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Old Jul 29, 2013, 5:44 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: supine
Do I have entitlement to access the First Class Terminal (FCT) in FRA?
- Yes, if you are departing from FRA on a flight operated by LH/LX/OS, and at least one of the following is true:
  • The class of service on your departing flight from FRA is F.
  • You have arrived on a confirmed F segment on LH or LX metal, on the same day, even if the ticket of that F segment is different from the ticket of the segment from FRA.
  • You will be departing on a confirmed F segment on LH or LX metal, on the same day from a connecting station, and the ticket of that F segment is the same ticket as the segment from FRA. Separate tickets means you are not entitled to FCT access.
  • You hold HON status.
  • You are invited as a guest by someone who meets the above criteria, and you meet the requirements of a guest as discussed later in this FAQ.


But the LH website contradicts the above:"Access to the First Class Terminal at Frankfurt Airport is only possible with a confirmed same-day departing First Class flight on Lufthansa or SWISS. HON Circle Members may access the First Class Terminal with a same-day departing flight on Lufthansa, SWISS or Austrian Airlines. Access to the First Class Terminal is not permitted for arriving passengers."

- The above has been on the web site for some time, and does not appear to be the actual policy, as many here attest from personal experience.

What are the opening times of the FCT?
- 0530 to 2200 daily

Where is it located?
- About 200 metres to the west of Terminal 1

If arriving in FRA on a LH operated flight in F, will I get a car transfer from the arriving flight?
- Ordinarily, no. However, if you hold HON status, you're arriving / departing from an apron position and your onward flight is operated by LH / LX / OS, LH aims to send a car to meet you from your arriving aircraft. See for more info. NB If you do get the car service on arrival, you will be driven to the main arrivals area and not the FCT, as this does not offer immigration and customs facilities for inbound passengers.

How do I get to the FCT in FRA?
- The First Class Terminal at Frankfurt is located close to Terminal 1. You can reach it by car via the access road to Terminal 1: the entrance to the First Class Terminal is off this road, approximately 200 metres before you get to Terminal 1. When arriving on public transport, the First Class Terminal is only a few minutes’ walk from Terminal 1.

Locations of Lufthansa lounges at Frankfurt Airport

The FCT is a departure terminal/lounge and is not meant for transfer pax. Transfer pax can use the FCLs located in the main terminal building which offer the same amenities as the FCT. There is no transfer or shuttle to the FCT. You can walk to the FCT, though.

If on departure level take the escalator down to arrival, walk out of the terminal and turn left. You will pass the bus shuttles to the airport hotels and taxis. Cross the street - whilst waking under the access road above to departures - you will see taxi divers' coffee shop to the right - and more taxis parked to your left. You will see the First Class Terminal across the street. Cross the street in front of the coffee shop, turn right and the First Class Terminal is on your left. Go through the automatic doors and take the elevator to the main reception area.

Pictorial guide may be found here.

If the FCT is not meant to be a transfer lounge then why do some people use it as such?
- Aside from the experience, there are practical reasons for you to consider using the FCT for a connection:
  • If you have a long layover, the FCT will be less crowded than the FCL B (but more crowded than the even newer FCL A by A13).
  • If your connection requires clearing passport controls, it is faster to do it at the FCT where you will surrender your passport upon admittance and get it back moments before you are driven to your plane. Presumably if immigration has questions they will deal with it while you are lounging in the FCT versus waiting until you depart for your plane. Note that permanent residents of the USA who are heading back to the USA from FRA or a connecting airport should also surrender their green card, but gently but firmly request it be returned quickly. The German immigration people don't need your green card, and LH only needs it to enter into the passenger record, so there is no reason why your personal assistant cannot return it to you soon after.
  • You do not have to waste time walking from the FCL to a gate position that is potentially more distant from the lounge than your arriving gate, or worse yet, is actually a bus to a plane parked at an apron position in the middle of the tarmac. You will leave the FCT after boarding starts and a driver will take you to the plane wherever it is.
  • If your plane is parked at a jetway, you will be whisked to the front of the line of pax boarding in the jetway, saving even more time.
  • If your connection requires going through security, you are guaranteed to have a much faster and gentler screening at the FCT than going through security in the main terminals, and if you are carrying valuables, the FCT checkpoint eliminates all angst about theft or forgetting them.


