What's interesting is that it's an alternative for foreign airlines that don't have great ground experience, at premium outstations. As an example, compare LAX-MXP and think of how would AF's full F package compare to LX or LH factoring in the net fare difference of about 4k in favor of AF's competitors.
Finally the review ive been waiting for!!! so glad you had a great time at PS, Ben!! cant wait to read the full review. it truly is amazing what they've created
What rubs me the wrong way is the 3 hours limit. At that price tag? Come on. What if your meeting or whatever ends earlier than that? I'd doesn't seem like the lounge has no capacity to accommodate 5 more people who may arrive a bit earlier.
My usual point of departure is FRA. Flying LH first international you check in at the FCT. Leave keys with valet,or arrive in taxi. Walk inside, hand your tickets and passport to an agent, hand in luggage to be tagged(next seen upon arrival), walk through security and are escorted through the lounge and shown seating area, dining area, showers and sleeping area. As far as I know, there is no time limit. I have been in as long 5 hours due to connecting flight. Food and wine is very good.
When it is time to board, the agent will come and get you and take you to elevator, to go down to ground level. Immigration checks your ticket and hands you back your passport. And then wisked to your plane.
For all international flights on LH and Swissair. Also available for Econ and buness for Hon Circle members. This has been around for more than 20 years. And there is no charge for admission.
When the price of admission comes close to the price of an FC ticket, I doubt its sanity. After all, the really "important" people don't want to talk to you anyway. Now if it was 1990, I would make an exception!
@alanz Aww, thanks! I'm yet to experience it, but I appreciate your overview and endorsement, as well as Ben's review ( https://onemileatatime.com/reviews/lufthansa-first-class-terminal-frankfurt/).
And if LAX, Miami, and the other locations had such a facility, then this wouldn't be a thing. But most airports don't have a facility such as the FCT, or if they do it is only for people flying one or two specific airlines.
Does one "tip" at a facility like P/S?
I think I get one free visit as an AA CK. I've got no plans through the end of the year to be in or connect through LAX but if I do I'd check it out, assuming I have sufficient time, for the car ride. Lounges per se do not excite me. They are more utility to me.
Silly.
If I want a restaurant quality meal, I'll go to a nice restaurant.
Why bundle restaurant and airport experience?
The purpose of a lounge is to make waiting tolerable where variance in traffic/transit/security times makes it necessary to get there early enough to assure not missing the flight, but schlepping to the opposite side of an airport then needing to arrange additional time to then get schlepped back to where the airplanes are? Madness.
They drive you across the tarmac directly to your plane. The additional time needed is maybe 10 minutes.
It only has this potential because LAX is a over crowded hellhole
It only has this potential because LAX is a over crowded hellhole
Thsnks for the review.
Any wine list? What brand was the champagne?
Presumably Ben will do a full review in the not too distant future. He usually gives us his quick thoughts while he's on the trip, and then once he returns does a very detailed review of the lounges, flights, and hotels.
All of this “luxury” around lounges is confusing….people with real money are not purposefully arriving early at the airport to enjoy the lounge…I assume their time is much more valuable than that…so at a certain point all this so-called luxury is counter-productive
So... "people with real money" are a monolith, know exactly what they want, never waste any money and time... OR, those that can afford such luxury are people, too, with many of the same imperfections, and can often be wasteful, petty, and nonsensical at times, like anyone else (only difference being that they have more money).
Would I do this for $13? Sure. If I was 100× richer (which wouldn't get me any notice), this would effectively just $13 to me. But would I plop down the $1300 then? As best I can speculate, I'd have trouble with that. Minds are a funny thing, even little ones like mine.
I love the idea of this, I get 2x free visits a year from Amex which I have yet to use as I've not had a flight through an airport serviced by PS, except DFW and they havent finished their contract with Delta yet so....couldnt use it. I very much want to try it but its tough if your MSP based -_ -
This is awesome, nice one Lucky!
For a special trip leaving from Atlanta the lounge choices are awful -- doesn't matter which airline. You can go to a skyclub (Sky team) which isn't special, but is fine if it's not packed, a particularly nasty contract lounge (One world, because the AA lounge which is at the opposite end of the airport closes at 8:30pm and Star Alliance as the United lounge is right by the AA lounge and closes at 9pm.) or an overcrowded Centurion lounge.
I'm seriously considering PS for my wife's 60th birthday trip to have a nicer start to the trip. The whole trip will be a splurge and we could afford to do it once.
Harder to justify someplace like LAX where TBT has some very nice lounges, although quality does vary depending on alliance.