to go through a different, much more civilized security line with a personalized concierge that took care of your passport details and coordinated your chauffeur directly to the flight.
The Lufthansa First Class Terminal doesn’t offer the same degree of showy excess like the Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai and the Etihad First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi. However, you do get a really unique service in a modern upscale lounge facility that offers a far better experience than standard domestic and business class airline lounges.
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