How many guests am I permitted in the FCT?
- One, assuming a lower cabin class and that they will be travelling on the same flight as you. If they also are confirmed to travel in F, they too will be entitled to a guest, meeting the same criteria
- Anyone with a confirmed segment in F is also entitled to bring in their spouse/partner and/or children, provided they are departing on the same flight, irrespective of the cabin class they are travelling in

I’m arriving on LH/LX/OS C and departing TG/SQ/etc. F, do I get in to the F terminal?
- No, but you will have access LH Senator (Star Alliance Gold) Lounges which are designated as First Class Lounges for Star Alliance carriers.

I'm arriving on TG/SQ/etc. F and departing on LH, Swiss, Austrian C do I get in to the FCT?
- Not unless you hold HON status, otherwise you will have access LH Business Lounges unlesss you hold Star Alliance Gold status and access to LH Senator (Star Alliance Gold) Lounges. Certain airlines (e.g. SQ) have arrangements for arriving F passengers to access LH Senator Lounges regardless of their status.

I’m arriving on any carrier in any cabin class and departing same day on LH/LX F do I get in to the FCT?
- Yes.

I'm arriving on LH / LX F and departing same day on another carrier in any cabin class, will I have access to the FCT?
- Yes, if your onward flight is operated by LH, Swiss or Austrian Airlines Group. Otherwise, you will only have access to the LH First Class Lounges or (if eligible) the lounge of the airline operating your onward flight.

What is the minimum connect time between flights in order to use the FCT?
- 90 mins is recommended, however some have observed that 60 mins is acceptable, while others still have got away with just 20 mins. Bear in mind, if in transit, that you will need to factor in the time between arrival and departure

Do I need to tip the staff in the FCT?
- According to LH policy, FCT staff are not allowed to accept gratuities.

What's the food like in the FCT?
- Well above the standard of anything you might expect from any airline in the air, a cut above lounge food of any other airline and equivalent to a smart restaurant in any major city

VAT Refund
- Yes, but there is a $75 trip fee and CC refund only.

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The FRA F/HON First Class Terminal FCT FAQ

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Old Apr 9, 2014, 11:23 am
  #2881  
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
 
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HONs can guest pax who are not on the same flight, as long as the guest leaves when the HON leaves. F pax can guest only one adult pax on the same flight, occassionally the immediate family is allowed too.
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Old Apr 10, 2014, 4:16 am
  #2882  
 
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
HONs can guest pax who are not on the same flight, as long as the guest leaves when the HON leaves. F pax can guest only one adult pax on the same flight, occassionally the immediate family is allowed too.
Well I am a Hon but no luck with guests not on the same flight... especially in MUC
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Old Apr 18, 2014, 2:55 pm
  #2883  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
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So according to the FAQ in the first post, a 60 minute connection would be doable for using the FCT. Has anyone ever done this? I'll be arriving from Munich and connecting onward to New York in First. I know it's pushing it and I should probably just be happy using one of the FCLs but I really would like to see the FCT.
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Old Apr 18, 2014, 2:58 pm
  #2884  
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Originally Posted by luluv
So according to the FAQ in the first post, a 60 minute connection would be doable for using the FCT. Has anyone ever done this? I'll be arriving from Munich and connecting onward to New York in First. I know it's pushing it and I should probably just be happy using one of the FCLs but I really would like to see the FCT.
Did you check the sticky at the top of the page? Third question from the bottom.
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Old Apr 18, 2014, 3:46 pm
  #2885  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Originally Posted by luluv
So according to the FAQ in the first post, a 60 minute connection would be doable for using the FCT. Has anyone ever done this? I'll be arriving from Munich and connecting onward to New York in First. I know it's pushing it and I should probably just be happy using one of the FCLs but I really would like to see the FCT.
Just factor in that if you are on time (arriving in FRA), you still wont have 60 minutes. walking through the terminal can take as long as 10 minutes depending where you park. Then another 5-10 minute hike to FCT. Also consider the fact that the FCT staff gets you into your car 15-30 minutes before departure. So in essence you may not even have time to grab a handful of wasabe coated snacks or gummy bears and forget any chance at getting a duck!

