Shofar

I am overnighting in FRA and continuing in morning to SFO in F.

Does this sound right:
Hotel curtesy bus to Terminal A.
Terminal A F class checking and request for transfer to FCT.

Does the FCT security include all extra USA security?

Then drive direct to plane.

Thanks for your help,

Shofar

SmilingBoy

That's all perfect. Except that I would ask the hotel courtesy bus to drop you off at the FCT. If they decline, I would rather walk from the drop-off point to the FCT than to ask to be driven. IIRC, the drop-off point is already somewhat in the direction towards the FCT.

SmilingBoy.

SleepOverGreenland

Depending on size of the bus this might not be a good idea. The curbside turnaround is pretty small and having lot of cars parked there (pretty common in morning hours) the bus may get stuck. However, stopping briefly in front of the FCT entry/exit ramp and kick one out may work and may only result in a short chorus of horns.

Shofar

I don't know if direct to FCT will work for me as I will have 2 bags to check in too.

If they can drop me direct without the quick kick off it might work. Or maybe a taxi ride from Steigenberger will do the trick.

Shofar

SleepOverGreenland

A taxi ride will do the trick for sure and might be 10-15 EUR only. However, you may ask the Steigenberger concierge service about a direct FCT transfer . They may have some VAN in stock and still provide this special service to a valued guest. Just ask early enough in order to allow them to be prepared.

2035

Personally I would just pick up a trolley (always plenty) at the hotel drop-off point (at A) and walk to the FCT lower level, past the taxi rank. It is no further than the A checkin and there is no escalators etc. There is a footpath all the way, and it is only a few minutes walk. You ring the bell at the FCT lower level and someone will come and meet you.

pinniped

Used the FCT both ways on my Germany trip last week - all I can say is wow. Phenominal service all around!

When I arrived at FRA from IAD, I made my way out to the F check-in and asked for a ride to the FCT. Since it was raining outside and I wasn't quite oriented at the time, I didn't want to walk and risk getting lost. There is a pleasant waiting area with leather chairs and such - the van driver showed up about 10 minutes later.

On the way back, I checked by bag in Terminal A (having walked over from the Sheraton where I was staying) and walked to the FCT. Walking is definitely faster once you are oriented and know the way. Best bet is to walk on the lower level - there's a better sidewalk down there, and if it's raining you're mostly covered by the upper level roadway. There's a spiral staircase on the side of the FCT building that takes you up to the entry area.

(Basically, you exit the terminal building and turn left - walking against traffic and towards the parking lot where the taxis wait for their turn to enter the airport.)

LH F is great service all the way - both in the air and on the ground. I can't believe I was actually debating UA vs. LH at one point: there's really no comparison when comparing F service on the three-cabin international routes.

SuperFlyBoy

*In the air only*:

Then wait until you try SQ or 9w...then LH pales in comparision, but it *does* depend on the LH crew (some (very few) are excellent) and sometimes (very rarely) you can get bad crew on board SQ and Jet...

pinniped

Yeah, that crossed my mind...trying to get one of the SQ seats JFK-FRA. But it would have caused an extra connection, and then I'd lose the FCT. Someday...perhaps when I'm actually going to Asia ...I will shoot for an SQ F seat...

And I was mainly referring to UA vs. LH. For a trip to Germany, that's the main choice one is presented with given that SQ F seats don't seem to open up until last minute. There's an active thread on the UA board comparing the two, and to me it's no comparison. If LH F is available, take it.

SuperFlyBoy

Agreed - haven't tried the FCT, but that blows away anything SQ has on the ground...

Yup - I agree...but never flown UA F - will have to try sometime soon, but I keep missing the LAX-SYD flights I have booked, and we can't rebook them

Edited to Add: In my opinion, I also think that the AA FRA-DFW flight is fantastic in F, with hot fudge sundaes, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, fantastic salads, great menus, and cannot be beat - even by LH! ^

CDG1

I will be back in the FCT lounge Oct. 25 off to Singapore.

I am giving myself several hours to enjoy the lounge.

Then I can sleep on the flight as there may be some dinosaur FAs upstairs in the 744.

Will visit FCT again on the way back. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!

redshift27

Soon I will be in the situation that I have got off my flight (or been de-bussed) from a non-Schengen country and am due to fly on to the USA. I will have reached the point in FRA where my choice is to either go through immigration and make the dash to the FCT, or merely stay airside and trek up to the FCL.

What is your suggested cut-off time for this decision? E.g. If it is >60 minutes to go head for the FCT else go to the FCL? Or 45 minutes? 75 minutes? What does the panel think?

hch

Always got to the FCT. It's a lot better than the US secondary screening mess, and almost guaranteed to be faster aswell.

pinniped

I'd say if you're already into the main terminal and you have more than 1 hour until your next flight begins to board, go for the FCT. It'll take you 10-15 minutes to get there, but you get those 10-15 minutes back on the other end in that they don't usher you out of the FCT to the car until about 10 minutes until scheduled departure time. Literally: on Sunday, LH418 to IAD departing at 1:20, they came for me at about 1:10. We arrived at the aircraft at 1:20, boarded, walked upstairs, sat down and they closed the doors.

(Since it's evident that the FCT is in contact with the gate agents, I'm assuming they've never screwed up and caused a couple carloads of F pax to miss a flight. Both coming and going, I was among the last few people to board my flight and then we immediately departed.)

An hour in the FCT is pleasant - plenty of time to have a meal in the restaurant if you like, or sit at the bar and sample a couple of different Scotches. ^ I found a new one that I enjoy - Glenfarclas 21 yr old. Need to get a bottle of that...

Kiwi Flyer

Agree - going to FCT can be faster than FCL in the right circumstances. Also is a convenient reason to enter Germany on non-Schengen to non-Schengen transit. The immigration officers understand the FCT attraction