Thanks to all for the info. We just returned yesterday on an award R/T (via UAL MP) in LH F, SFO-FRA-SFO, but learned about the F Terminal from a brochure we received at SFO check-in. Our only problem was in approaching Terminal 1 from the right road to reach the F Terminal access ramp. (When driving, you need to start on the Autobahn or a major highway so you can hit the T1 Departures loop; coming from a Kelsterbach hotel, where we stayed Monday night, it's easy to become disoriented on the surface roads.)

We were very impressed by the experience. Any stress associated with returning a rental car, checking bags, getting boarding passes, clearing security and passport control, and boarding the plane vanishes instantly when you open your car door in the F Terminal parking area and are approached by a smiling PA (who greets you and takes over your travel documents) and a rental return attendant, while several LH colleagues await inside to help with everything else. As others have described in this thread, service in the F Terminal is very gracious and the facility itself is soothing and comfortable, albeit in the slightly cool LH style.

(I tipped the rental return guy and our Cayenne driver -- please chime in if you think this is in poor taste.)

BTW, our 12-place F compartment (747-400) held only five pax including ourselves, and onboard meals and service were very good (as remarked elsewhere, '89 Henriot and '97 Comptes de Champagne don't hurt any either). When we arrived at SFO, our bags were the very first on the carousel, and we breezed through the local branches of State and Treasury, so yesterday's trip rates as the smoothest and most pleasant trans-Atlantic run I've ever had, start to finish. Now if we could only learn to pack less stuff...