The airline world is continuing to heal…
Lufthansa FCT Frankfurt reopens as of today
The Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt has reopened as of today (September 1, 2021). For context, this special lounge closed at the beginning of the pandemic, so it was shut for nearly 18 months. Lufthansa has been taking a gradual approach towards reopening lounges — the First Class Lounge Frankfurt reopened as of June 1 (and has now been closed again, more on that below), and the First Class Lounge Munich reopened as of July 1.
The First Class Terminal offers Lufthansa’s absolute best first class ground experience, and I consider it to be the second best lounge in the world, after the Air France La Premiere Lounge Paris.
For those who haven’t been in the First Class Terminal, it’s completely separate from the rest of the airport, so customers can pull up to the First Class Terminal, and skip the normal terminal entirely. After clearing a private security checkpoint, you can enjoy the lounge’s amenities, ranging from a la carte dining, to nap rooms, to a cigar bar, to bathtubs, to private offices. Then when it’s time to board, passengers are driven to their plane by car.
The reopening of the First Class Terminal also represents the resumption of Lufthansa’s ground transfers for first class passengers. Up until now these haven’t even been available from other lounge locations.
The First Class Terminal can be accessed by Lufthansa first class and SWISS first class passengers, as well as Lufthansa’s top-tier HON Circle members. I would imagine the lounge will be about as quiet as it has ever been, given Lufthansa’s significantly scaled back first class network, as well as reduced business travel (most HON Circle members are business travelers).
Lufthansa’s special coronavirus duck
Lufthansa has made rubber ducks a fun part of its first class experience. Specifically, Lufthansa has long had rubber ducks in its First Class Lounges. These are gifts for passengers — they’re typically placed near the bathtubs in the shower suites, or you can just ask one of the shower room attendants, and they’ll give you one.
Over time these have become collector’s items, and the airline has really embraced this. We’ve seen dozens of limited edition ones over the years, reflecting the seasons (like Christmas ducks) or special events (like Oktoberfest).
With the First Class Terminal reopening, Lufthansa has today also released a new “very limited edition” duck. FlyerTalk member Surface Interval has the first picture of the duck. Lufthansa’s newest duck is coronavirus-themed, and it’s wearing a face mask and has some hand sanitizer as well.
OMG this is amazing, and I’m only slightly kidding when I say I’m tempted to book a Lufthansa first class ticket to be able to pick one of these up. I need to add it to my collection.
Lufthansa FCL Frankfurt closes as of today
As I mentioned above, the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt reopened as of June 1, 2021. That lounge will be closing again as of today, September 1, 2021. In other words, the Lufthansa First Class Terminal will be replacing the Lufthansa First Class Lounge. However, the Lufthansa Senator Lounge in the B Concourse will have a sectioned off area for first class passengers, which is better than nothing.
What are the implications of this?
- The First Class Terminal is always the best option for those originating in Frankfurt, since it’s totally separate from the terminal
- Those in transit in Frankfurt will have the option of going to the first class section of the Senator Lounge, or can walk on their own to the First Class Terminal; this requires going through immigration, so could cause problems for some, given complicated entry requirements
I imagine first class demand is still very limited, so I can’t fault Lufthansa for not being able to justify keeping both lounges open. I’d say this arrangement is significantly better than the previous one.
Bottom line
The Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt has reopened as of today (September 1, 2021). This is an exciting development, given how long the lounge has been closed for. Lufthansa enthusiasts will also love the awesome new limited edition duck that has been introduced in light of the times.
Unfortunately Lufthansa has closed the First Class Lounge Frankfurt, which isn’t ideal for transit passengers, but I’d still consider this to be a net win. I think visiting this lounge in the coming months should be about as good as it gets, as I’d bet the FCT hasn’t been this empty in many, many years.
Anyone planning on visiting the Lufthansa First Class Terminal soon?
(Tip of the hat to SINJim)
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