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:
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:
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.
- 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.
The FRA F/HON First Class Terminal FCT FAQ
#4561
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Stoke on Trent, UK (MAN ), BUE, BKK, DBV
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Posts: 11,576
Yes, FCL access as arriving F pax, head to A FCL it’s the Schengen lounge where your TP flight will depart from.
#4562
Join Date: May 2015
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#4563
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Posts: 5,626
#4564
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Stoke on Trent, UK (MAN ), BUE, BKK, DBV
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#4565
Join Date: Nov 2002
Programs: AC; Fairmont Plat; Accor Plat; SPG Plat, BA Gold; A3*G; AB Gold;
Posts: 232
#4566
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Geneva
Programs: LX SEN, AFKL Platinum, BA Bronze,
Posts: 5,601
There are no drop-offs at the lounges. Occasionally flights from the US have a remote stand and then the F limo drop off is (usually) A non-Schengen. That means you will have to go up a few escalators and through passport control (but no security check) to go to FCL A.
#4567
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SFO, formerly of ORD
Programs: MileagePlus Premier 1K
Posts: 48
UA C to LH F
Hello, FCT hive mind! Here's one for you - having read a bunch of posts here, I think I know the answer, but:
Here are my flights (same ticket):
Thanks!
Here are my flights (same ticket):
- SFO-FRA in UA C
- FRA-JNB in LH F
Thanks!
#4568
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 3,414
Hello, FCT hive mind! Here's one for you - having read a bunch of posts here, I think I know the answer, but:
Here are my flights (same ticket):
Thanks!
Here are my flights (same ticket):
- SFO-FRA in UA C
- FRA-JNB in LH F
Thanks!
#4569
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SFO, formerly of ORD
Programs: MileagePlus Premier 1K
Posts: 48
#4570
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,626
The walk to the FCT is not too bad but not pretty either. You could also make you way to the FCL in B and wait for your flight to JNB there. Same amenities, food and drink plus apron view.
#4571
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
Programs: LH SEN** HH Diamond
Posts: 29,510
Here are my flights (same ticket):
- SFO-FRA in UA C
- FRA-JNB in LH F
#4572
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 3,414
#4573
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum; Amex Plat; Four Seasons; Fairmont; HH; etc.; "Retirees-In-Training"
Posts: 658
We just got notified that we've got two awards LH F seats in about 10 days, connecting in FRA.
This was a nice surprise
We'll head to FCL, for a long hour layover before our ~1 hour flight to TRN on a paid ticket. Time for DH to take a nap! (Also, we forgot to get the little duckies last year, during our first ever FCL visit, so we won't forget this time!)
Is there any chance that we'd get driven to the TRN flight from FCL, given that it's not a through ticket, with the F using awards, but the short leg afterward with cash?
Also, I need wheelchair assistance given the likely long walk to FCL. Last year, we were dumped unceremoniously, along with about 10 other "assistance needed" passengers (we were the only ones from F), and NO one was there to help anyone. And no one showed up. DH finally went in search of someone, as we were at the end of a long hallway, and not really visible to anyone. Then some help started to arrive, and almost everyone else was wheeled off, but not us, and not one *very* elderly, debilitated lady. Finally (an hour?) someone came to help me/us, but they were going to leave that lady all alone, so we refused to leave until someone came to help her, too.
This time, at the FCL before we leave the USA, we'll ask if someone can double check about assistance when we arrive at FRA.
Are there any other suggestions? It's the same flight, so we wouldn't be surprised to be dumped at the same lonely/distant gate
Many thanks.
(And also, many thanks a year ago, when we were asking about "what to expect" in FRA/etc. The information here was awesome!)
GC
This was a nice surprise
We'll head to FCL, for a long hour layover before our ~1 hour flight to TRN on a paid ticket. Time for DH to take a nap! (Also, we forgot to get the little duckies last year, during our first ever FCL visit, so we won't forget this time!)
Is there any chance that we'd get driven to the TRN flight from FCL, given that it's not a through ticket, with the F using awards, but the short leg afterward with cash?
Also, I need wheelchair assistance given the likely long walk to FCL. Last year, we were dumped unceremoniously, along with about 10 other "assistance needed" passengers (we were the only ones from F), and NO one was there to help anyone. And no one showed up. DH finally went in search of someone, as we were at the end of a long hallway, and not really visible to anyone. Then some help started to arrive, and almost everyone else was wheeled off, but not us, and not one *very* elderly, debilitated lady. Finally (an hour?) someone came to help me/us, but they were going to leave that lady all alone, so we refused to leave until someone came to help her, too.
This time, at the FCL before we leave the USA, we'll ask if someone can double check about assistance when we arrive at FRA.
Are there any other suggestions? It's the same flight, so we wouldn't be surprised to be dumped at the same lonely/distant gate
Many thanks.
(And also, many thanks a year ago, when we were asking about "what to expect" in FRA/etc. The information here was awesome!)
GC
#4574
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,626
@GC: I think you thought about everything already. Maybe call the F line to remind them that you need assistance.
By the book you cannot be driven to your flight on a separate ticket. But you could ask and they may do it, particularly at slow times.
They once offered it to me earlier this year without me even asking. The friendly lady at the desk said she would be happy to offer me a ride, party because I was not at all demanding.
By the book you cannot be driven to your flight on a separate ticket. But you could ask and they may do it, particularly at slow times.
They once offered it to me earlier this year without me even asking. The friendly lady at the desk said she would be happy to offer me a ride, party because I was not at all demanding.
#4575
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum; Amex Plat; Four Seasons; Fairmont; HH; etc.; "Retirees-In-Training"
Posts: 658
@GC: I think you thought about everything already. Maybe call the F line to remind them that you need assistance.
By the book you cannot be driven to your flight on a separate ticket. But you could ask and they may do it, particularly at slow times.
They once offered it to me earlier this year without me even asking. The friendly lady at the desk said she would be happy to offer me a ride, party because I was not at all demanding.
By the book you cannot be driven to your flight on a separate ticket. But you could ask and they may do it, particularly at slow times.
They once offered it to me earlier this year without me even asking. The friendly lady at the desk said she would be happy to offer me a ride, party because I was not at all demanding.
And that number for the F line would be?
Sorry - we are still newbies with FH; this is just our second trip ever with them. Maybe the number will be on the LH docs, but those might not arrive for up to 48 hours, or so the awards notice stated somewhere.
And for the second flight, perhaps they'll take pity upon me/us when we ask them to call for wheelchair assistance to get to that second flight?
(I *can* walk, but not long distances, and those "distances" at FRA wrere, um, impressive last year!)
We are really pleased that these two F seats showed up.
Now if we are so lucky in another two weeks or so for the return... Even in J..
Thanks again!
GC