As I explained in the last installment, my Austrian flight arrived at a gate rather than at a remote stand. Usually that would be a good thing, but when you’re connecting to Lufthansa first class, you’d get picked up in a car and driven to the lounge if you arrived at a remote stand, while…
Continue reading: Review: Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Why didn't you include a picture of the lacquered red meat slicer near the buffet display?
Thanks for the cigar lounge and cabinet photos! I'd be interested in seeing the EK F lounge selection in DXB next time you pass through!
I've had about a half dozen experiences with the F class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich in the last few months. In general, I far prefer Munich in no small part because of having the immigration officer available for EU arrivals (which doesn't seem to be on offer in Frankfurt). Also, I do find the first class terminal at FRA to somewhat more attentive than the 'regular' First Class lounges in the airport.
I'm surprised that you actually waited behind dozens of other passengers for boarding. Although LH does not have a separate boarding area for F class passengers (in my experience they have often offered a lounge-to-plane escort which makes that line moot...at least at foreign airports), they clearly have a 'front-of-line' policy. Just flash the red boarding card jacket and a LH staff member will quite literally 'part the seas'.
I was just at the FCT in FRA this morning. My wife and I were driven to the plane in a brand new s-class. This was after a relaxing bath and scotch tasting. That was tough to beat! What really surprised me was that we were whisked off the plane here in Dulles and driven to customs/immigration along with the one other F passenger where they opened up a back door and got us thru in minutes. Overall a great experience! Now I'm just sitting in the Senator lounge waiting for the flight back to MSP.
It seems your experience was at the F Class lounge in Concourse A. That being the case the lack of service - or lackluster service as you called it - seems endemic at this lounge. The experience in teh F Class lounge in Concourse B lives up to the high standards of the FCT as well as the F Class lounge in MUC. Its something that can, and should, be addressed by LH. The boarding experience when not being escorted by limousine is not pleasant when accessing the plane from the terminal BUT (a) did you get there after boarding had already commenced? If so you can't blame the ground staff. (b) if you DID get there prior to commencement of boarding and identified yourself to one of the agents you would get priority boarding (after Families with children, those needing assistance and HON members!) Though after that, once LH announces boarding for F they also seem to announce Star Alliance Gold, Senator, and sometimes even Business. They could do a better job of separation at that juncture.
Are you sure the cigars are for sale? I have never taken advantage of that, but my understanding was they were complimentary. On the face of it, I wouldn't make sense you can merrily pour yourself unlimited expensive scotch and cognac and then have to pay for a cigar. Maybe smoking laws require a charge for the cigars.