LH introduces PAs for premium customers in London (HON & FC) [merged]
Mar 13, 2008, 10:27 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: ZRH
Programs: LX HON Circle
Posts: 3,252
LH introduces PAs for premium customers in London (HON & FC) [merged]
source: businesstraveller.com
German carrier Lufthansa is now offering a personal assistant service to first class passengers and HON Circle members using Heathrow and London City airports.
PAs will be on hand to meet Lufthansa’s top echelon of passengers, and escort them through security to the lounge on departure, or through customs and passport control on arrival.
The service – which is available to eligible passengers departing, arriving or connecting at the London airports – has been trialing for three months at Heathrow’s Terminal 2, where an average of 50 passengers per day have been using it.
There are no actual first class flights departing from London with Lufthansa, but the capital is an important hub for the airline in terms of connecting passengers with Lufthansa’s long-haul network. HON Circle membership is the highest obtainable status in Lufthansa’s frequent flyer scheme, achieved by collecting in excess of 600,000 HON Circle miles over a two-year period.
Marianne Sammann, Lufthansa’s general manager UK and Ireland, says: “Lufthansa’s personal assistant service offers a new and exclusive benefit for our best and most loyal customers flying out of London, further strengthening our leading position in the premium segment.
“As one of Lufthansa’s most important markets, London boasts the highest share of Lufthansa’s UK-based top frequent flyers and London Heathrow alone ranks number six in Lufthansa’s worldwide rankings for HON Circle membership.”
This would explain why the carrier is debuting the service in London – and the fact that Lufthansa already has a first class terminal for premium customers at its base in Frankfurt.
German carrier Lufthansa is now offering a personal assistant service to first class passengers and HON Circle members using Heathrow and London City airports.
PAs will be on hand to meet Lufthansa’s top echelon of passengers, and escort them through security to the lounge on departure, or through customs and passport control on arrival.
The service – which is available to eligible passengers departing, arriving or connecting at the London airports – has been trialing for three months at Heathrow’s Terminal 2, where an average of 50 passengers per day have been using it.
There are no actual first class flights departing from London with Lufthansa, but the capital is an important hub for the airline in terms of connecting passengers with Lufthansa’s long-haul network. HON Circle membership is the highest obtainable status in Lufthansa’s frequent flyer scheme, achieved by collecting in excess of 600,000 HON Circle miles over a two-year period.
Marianne Sammann, Lufthansa’s general manager UK and Ireland, says: “Lufthansa’s personal assistant service offers a new and exclusive benefit for our best and most loyal customers flying out of London, further strengthening our leading position in the premium segment.
“As one of Lufthansa’s most important markets, London boasts the highest share of Lufthansa’s UK-based top frequent flyers and London Heathrow alone ranks number six in Lufthansa’s worldwide rankings for HON Circle membership.”
This would explain why the carrier is debuting the service in London – and the fact that Lufthansa already has a first class terminal for premium customers at its base in Frankfurt.
Mar 13, 2008, 3:00 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: LHR/IKA/HAM and FCT
Programs: LH-HON
Posts: 64
This service started September 2007. Outbound is really nice as you a) skip the line at security (you jump the que directly to the scanner - but of course you earn a lot of angry faces...) and b) you can bring bigger carry-on luggage as they don't controll.
Inbound is not really usefull if you know the way to passport controll ;-)) and since a couple of weeks they don't bring you to the next immigration counter but let you skip only the biggets part of he maze in front. IRIS scan is in my experience a lot faster!
However, in 50% of my arrivals in LHR the HON guide was not at the gate. Either they I didn't see them at all or I saw them halfway to customs...
Inbound is not really usefull if you know the way to passport controll ;-)) and since a couple of weeks they don't bring you to the next immigration counter but let you skip only the biggets part of he maze in front. IRIS scan is in my experience a lot faster!
However, in 50% of my arrivals in LHR the HON guide was not at the gate. Either they I didn't see them at all or I saw them halfway to customs...
Mar 14, 2008, 12:54 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Eurostar Carte Blanche, SBB-CFF-FFS GA-AG, SNCF Grand Voyageur LeClub
Posts: 7,836
Pleeeeeeeeeease, we want that at CDG as well! The irony is, CDG as an airport is almost as bad as LHR, but neither does the boss get fired nor do they give airlines the right to do something that's truly enhancing (in the strict sense of the term 
) for their customers.
I never thought I might prefer leaving from LHR to leaving from CDG on LH
) for their customers.I never thought I might prefer leaving from LHR to leaving from CDG on LH
Mar 14, 2008, 4:44 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London WC2/W1
Programs: BAEC Silver; Muccis du Monde des Peluches
Posts: 6,627
If the airport is a halfway-efficient one where the wait for those quickly off the plane isn't more than 10-15 minutes anyway, all you really get from this most of the time is a nice smug feeling walking past everyone else.
But it can be really nice to have if you've got a tight connection to make and have to clear immigration first.
Mar 14, 2008, 11:28 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2003
Location: DEL
Programs: Mucci du Miel d'Or
Posts: 2,374
On the topic of LH lounges, hopefully the move to T1 will see an improvement in the lounges they offer.
Apr 4, 2008, 2:06 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Phuket
Programs: SQ *Gold, BA, QR, EY, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 5,269
I recently enjoyed the PA service from LHR. Just being marched to the front of the massive security Q was worth it ^
Does this service apply to Swiss flights from LHR via ZRH when booked in F?
Appreciate the advice.
Does this service apply to Swiss flights from LHR via ZRH when booked in F?
Appreciate the advice.
Apr 4, 2008, 2:53 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Eurostar Carte Blanche, SBB-CFF-FFS GA-AG, SNCF Grand Voyageur LeClub
Posts: 7,836
Apr 4, 2008, 10:53 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Upper midwest
Programs: Delta Pb Medallion
Posts: 608
Apr 4, 2008, 7:48 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
Well, I think it makes a lot of sense even without 3-class a/c from LHR. After all, it's always such a Third World-ly start to your journey to contend with the miserable dive that is LHR when you're connecting to F from FRA/MUC, and given the concentration of HON in LHR as well as presumably the high number of people who connect to F ex-LHR, it seems like a good idea.