If you leave on time from MUC you'll be early to FRA anyway since they build in a buffer into the timetable, so you might have a bigger time margin. If you are approaching 90 minutes, then certainly head to fct.
LufthansaFlyer is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2014, 5:13 pm
  #2886  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
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Thank you SFO777. I did note the answer in the FAQ as I mentioned in my post, unless I am looking at the wrong thing. I was just wondering if anyone had done it recently.

LufthansaFlyer, thank you for the advice. I'll cross my fingers for an early arrival from Munich.
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Old Apr 24, 2014, 10:38 pm
  #2887  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
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FCT / FCL access question

My experience has been that I often get conflicting info from airline employees, so I figured I'd get the DL from folks who are really in the know.

Here's my situation:

I have a flight in First from ORD to FRA and then Buisness from FRA to MXP (there's no FC on the FRA to MXP flight). Both flights are on Lufthansa. It's the evening flight so even though I would have just arrived, the date of arrival doesn't match the date of departure.

I've been reading that people have been able to access the FCL and FCT with situations like mine (and naturally if I have an option I would choose to experience it). However, when I read the access rules, it states that access is only for departing passengers in First. I just wanted to see if people who've gotten access have been lucky or if I haven't understood the rules completely.

Thanks!
KOng is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2014, 10:57 pm
  #2888  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
Posts: 3,298
Originally Posted by KOng
My experience has been that I often get conflicting info from airline employees, so I figured I'd get the DL from folks who are really in the know.

Here's my situation:

I have a flight in First from ORD to FRA and then Buisness from FRA to MXP (there's no FC on the FRA to MXP flight). Both flights are on Lufthansa. It's the evening flight so even though I would have just arrived, the date of arrival doesn't match the date of departure.

I've been reading that people have been able to access the FCL and FCT with situations like mine (and naturally if I have an option I would choose to experience it). However, when I read the access rules, it states that access is only for departing passengers in First. I just wanted to see if people who've gotten access have been lucky or if I haven't understood the rules completely.

Thanks!
As long as you arrive in FRA in LH F on the same day you are flying to MXP you can use FCT/FCL. Theres no luck to this, it's the policy.
LufthansaFlyer is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2014, 11:19 pm
  #2889  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Great, Thanks!

One of the members of my party called the First Class phone number to ask and was told that we would only be able to use the Senator or Business lounge.

Just another example of why wholly trusting airline reps can lead to missed opportunities.
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Old Apr 24, 2014, 11:28 pm
  #2890  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Posts: 3,298
Originally Posted by KOng
Great, Thanks!

One of the members of my party called the First Class phone number to ask and was told that we would only be able to use the Senator or Business lounge.

Just another example of why wholly trusting airline reps can lead to missed opportunities.
you mention WE now. are you both connecting to the mxp flight and arriving in LH F?
LufthansaFlyer is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2014, 11:35 pm
  #2891  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Yep. On the same flights in the same cabins.
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Old Apr 24, 2014, 11:43 pm
  #2892  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
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Originally Posted by KOng
Yep. On the same flights in the same cabins.
OK, because there are some minor variations to the policy if you are not on same departing flight from FRA and arrived in different classes on LH into FRA
LufthansaFlyer is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2014, 11:45 pm
  #2893  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Last time I arrived LH F in FRA, I used FCL while awaiting my J flight on LH to FCO.
747FC is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2014, 10:39 am
  #2894  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,465
I was flying BRU-FRA LH business, connecting same day to FRA-YVR LH first. BRU-FRA flight arrived at a bus gate, and I was met with a Porsche limo. Access to FCT.

I was flying YVR-MUC LH first, then overnight in MUC, and flying next day MUC-BKK TG first. I would think no access to MUC LH FCL because I arrived the day before, but still walked up and asked if I am at the right lounge. Was welcomed in with no questions.

echino is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2014, 11:06 pm
  #2895  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Originally Posted by echino
I was flying BRU-FRA LH business, connecting same day to FRA-YVR LH first. BRU-FRA flight arrived at a bus gate, and I was met with a Porsche limo. Access to FCT.

I was flying YVR-MUC LH first, then overnight in MUC, and flying next day MUC-BKK TG first. I would think no access to MUC LH FCL because I arrived the day before, but still walked up and asked if I am at the right lounge. Was welcomed in with no questions.

You used the MUC FCL on arrival, or on the next day when flying out on TG? (You should not have had access if the later;-)

Always much better to ride in a Porsche than in the bus...
sp4294 is offline  


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