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Trying out 8 different brands of champagne! To, from and within Asia on *A in First

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Trying out 8 different brands of champagne! To, from and within Asia on *A in First

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Old Jan 30, 2011, 11:51 pm
  #16  
 
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So far so great. Thanks. Quite the drink list at FRA.
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 12:57 am
  #17  
 
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Thanks for the effort typing out the drink list. ^^^^^
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 1:05 am
  #18  
 
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Can't wait

I just can't wait to read the rest of your report!

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Old Jan 31, 2011, 1:47 am
  #19  
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Many thanks for the comments! Much more to come...

Originally Posted by luv_flying
Thanks for the effort typing out the drink list. ^^^^^
You're welcome! I thought it could be fun to have it uploaded as I think the drink list is absolutely incredible. Also I'm not sure if anyone has actually done it before.

Originally Posted by ArizonaGuy
I would agree with the comment that the First Class Terminal staff are a bit less attentive than they used to be. Same applies to the F lounges at FRA. Having passed through several times in the past 9 months (most recently two weeks ago) and several times in 2009 the attentiveness definitely is lower. Still not at all terrible by any means, however.
I have heard others mentioning this as well.
But as you say, the service is not bad by any means, anyone visiting the terminal for the first time would probably be blown away by the service, it just used to be even better in the past, that extra edge is missing now.
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 1:51 am
  #20  
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Originally Posted by jacob_m
You're welcome! I thought it could be fun to have it uploaded as I think the drink list is absolutely incredible. Also I'm not sure if anyone has actually done it before.
Yes it has. I've typed it up several times in my trip reports and I note the all airline FT menu collection has 11 LH FCT/FCL menus typed up!
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 2:04 am
  #21  
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Originally Posted by Kiwi Flyer
Yes it has. I've typed it up several times in my trip reports and I note the all airline FT menu collection has 11 LH FCT/FCL menus typed up!
I have seen the menu several times (which changes rather frequently anyway), but wasn't sure about the drink list.
Anyway, that makes me the 12th person then...
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 2:19 am
  #22  
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Originally Posted by jacob_m
I have seen the menu several times (which changes rather frequently anyway), but wasn't sure about the drink list.
Anyway, that makes me the 12th person then...
I always type up the drink list, and pretty sure most of the ones in menu thread were mine.

Looking forward to the rest of your report.
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 4:06 am
  #23  
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First class limousine transfer in FRA and FRA-MUC on Lufthansa in M

First class limousine transfer to the aircraft

Around 11.35 am my personal assistant showed up in the restaurant and informed me it was time to leave.
11.35 am meant just 25 minutes before scheduled departure, which sounded like very last minute to me considering there were still some formalities left (and of course a drive to the aircraft). But what did I know...
The wonderful thing about the first class terminal (other than the extensive bar of course) is that the responsibility to make it onboard in time is entirely in the hands of the ground staff. You can completely forget about that part and just relax and enjoy yourself to the fullest extent in the terminal.



Anyway, after collecting my belongings we headed downstairs to the boarding area in the basement.
My personal assistant warmly thanked me for my visit, wished me a nice flight, and handed me over to a man taking care of the boarding process and the limo transfer.
He ticked me on a list at his desk and also made sure my boarding pass was up-to-date, i.e. that there had not been any aircraft or seat changes.



The limo had not arrived yet, so after having completed the formalities I was invited to take a seat in a comfortable armchair.
The boarding area in the basement is quite airy and spacious and indeed has four different “gates”. Which “gate” to use seemed to depend on the destination and the possible requirements for passport control and/or extra security checks.
My limo was scheduled to leave from gate 2, just like all Schengen departures, and hence there was no need for me to pass passport control.
Right above the gate there was a large monitor showing the flights scheduled for that very gate. Just like a proper terminal...
For passengers going to non-Schengen destinations there is a passport control at the very end of the boarding area.



A few minutes later the limo arrived, a grey very comfortable Mercedes S-class car.
I shared the limo with a middle-aged man who I believe was HON Circle and had probably been through this tons of times before, and hence he was a little less enthusiastic about the ride than me.

