My gosh, Lufthansa has really pimped its ride…
In this post:
Lufthansa’s first class transfer services
Lufthansa first class passengers get access to the carrier’s great first class lounges, including the Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, and the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich. In some situations you’ll be driven to or from your plane, which is always a treat:
- You get this whenever departing the Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, since it’s not otherwise connected to the airport terminal
- In both Frankfurt and Munich you’ll be picked up or dropped off at your plane if you’re connecting to or from first class, and arrive or depart at a remote stand
Unfortunately the experience isn’t always totally seamless. For example, you’ll never be driven to the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt, but rather only to one of the First Class Lounges. Furthermore, you typically won’t be driven to your plane from one of the First Class Lounges if you’re not departing from a remote stand (unless you’re departing from a different terminal, in which case you may be).
Typically these transfers happen either in a Porsche, or otherwise in a Volkswagen van (which, admittedly, is significantly less glamorous). Along those lines, my Lufthansa first class transfer service today was pretty special and caught me off guard…
Lufthansa celebrates 75 years of Porsche with special car
While I didn’t have the chance to check out the SWISS First Class Lounge Zurich, I did get a consolation prize. I arrived in Munich from Zurich on a Lufthansa CityLine CRJ-900, and as usual, that arrived at a remote stand.
I knew I’d get a car transfer, so I was wondering which car I’d get. Well, when I saw the car pull up, I figured I was hallucinating, or something. What is that?!?
As you’d expect, several passengers took pictures of it. As I deplaned, the flight attendant even told me (in German) that she had never seen that car before, and had to take a picture.
Once I got in the car, I asked the driver about it. As it turns out (I’m not a huge car person), Porsche is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and this car is intended to commemorate that. The driver told me that they’ve had the car for about a week, and it will be in Munich for a little bit longer, though he wasn’t sure for exactly how long, or what would happen to it next.
I see that this Porsche webpage references some colorful designs. I’m not sure if this is one of many cars like this, or if the paint job on this car is one-of-a-kind. Regardless, this is quite an eye-catching car. When we arrived at the First Class Lounge, I couldn’t help but take a few more pictures.
If you’re passing through Munich in the near future in Lufthansa first class, cross your fingers, because this may be your ride.
Bottom line
Lufthansa currently has a special colorful Porsche that’s being used for first class transfers at Munich Airport. This car is intended to celebrate Porsche’s 75th anniversary, and it’s a bit more out-there than Lufthansa’s typical black transfer cars.
What do you make of Lufthansa’s special Porsche? Anyone know the backstory?
There is the same car in Frankfurt or it was moved from Frankfurt to Munich. I had a ride on it on June 10th. At that time it has just arrived some days ago.
Yes, I saw this car in FRA on July 5 also.
Why no mention of the first Porsches? Iconic, and set the standard what was to come. The basic 356 form is what catapulted this marque to its current status.
That livery looks so painful in the eyes
Cue "Can You Picture That?!" from "The Muppet Movie".
apparaently Aeroplan removed all LH space from their site and Lifemiles has also taken down most of the available space so for the foreseeable future, United is the available option for redeeming LH let alone LH First
LH F is currently bookable on LifeMiles (and UA).
I mean you have no economy or business space on Aeroplan for LH - likley a glitch but it's been like this to close to a week
I'm actually a bit surprised they would do this. A lot of people flying F want privacy/do not want attention drawn to them, and as you point out, passengers and even the FA's stopped to take pictures of this. I think it's fun, but I can see it bothering a lot of people who do not want the attention.
"75th anniversary?" Pretty sure Porsche was founded in the early 1930s by the Third Reich, but I suppose LH is happy to gloss over those details.
You are mistaken Porsche for Volkswagen, although Ferdinand Porsche was the designer of both cars and the founder of Porsche, and although the Porsche-Piëch Family are the main owners of both companies today; they are not the same.
Looks like Porsche as a company was founded in 1931 but the first car was in 1948, hence the 75th anniversary celebrations... still, it feels a bit like revisionist history to pretend the history of Porsche began after WW2 when they haven't even bothered to change the name of the company named for a high-ranking Nazi SS member.
Colors like this are usually a vinyl wrap, not an actual paint job. Perfect for something that is only relevant for one year - then you take the wrap off.
Love AIR FRANCE
I wonder whether Air France La Premiere customers will have a similarly colourful Porsche at Charles de Gaulle
Lufthansa kart acquires a Starman, flies over the Swiss First Class lounge in Zurich
FRA has one too; I saw it a few weeks ago. I asked my assistant and she said it was painted that way to include a swatch of every color Porsche has used on their cars over the years. The implication being that LH has some sort of advertising/mutually beneficial relationship with Porsche and doesn't actually choose the cars they get.
I and my son flew from Frankfurt on June 27 and it was there! Sadly, it was not the car in which we were driven to the plane :( At least I took a fantastic shot of it with the plane engine in the background.
The window sticker in one of the pics reads "Lufthansa wishes Porsche all the best" so I'd imagine Lufthansa has some say. My guess is this is like the well wishes from Star Wars to Titanic "Congratulations on dethroning us in the box office" full page news ad in the late 90's. Just one marketing department geeking out over another (which is cute).