jacob_m

Check-in in Frankfurt

I was completely exhausted when I arrived in Frankfurt after a very long week and had a really good night’s sleep in the very comfortable bed at the Mercure hotel.
At 7 am my alarm clock went off and I barely made it to the 7.35 am bus back to the airport.
With all that was to come during the day I definitely couldn’t be bothered about the hotel breakfast (and it wasn’t included in the rate anyway).

At Frankfurt airport Lufthansa has a separate first class check-in area located at the far end of the large departure hall in terminal 1. It is in fact a separate room.
There were five check-in desks open, all with red carpets. Inside the check-in area there is also a separate ticket desk for rebookings, ticket matters etc.

I was quickly checked in by a very friendly young woman. She was extremely polite and also did a very proper job with the check-in process making sure every part of it was done correctly.
A very nice start to my Lufthansa first class experience!

My suitcase was tagged as requested and a blue and red HON priority tag was attached accordingly to indicate my suitcase should get the highest priority.
My boarding passes were placed in a nice red and silver first class boarding class folder.



Adjacent to the first class check-in area there is also a separate fast track security control.
It was very quick, no wait whatsoever and I was through within two minutes.

Lufthansa First Class Lounge, Frankfurt A-pier

My flight was not leaving until noon, and it was now just before 8 am.
This was obviously intentional and gave me plenty of time to try out the first class facilities in Frankfurt, the first stop being the Lufthansa first class lounge in the A-pier.
The lounge is located on the upper floor of the A-pier and the escalator to get there is right opposite the Lufthansa business/Senator lounge at gate A26.

I was starting to feel pretty hungry as I had not eaten anything whatsoever yet, so I was very much looking forward to a long relaxed breakfast in the first class lounge.



I was very excited when I arrived at the entrance to the first class lounge in the A-pier, right next to the passport control to get to the non-Schengen zone of the A-pier.
Two very friendly women greeted me at the reception desk inside the lounge. Seeing my first class folder it was not too hard to figure out I was entitled to go inside.
They registered me in the computer and also double-checked the gate for the flight, in case there had been any changes.



The lounge was surprisingly busy, busy for a first class lounge that is.
I guess most people inside had arrived on longhaul flights from Asia and the Americas and were now waiting for their connecting flights to destinations around Europe.
Still the lounge was far from crowded and there was plenty of space and empty seats.

The lounge is divided into different areas with proper lounge armchairs by the windows facing the apron, while at the entrance next to the bar there are bar chairs you can use if you just want to have a quick drink or get some work done.
There is also a cigar lounge, resting rooms, and of course shower/bathing facilities (which I have yet to try some other time).

By the entrance there is an excellent selection of reading material, especially the selection of magazines was quite impressive. I found plenty of nice travel magazines to read for example.



The bar in the lounge is most extensive with an impressive selection of wine, champagne, beer, spirits, and most importantly, a fabulous selection of whiskies.
Lounge attendants regularly tour the lounge to take drink orders and all hot drinks ordered by guests dining in the restaurant are prepared at the bar (and of course other drinks as well if you want something particular to drink later during the day).



The restaurant

The first class lounge has an excellent restaurant with a marvellous selection of fresh food.
Breakfast in the morning and hot food and cold cuts later during the day.
Although most drinks are available at the bar in the main lounge there is also a small trolley in the restaurant with several bottles of wine.

There are eight tables in the restaurant and most of them provide an excellent view of the apron and the two main runways through the large windows.



The lounge food is available for self-service at the buffet and lounge attendants regularly keep an eye on the buffet to make sure it is tidy and that the food is kept fresh.



All tables are beautifully decorated with white linen, napkins, flowers and a bowl with chilled still and sparkling water.



The breakfast buffet

The selection of food is incredibly extensive and a menu of the offerings is available at every table.

Here is the menu for the breakfast buffet:


Hot food


Pastries, muffins, pancakes, vegetables with dip and cold cuts


Selection of cheeses


Fresh fruits, yoghurts, muesli and some of the fresh fruit juices

A fabulous breakfast

I had a seat at one of the tables by the window and spent over an hour having a nice and relaxed breakfast while watching the action on the apron.
Just wonderful!



A lounge attendant passed to take drink orders and I asked for a cup of strong freshly made black coffee. Very tasty!
A refill was later arranged!

The food was just great! Very fresh and very tasty! There were plenty of nice options and it all looked very appetising. I could have eaten far more than I did...



There was lots of traffic on the apron, the time period between 8 am and 9 am must be one of the busiest times of the day at Frankfurt airport.
An endless number of planes arrive from both longhaul and shorthaul destinations while a fair number of widebodies were towed from remote stands to the terminal in preparation for longhaul morning departures.



I spent about 1˝ hour in the lounge and enjoyed every minute of it.

Verdict

The Lufthansa first class lounge is a truly fabulous place, easily one of the best lounges around! ^
Great facilities, a very attractive restaurant, wonderful food and drinks, great view, excellent selection of reading material (especially magazines) and really nice staff.



Next: A visit to the Lufthansa first class terminal in Frankfurt