We were quickly on our way, less than 15 minutes left until departure time now.



Just a short drive to get to the aircraft, parked at gate A18 at the A-pier.

The driver parked just below the passenger bridge to the gate, he got my hand luggage from the boot and then escorted us inside, actually caring the hand luggage for me.
We took a lift one floor and the doors opened up right in front of the entrance to the passenger bridge.
As we got out of the lift the gate agent for the flight also came to greet us, a nice and pleasant middle-aged woman. She and the driver stayed with us until we reached the entrance to the aircraft and we had been “handed over” to the crew.
I got my hand luggage from the driver and they both wished us a very nice flight to Munich.

All-in-all a wonderful and flawless experience!
We were in fact the very last passengers to board the aircraft, just 10 minutes before scheduled departure time. Just amazing! That’s really world class!! ^ ^

Some people in the cabin looked strangely at me, I guess some of them had seen us getting out of the limo just below the aircraft and were probably wondering who the hell we were.

Frankfurt-Munich, flight LH 110 operated by Lufthansa
Departure: 12:00
Arrival: 12:55
Aircraft: Airbus A321
Class: Economy Class
Seat: 12A

Just a short flight to Munich this time, the first class flight won’t come until later.
As some of you may know Lufthansa allows access to the first class lounges and terminal in Frankfurt if you hold a same-day boarding pass with Lufthansa or Swiss in first class, but in fact the flight from Frankfurt doesn’t necessarily have to be in first class.
This is the small exception of the access rules which I took advantage of.

Strangely there was no availability in business class for the flight to Munich, so I ended up in economy class. This was the only tiny thing that did not work as expected when booking the ticket.

Personally I just couldn’t care less. It is a very short flight and I would probably have had to decline the snack onboard anyway, I was so full after all the food and drinks in the first class lounge and terminal.
But of course it was a little strange to spend the morning in the exclusive first class terminal, and then go to the aircraft by limo, only to have a seat in a crowded economy class cabin.

Just as I had taken my seat, as the very last passenger on the flight, I could see the limo leave right below the window.
If I could only always travel like this, how easy life would be...



The flight to Munich was operated by an Airbus A321, actually an aircraft with the Lufthansa retro livery, as you can see on one of the photos.
The check-in agent had secured seat 12A for me on the flight, on the second row of economy class. The flight was quite full in both classes, but very nicely she had made sure the middle seat next to me got blocked and eventually remained empty during the flight, a nice benefit of having a Star Alliance gold card.



We pushed back right on time at noon. After a quick safety demonstration the captain also welcomed us onboard and mentioned an expected flight time of 35 minutes, so a very quick flight.
We were finally airborne at 12.14 am from runway 18.

Due to the short flight time there was just a quick drink service in economy class and I asked for a glass of orange juice.
The passengers in business class probably got a small snack.

Arrival in Munich

The flight was uneventful and after the quick drink service I tried to get some rest onboard.
We had hardly reached our cruising altitude before we started the descent to Munich and we were on the ground again already at 12.45 am and were safely parked at the gate by 12.50 am. That’s well ahead of timetable.



The weather in Munich was nice and sunny and most of the snow seemed to have melted away.

Two passenger bridges were used for the A321 and as we got off the aircraft the crew handed out chocolate bars to all passengers.

Next it’s time to try the Lufthansa first class facilities in Munich. That means more champagne and more delicious food...
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 9:29 am
  #24  
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Lufthansa First Class Lounge, Munich

Due to the early arrival of the flight from Frankfurt I had nearly three hours in Munich until my next flight. That meant plenty of time to enjoy another nice first class lounge.



After some quick purchases in the duty free shop I headed to the Lufthansa first class lounge. The entrance is right in the centre of the shopping area.

Arrival at the First Class Lounge



The Lufthansa first class lounge is quite unique in the sense that it is located on two floors and have two entrances – one entrance on level G (the Schengen zone) and one entrance on level H (the non-Schengen zone).
This has been made possible by having a dedicated passport control just by the entrance from the non-Schengen zone on level H.
So all passengers can use this lounge, no matter if you connect between two Schengen flights, between two non-Schengen flights, or between a Schengen and a non-Schengen flight.
Passengers transferring between two non-Schengen flights and need a visa to enter the Schengen zone can leave the passport at the passport control while visiting the lounge.
The set-up works for all combinations. Very clever!

