My onward flight to ZRH wasn’t until 4:35pm. While some FTers would head directly to the FCT the second they step on European soil, I figured that 6 hours there would be overkill, especially since I had another 4 or so hours at the FCL at ZRH. One can only lounge so much.

Since I had to sacrifice a passport stamp box to enter the Schengen zone, I figured I’d head out into the area. I decided on Mainz, a town about 25 minutes away on the S8 S-Bahn.









I spent a bit of time in Mainz before hopping on a train back to the airport. As I exited the Flughafenbahnhof, I found myself at the infamous taxi queue that marks the path from the main terminal to the FCT. Left turn to the promised land!









I took the elevator up and walked into an empty foyer, perfect for some pictures. I approached the check-in desks, where the security agents saw me and called over a personal assistant. Christoph arrived, a bit flustered as he explained they were short-staffed today. He clickety-clackitied on the computer for a while, making me a bit nervous. With my luck, they probably changed the access rules that day. Or maybe LH converted to SHARES, too.

Turns out he was just making sure my bags had arrived at FRA and were tagged to HKG. “Okay, Mr. amolkold, your bags are safely in our hands. I can confirm you have access to the First Class Terminal today. Please follow me inside.”

More beautiful words have never been said.

And a more beautiful lounge I have yet to see. It actually looks smaller in person than it does in the pictures, but it’s still plenty large enough for the privileged few who have access to it. After check-in is the world’s friendliest security screening. They even carried my bags for me through to the lounge.

My personal assistant arrived with my boarding passes to HKG in a Lufthansa First Class jacket and asked if I wanted a tour of the lounge. I obliged, even though nothing was very new having read many TRs here.


Gotta love real ticket jackets ...

I asked to have a shower, since I hadn’t had one since L.A., and was given room #1, the one with the bathtub (and the waiting rubber ducky!).





After my shower, I had a wonderful lunch at the restaurant. What a way to dine. There are waiters who take orders, although most of the menu is available at a buffet table at the back.


Menu







Afterwards, some time in the comfortable chairs facing the main terminal. One negative about the FCT is that there are no tarmac views, but I guess they make up for the location with how they take you to the plane.





I also tried to figure out one thing to order from the extensive bar, and after a thorough survey, decided on a glass of cognac to accompany an hour in the relaxation chairs at the far corner of the FCT. Ahhh, this is the life. It’s so easy to forget you’re in an airport.





I was about to nod off to sleep, until my PA came by and said, “Mr. amolkold, your plane is ready to board. Please follow me to your car.” I have never tried so hard to contain childish giddiness.

I shared the car with a HON Circle flyer in Y. He asked if I’d ever been to Zürich – I had at a very young age, but explained today I was going to Hong Kong, leaving out details of how I was coming all the way from Los Angeles and eventually going to India.

The car ride is spectacular. And the fact that it was in a Mercedes S-Class made it even more unbelievable. You could cram me in the back of a FIAT and drive through an airport like that and it’d still be an amazing experience. Probably have more legroom than a CRJ, too.

The coolest way to approach a plane. Period.

After the car ride, the HON and I bemoaned our respective frequent-flyer programs. He was mad that Y fares will no longer count toward HON status. I guess when you get used to Mercedes rides to planes, it’s hard to let go.


Auf wiedersehen

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I've gotten a lot of PMs wondering how I got access to the FCT -- I explain it here.