One of the big drawcards of flying Lufthansa first class is the option of visiting the well renowned Lufthansa first class terminal in Frankfurt. You might be thinking “why are you calling it a terminal, isn’t it just a lounge?”. The answer is no, Lufthansa has an entire first class terminal in Frankfurt which is in a separate location to the main passenger terminal.
In this post:
- How to Reach The Lufthansa First Class Terminal
- Lufthansa First Class Lounge Access Rules
- Lufthansa First Class Terminal Entrance
- Lufthansa First Class Personal Assistant
- Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt Airport
- FCT Shower & Bath Facilities
- FCT Dining & Drinks
- Lufthansa Day-Rooms At FCT
- Lufthansa Porsche Transfer
- Lufthansa First Class Terminal Conclusion
How to Reach The Lufthansa First Class Terminal
The Lufthansa first class terminal is designed with departing passengers in mind. You can drive there, jump out of the car and be inside and through security within minutes. Completely bypassing all those pesky ‘common folk’ you may find in the main terminal.
This has a slight downside if you have a connecting flight (in which case you’re entitled to use the first class terminal/lounge), it means you have to exit the main terminal, clear immigration and customs and go outside the terminal building.
From there it’s a short 5-minute walk to the left (it doesn’t matter where you exit the terminal, the first class terminal will be on your left-hand side). It’s not entirely evident since there is no signage, but you can’t miss it if you keep walking left.
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Access Rules
Lufthansa only offers access to passengers who arrive or depart with either Lufthansa or Swiss in first class (same day) — flying first class with another carrier such as Singapore Airlines? Tough luck, you’re not invited! The lounge is also open to HON Circle passengers in any class and travelling with any Star Alliance partner or codeshare flights. HON Circle is the highest status tier of Lufthansa’s Miles & More program and requires a lot of paid business and first class travel to unlock.
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Entrance
The Lufthansa FCT (first class terminal) in Frankfurt has 2 entrances, one where you can drive up and one downstairs.The downstairs entrance will be the one you reach first when walking from the main terminal building. There’s no one at the entrance, but an elevator will take you up to the main level of the FCT .
Lufthansa First Class Personal Assistant
Upon entering the main level of the FCT, passengers are greeted by one of the personal assistants. Every single passenger or group of travellers have a dedicated P.A. who’s in charge of getting you inside the lounge and to your flight on time. The P.A. will take your passport, and you won’t see it again until it’s time to leave.If you’re new to the lounge, they are happy to give you a quick tour of the facilities before leaving you to it.
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt Airport
Once through security, there’s a duty-free shop to the left and the lounge entrance in front. At the entrance, you can check the time and pick out any magazines from the huge collection on offer.
The first-class lounge inside the FCT consists of a bar area, dining area, a variety of seating spots and a cigar lounge.
Towards the right, you will find 2 day rooms which are available on a first-come first-serve basis and all the way to the end are the bathroom and shower facilities.
The whole lounge isn’t actually that big; by comparison, the Emirates first class lounge in Dubai is probably 4 times as big as the Lufthansa FCT.When I arrived it was pretty quiet, but this soon changed and around 8-9 AM the lounge was pretty crowded.
Turn left at the lounge entrance, and you will find some workrooms where you can access a computer and take calls behind a closed door.
Further down is also an area with recliner chairs and blankets if you want to put your feet up
FCT Shower & Bath Facilities
One of the main reason people visit the Lufthansa FCT is to secure one of the iconic FCT ducks. You will always get one when you request a shower or bath suite, and they’re also placed in the day-rooms.
Since I arrived around 6 AM from my Lufthansa A380 first class flight, I was looking forward to soaking in the bathtub for a while.
Whilst the facilities were incredibly clean and well stocked with everything you might need, including bathrobes, the actual bath stopper was missing from the drain, so I just had a shower instead.
FCT Dining & Drinks
By the time I got out of the shower, the dining area was full. Most of the food on offer is from a buffet but passengers can also order some a-la-carte items. Compared to the Swiss first class lounge food offering, Lufthansa FCT is no match although the pretzels are good!
The thing that surprised me the most about the lounge is the drinks menu. It’s extensive, to say the least. Why have 1 brand of water on offer…when you can have 14! Champagne? Take your pick of Bollinger Special Cuvee, Hedriard Brut, Louis Roederer Premier or Rose. If that’s not good enough, there’s also a Prosecco from Treviso (Italy) on the cards.
The drinks menu is a whopping 22 pages long, so it’s very unlikely you will be unimpressed with what’s on offer.
I’ve made a PDF to show the full menu, you can click here to view it.
Lufthansa Day-Rooms At FCT
The lounge has 2 day-rooms with a double bed (not a queen, and definitely not a king) plenty of power plugs to charge your devices and that’s about it. Unlike the magnificent Swiss First Class lounge day-room in Zurich, these rooms have no views, and while the bed is comfortable, it’s not a $20,000 Hastens bed. Apart from that, they do serve their purpose so grab one if you have a long stopover and need a nap.
Lufthansa Porsche Transfer
I’m not sure what’s more iconic, the Porsche transfer or the LCT ducks? In any case, since the Lufthansa FCT is completely separate from the main terminal, the only way to get to your flight is by private transport. When boarding starts, the P.A. that took your passport upon entry will come and fetch you and bring you to the car.
There’s an elevator that takes you downstairs where the FCT Porsches are parked up. Your passport has already been pre-delivered to the immigration officer on duty who needs a visual inspection before you jump in the car and get driven to your aircraft.
If you’re somewhat into aeroplanes, this is a very cool experience. Unlike the Swiss limo transfer, which is mostly underground, Lufthansa’s Porsche transfer gets you right up close to the big birds while your driver navigates the tarmac.
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Conclusion
While the Lufthansa FCT is nothing compared to what Swiss offers in Zurich, it’s still a great lounge with excellent facilities. When it comes to service, it’s an odd situation. There seemed to be waitstaff who look after the catering and then there was the Lufthansa staff (concierge, personal assistants etc.). Service from the Lufthansa staff was perfect, but the waitstaff seemed rushed and indifferent when it came to service. From what I could tell, there was a shortage in waitstaff because tables in the dining table remained full of plates for ages.
Apart from this, the FCT is a fantastic facility, and it’s definitely worth it to arrive a bit early, so you can sample some beverages before your drive to the plane!