I entered the lounge on the lower level G in the Schengen zone and was warmly greeted by two lovely women at the reception desk.
They asked for my boarding pass and when seeing I was travelling to Asia they also asked for my passport.
I gave them my passport and they said they would give it to the officer at the passport control and I could pick it up when leaving the lounge when heading for the gate (obviously located in the non-Schengen zone).

Finally they asked me if this was my first visit to the Munich F-lounge, I told them it was and that I had only been to the lounge in Frankfurt before.
They gave me a brief introduction to the lounge, the facilities and the passport control set-up before inviting me inside.

Inside the lounge

There is nothing on the lower level other than the reception desk from the Schengen zone.
Right after the reception desk you take the stairs to the upper level where the rest of the lounge is located.
On the upper level I immediately took notice of the passport control next to the staircase with a male officer sitting in a small booth.
Right opposite him was the non-Schengen reception desk with another two lovely smiling ladies who greeted me as I arrived.
The rest of the lounge is to the left after climbing the stairs.



So how does the Munich F-lounge compare to the Frankfurt F-lounge?
Well there are obviously similarities, but there are also many differences.
I’m quite happy the Munich people have not tried to make an exact copy of the Frankfurt lounges, but instead tried to create something on their own that would better match the airport and the people using it.
And I think they have managed pretty well!

The lounge itself is quite small, it’s smaller than both the first class terminal and the first class lounges in Frankfurt.
On the other hand there are fewer longhaul flights with a first class cabin from Munich than from Frankfurt, although during busier times during the day with many subsequent departures I can imagine the lounge could get a bit crowded.

There are several seating areas in the lounge with pretty much the same armchairs as in Frankfurt.
Furthermore the lounge also has a proper sit-down restaurant with a self-service buffet, a cigar lounge, a business centre, working cubicles, shower facilities, and a bar.

Lounge attendants frequently pass through the lounge to take drink orders.



When I arrived just after 1 pm the lounge was almost completely empty.
I had a seat in one of the comfortable armchairs by one of the TVs showing a ski competition.

I was a little bit disappointed that no one came to my seat to take a drink order and eventually I ventured to the bar myself to order something to drink.
I don’t know if they just failed to notice my arrival, but in retrorespective this was probably not a completely bad thing as I later noticed there was no drink list where I was sitting, the full drink list was available on the bar counter.



I asked the young woman at the bar for a glass of champagne. There were three brands of champagne to choose between and I decided to initially try the Bourgeois champagne.

Later, as the lounge got much more crowded, the attendants passed my seat several times offering refills of the champagne and whatever else I was drinking.

There were fewer snacks on the tables in the lounge than in Frankfurt, basically just some crisps. But on the other hand they had small trays strategically placed around the lounge with lovely chocolate pralines. Absolutely exquisite! I had way too many...



The lounge also had a very good selection of newspapers and magazines in several languages. Quite impressive!

Free WIFI was available in the lounge, but you had to ask the staff for a voucher.

The bar

The bar in the lounge was rather well-stocked with plenty of wine, champagne, beer, spirits, soft drinks and aperitifs.
The full selection was described in a nice leather drink list placed on the bar counter.



Although a very nice and extensive selection, way above what is offered in most business and first lounges around the world, the bar in the first class lounge in Munich is still a step below the incredible selection available in Frankfurt.
For example the whisky selection in Frankfurt included around 80 brands, in Munich there were about 15, and there was no Johnnie Walker blue label or any 21 year old vintage malt whiskies in the selection. The brands were rather standard.
It won’t break my opinion of the lounge, it’s more of a reflection really. On the other hand it should be mentioned they had some pretty nice wines available at the bar.

The champagne selection included three choices: Bourgeois as well a white and a rose version of Janisson & Fils A Verzenay.
I have to admit I am not really familiar with any of them.



Unfortunately I never got the chance to take photos of the drink list to upload here, but the selection of wines, champagne, beer and soft drinks is covered in the restaurant menu below.

