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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 Nov 1, 2016, 7:03 am
  #3721  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,270
I read somewhere (VFT?) a guy was flying on separate tickets the same day:

FRA-AMS in Eco (ticket 1)
AMS-FRA-XXX in J/F (ticket 2)

He was refused access to FCT in the early morning before his feeder FRA-AMS.
He walked back to the terminal to FCL A, where access was granted.

edit: yes, it was on VFT.

Last edited by PetzLUX; Nov 2, 2016 at 2:05 am
PetzLUX is offline  
Old Nov 1, 2016, 7:47 am
  #3722  
 
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Originally Posted by SFO777
I find it hard to believe that anyone at the FCT will turn you away and tell you walk all the way back to the main terminal.
Agree. Really can't believe they would do that, especially
with a tight connection or rain outside

Interesting what "a confirmed same-day departing First Class flight on Lufthansa" means.
When you fly overnight from the US, you obviously departed the day before.
Big_Foot is offline  
Old Nov 1, 2016, 11:33 pm
  #3723  
 
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Originally Posted by Big_Foot
Agree. Really can't believe they would do that, especially
with a tight connection or rain outside

Interesting what "a confirmed same-day departing First Class flight on Lufthansa" means.
When you fly overnight from the US, you obviously departed the day before.
But they do count same day arrival and connection. Or at least they did.

Would they really deny someone who paid $10 000 for and F ticket and booked a separate Y ticket?
miamiflyer8 is offline  
Old Nov 2, 2016, 2:05 am
  #3724  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,270
Originally Posted by miamiflyer8
Would they really deny someone who paid $10 000 for and F ticket and booked a separate Y ticket?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27420768-post3720.html
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Old Nov 6, 2016, 5:24 am
  #3725  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Good news everyone!

I was able to get FCT access despite having my connecting flight through FRA on a separate PNR.
iluvdoco is offline  
Old Nov 6, 2016, 4:36 pm
  #3726  
 
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Originally Posted by iluvdoco
Good news everyone!

I was able to get FCT access despite having my connecting flight through FRA on a separate PNR.
Great news, but man I wish LH would update their website to reflect the actual policy so sticklers like myself don't have to rely on FT hearsay, reliable though it may be.
RandomBaritone is offline  
Old Nov 6, 2016, 5:02 pm
  #3727  
 
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Originally Posted by iluvdoco
Good news everyone!

I was able to get FCT access despite having my connecting flight through FRA on a separate PNR.
When you checked in for your XXX-FRA flight, did you let the agent at XXX know that you have a FRA-YYY flight and asked to either have your bags checked through and/or onward boarding pass issued?

As LH now uses Altea for check-in, whenever you asked to have your bags checked through to another LH booking or have your onward LH boarding pass issued, the "customer records" (visible on the check-in side) for both PNRs get merged into a single customer record (while the PNRs remain separate on the reservation side).

It is likely that as long as there is an LH F segment in the customer record (which may be the result of merges from other customer records) on the Altea "customer acceptance" (check-in) screen, you will get access to the FCT.
daniellam is offline  
Old Nov 7, 2016, 3:06 am
  #3728  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,722
Originally Posted by daniellam
When you checked in for your XXX-FRA flight, did you let the agent at XXX know that you have a FRA-YYY flight and asked to either have your bags checked through and/or onward boarding pass issued?

As LH now uses Altea for check-in, whenever you asked to have your bags checked through to another LH booking or have your onward LH boarding pass issued, the "customer records" (visible on the check-in side) for both PNRs get merged into a single customer record (while the PNRs remain separate on the reservation side).

It is likely that as long as there is an LH F segment in the customer record (which may be the result of merges from other customer records) on the Altea "customer acceptance" (check-in) screen, you will get access to the FCT.
Had carry-on baggage only, but I did ask for the onward BP to be issued. Agent said she could not issue onward BPs on LX, and that I would have to obtain from LX transfer desk in FRA.

It looks like the sole LH F segment still qualified me for access despite the new language. Whew!
iluvdoco is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 5:28 am
  #3729  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2
Will be arriving 12/3 FRA from ORD on LH F award, onward flight to CDG is LH J. With this new language stating departing "first class" flight, does that mean no access to FCT since I'm in J?
Esperance is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 5:45 am
  #3730  
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
 
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Originally Posted by Esperance
Will be arriving 12/3 FRA from ORD on LH F award, onward flight to CDG is LH J. With this new language stating departing "first class" flight, does that mean no access to FCT since I'm in J?
Welcome to FlyerTalk and the LH forum, Esperance!

As far as I understand the new 'rules', you'll be fine if you are on the same ticket to CDG. If you are on separate tickets you can still go to the FCL A which in many ways is nicer than the FCT.
NewbieRunner is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2016, 6:00 am
  #3731  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by NewbieRunner
Welcome to FlyerTalk and the LH forum, Esperance!

As far as I understand the new 'rules', you'll be fine if you are on the same ticket to CDG. If you are on separate tickets you can still go to the FCL A which in many ways is nicer than the FCT.
Yes, I'm on same ticket. Just changed award ticket yesterday to fly LH F instead of UA so I could access FCT for 9 hour layover. Was unsure about policy since LH website now quotes "departing first class". Thanks!
Esperance is offline  
Old Feb 27, 2017, 4:41 am
  #3732  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 62
Award Ticket

Hi

I will be flying MAD-FRA-HKG with an award ticket, MAD-FRA in Business and FRA-HKG in F.

Will be possible to enter the FCT with an F ward ticket, I am senator, or only mean to be used by Pax with LH metal F ticket?

Thank you
carenero is offline  
Old Feb 27, 2017, 4:44 am
  #3733  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
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Originally Posted by carenero
Hi

I will be flying MAD-FRA-HKG with an award ticket, MAD-FRA in Business and FRA-HKG in F.

Will be possible to enter the FCT with an F ward ticket, I am senator, or only mean to be used by Pax with LH metal F ticket?

Thank you
Yes, you can use the FCT (assuming you are flying FRA-HKG on LH). "LH metal" ticket just means any ticket in which you are actually flying a Lufthansa-operated flight, as opposed to a Lufthansa codeshare that is operated by another airline. Your ability to use the lounges is not affected by whether your are on a paid or award ticket!
CappuccinoAddict is offline  
Old Feb 27, 2017, 5:00 am
  #3734  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 62
Originally Posted by CappuccinoAddict
Yes, you can use the FCT (assuming you are flying FRA-HKG on LH). "LH metal" ticket just means any ticket in which you are actually flying a Lufthansa-operated flight, as opposed to a Lufthansa codeshare that is operated by another airline. Your ability to use the lounges is not affected by whether your are on a paid or award ticket!
Thank you very much for your help.

Yes I am in LH from FRA-HKG in F with an award ticket
carenero is offline  
Old Mar 6, 2017, 1:28 pm
  #3735  
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: HOUSTON, TX, USA
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I'm flying BOM-FRA-IAH all on LH F I have two questions. I have a 2 hour layover in FRA does that give me enough time to go to the FCT? Is there really much of a difference between the FCT and FCL? I'm looking to just grab a quick bite and take a shower.
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