The restaurant

The first class lounge also has an excellent restaurant with a wonderful selection of hot and cold food available at the self-service buffet.
I think I would almost rate the restaurant in Munich higher to the one in Frankfurt.



The Munich restaurant has a slightly different interior than the one in Frankfurt.
The chairs are about the same, but there are no white table cloths on the tables and the Munich lounge has a much more relaxed feeling to it, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The service in the restaurant was extremely attentive, way way better than in Frankfurt!
They just couldn’t do enough for you...

The selection of food (as well as drinks, with the exception of spirits) was very well described in the menu placed in a nice leather binder at each table.

Below is the restaurant menu for the Munich first class lounge.
The menu also included the breakfast offerings, but I have not typed these as these were not available during my afternoon visit.

Menu Munich First Class Lounge

Starters from the buffet
Antipasti

Sushi selection

Baby leaf salad with various toppings

Soups
Consommé royal

Carrot and ginger soup

Fish
Japanese atka mackerel filet
With Shitake mushrooms and Wakame salad

Pasta
Penne with gorgonzola sauce, pear and walnuts

From the hunt
Braised leg of hare with Brussels sprouts and Swabian potato noodles

Pan fried
“Viennese” schnitzel with luke warm potato salad

Beef filet steak with bacon and pepper cream sauce
Served with lecho and pan fried potatoes (15 minutes)

Bavarian delicacies
Munich veal sausage with sweet mustard

Bavarian meat loaf

Fried sausage from Nuremberg on sauerkraut

Desserts from the buffet
Crème brulée served in a jar

Marzipan and poppy seed mousse

Fresh fruit salad with berries and acacia honey

Various cakes

Coconut cream with blood orange ragout

Todays special
Dear Guest,
We offer you a daily changing special
Please ask our service team!

Beverage selection

Aperitif
2004 Ramos Pinto late bottled vintage portwein
Sanchez Romate fino reserve especial sherry
Sanchez Romate cream reserve especial sherry
Campari Orange
Gin Tonic
Dry Martini

Digestif
Amaro “Quintessentia”, Nonino
Averna
Uderberg
Caiprinha

Champagne
Champagne Bourgeois Brut
Champagne Rose Brut, Janisson & Fils A Verzenay
Champagne Grand Cru Brut, Janisson & Fils A Verzenay

White Wine
2006 Carneros Chardonnay, Artesa, USA
2009 Starlette Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Allee Bleue, South Africa
2008 Gewürztraminer, Hugl, Austria
2008 Prinz von Hessen, Riesling, Kabinett Trocken, Germany
2007 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken, Robert Weil, Germany

Red Wine
2007 Lemberger S, Staatsweingut Weinsberg, Germany
2005 Quinta Das Tecedeiras Reserva DOC, Portugal
2002 Château Belgrave Cru Classe, Haut Medoc, France
2006 Quinta Do Gradil, Martim Joanes Gradil, Estremadura, Portugal
2004 Amarone Della Valpolicella, Domini Veneti, Italy

Mineral Water
Rosbacher Naturell, Apollinaris, VIttel, San Pellegrino
Staatlich Fachingen, Perrier, Taunusquelle

Soft Drinks
Coca Cola, Coca Cola Light, Coke Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Tonic Water

Juices
Black currant, Peach

Beer

Draft Beer
Schneider Weisse
Weihenstephaner Pils
Augustiner Bier

Bottled Beer
Beck’s
Erdinger Weissbier

Non Alcoholic Beer
Beck’s
Erdinger Weissbier

Destillate Aust Kernobst
Quitte Vom Hausgarten, Etter
Quittenbrand, Faude Feine Brände
2007 Konstantinopeler Apfelquitte, Augustus Rex
Quitte Edelbrand, Lieble
Williamsbrand Unfiltriert, Lantenhammer
Gellerts Butterbirne, Augustus Rex
Williams Selection, Freihof
Williams Christ Birnenbrand, Weis
2006 Fränkischer Wildbirnenbrand, Henninger
Subirer, Hämmerle
2009 Rote Williamsbirne, Martin Doll
2005 Goldrenette Freiherr Von Berlepsch, Augustus Rex
2006 Goldrenette Freiherr Von Berlepsch, Augustus Reix
Gravensteiner, Studer
Zwetschge Selection, Freihof
Weildpflaume Edelbrand, Gierer
Platinu, Edelster Obstbrand, Schwechower

We offer you a various beverage selection.
Please ask our service team!
The self-service buffet was extremely tidy and well-maintained and contained plenty of food that actually looked really appetising.



A very nice selection of cold cuts, vegetables and fresh fruits.



Plenty of different breads to choose between.



Wonderful selection of desserts.



A late lunch in the restaurant

After having spent an hour in one of the seating areas drinking champagne, watching TV and surfing the internet through the free WIFI I moved to the restaurant to get something to eat.

As I had a seat at one of the empty tables a waitress immediately approached me and asked me if I wanted something to drink.
I had a look through the drink list and asked for a glass of the very nice Italian Amarone Della Valpolicella. An incredibly nice red wine!
It was delivered to my table within a minute.

I got some food from the self-service buffet. Quite a lot of cold cuts and plenty of nice German and Bavarian specialties were available including some kind of nice meat stew.
The food was really fresh and very tasty and the wine complemented the food really well.



I could easily have had a bit more food to eat, but had to save some space for the meal onboard the flight.

I rounded up the late lunch by having some fresh fruits and eventually could not resist trying one of the really nice-looking desserts.
My glass of still water was refilled and I asked for a cup of strong black coffee.

The service in the restaurant was incredibly friendly and attentive. They passed my table at least every two minutes or so with the only drawback that it was almost impossible to take any photos discreetly.



Departure time

I got to spend well over two hours in the first class lounge before it was time to go to the passport control in the lounge to pick up my passport and proceed to the gate.
The friendly staff at the reception desk wished me a very nice flight as I left the lounge to the non-Schengen zone on level H.



Bye bye Munich for now!

Verdict

In short the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Munich is different.
It is rarely covered here, not just because Munich has fewer longhaul/first class flights, but also because Frankfurt is the airport mostly being marketed by Lufthansa for a premium experience.
It consequently means Munich is always ranked as number 2, and passengers probably have lower expectations of the lounge in Munich.

As I mentioned earlier I thought the service in the Frankfurt lounges/terminal had declined a bit, although still very attentive they had just lost that extra edge.
In Munich I think this has almost had the opposite effect, the staff have to prove they can do an equally good job as their colleagues in Frankfurt and become even more focused and motivated.

On the whole I thought the Munich lounge was great. Lovely reception staff and the attendants in the lounge were also great, friendly, easy-going and attentive.

The restaurant was just wonderful. Fantastic food and incredibly good service!
The only thing lacking was the selection of champagne and spirits, but again this is only true in comparison with the first class bar in Frankfurt. The Munich bar would still be ranked very nicely when comparing it to most first and business class lounges in the world.

So all-in-all a very nice visit, actually a very positive surprise! ^ ^



Next it’s time for what was to be a wonderful experience in Lufthansa First Class!
Almost 12 hours on an Airbus A340-600 with an incredible crew serving in First.

Last edited by jacob_m; Feb 26, 2011 at 9:34 am
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 10:01 am
  #25  
 
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Great report, can't wait for more! ^

No FCT rubber duckies?!
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 1:06 pm
  #26  
 
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ahh jacob_m. A man after my own heart. More champagne please. I am looking forward to the rest of the report with great expectations.
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 2:28 pm
  #27  
 
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Thank you for a great trip report so far, I cannot wait for more.^
Also thanks for replicating the drinks and food menu, I really like that touch that Kiwi Flyer does for his trip reports.
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Old Jan 31, 2011, 4:38 pm
  #28  
 
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Great report as usual Jacob. Where are you going U teaser....??
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Old Feb 1, 2011, 5:07 am
  #29  
 
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This TR hits a home run! Nice job Jacob!^
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Old Feb 1, 2011, 10:39 am
  #30  
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The scotch selection is epic... I can't wait for an F award trip on LH!
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