The Lufthansa First Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse A

When entering the terminal, I saw that the politician was greeted by a police officer at the gate and followed the signage towards connections for A13-A40. We had arrived at one of the A60 gates, so I expected to be lead to the root of the terminal (where the lounge is located), pass through immigration there and end up right next to the lounge entrance. However, the signage led me all along the 13-40 side of the Z concourse (which is just the floor right above the A concourse) all the way down to gate A/Z 26 where two immigration counters were staffed, one for EU passport holders and one for everybody else. The queue was actually a bit chaotic, however, there was someone in front of the queue trying to sort everybody into the right queue. Still, the entire thing looked a bit chaotic. I only had to wait shortly and then ended up right next to the entrance to the former first class lounge which is now a Lufthansa business class lounge. Hence, I had to walk all the way back through a relatively crowded terminal to the root of the terminal building near gate A13 - the entire process took around 20 minutes, even though I was walking at quite a fast pace. This is actually one more reason to hate transiting through FRA.

When I finally arrived at the lounge (the entrance is quite well hidden and even though it is right next to the business class lounge entrance, you definitely have to know that it is there or you might easily miss it), I was greeted by three very friendly agents who printed my boarding pass for the onward flight to Zürich and advised me that, due to the flight being scheduled to depart from a finger gate, I would have to make my own way to the gate (I only remembered that they are actually offering limousine service to remote gates from this lounge after they told me that I wouldn't be eligible for that).

As I proceeded into the lounge, I was quite surprised that it was much larger and much more spacious than I had expected it to be. In the end, this lounge is primarily intended for people who connect from a long-haul flight to an intra-european shorthaul, and for that purpose it seemed almost ridiculously spacious. I would say that the A lounge is larger than the First Class Terminal, and it is definitely more spacious, as there are only a few seating areas scattered around which are relatively far from each other.





In terms of features, the lounge offers the same services as the first class terminal. There is a smoking room, an attended bar, a restaurant and several shower rooms.





I was actually quite surprised that after entering the lounge I saw the aforementioned politician just finishing his breakfast. As I already suspected that I had taken a wrong turn somewhere and had to walk much farther than I would normally have to, I asked him whether I had actually taken the right checkpoint, to which he replied "no, no, you did everything correctly", and then it dawned to me that he had probably been taken through a back alley by the police officer picking him up at the gate (which he confirmed with a broad grin). There is definitely something about being in possession of a diplomatic passport...

I approached one of the lounge agents and told her about the mishap with the rebooking two days before, and she provided me with some helpful tips on where to complain (oddly, her first suggestion was to call the first class hotline in order to complain, but as they were the ones who had messed up, I didn't really want to have a goat as the gardener, as we say in germany). After sorting that out, I decided to take a shower first and then have a small breakfast in the restaurant. Just like in the FCT, they have one shower room with a baththub (even though I'm not entirely sure who would seriosuly take a bath except for the ability to say "I had a bath in the FCL"), and I was assigned exactly this bathroom (the advantage of this is that you won't have to ask specifically for a rubber duck, as it is already present in the room).







I was a bit disappointed that, except for the bath additive, they didn't provide the Etro Relent cosmetics any more, as I really liked the scent of them. The amenities were still Etro branded, but hardly had any scent to them.





After finishing the shower, I proceeded to the restaurant area to order a coffee and pick a light breakfast from the buffet.







I was really amazed by the extremely wide selection of breakfast items on the buffet, and remember, you can order something from a menu as well. This is definitely a huge advantage over the system which SWISS uses, and where you can only order from a menu. While this is probably much better in terms of economics and sustainability, it is definitely an advantage to have a buffet where you can just help yourself to whatever you like at the moment without having to go through the relatively lengthy process of sitting down somewhere, ordering and then waiting for your order to be prepared. This is definitely something I miss in the SWISS lounges, particularly if it is about small snack items.

Not long after, it was already time to leave the lounge again and head to my departure gate for the final flight of the first part of the journey.

Verdict

Having only been to the First Class Terminal before, I really didn't expect the A lounge to be that spacious. While many people on this forum would always prefer the FCT (probably mainly for the unique experience), the differences really boil down to having a private security screening and being driven to the planes on all departures), the A lounge provides the exact same services, it is more spacious than the FCT (at least it feels like it) and the view is also better. Particularly if someone is arriving on a longhaul and connecting to a shorthaul, I wouldn't bother going to the FCT, as the A lounge is just much more convenient. However, if someone is connecting from a shorthaul to a longhaul, it might be worth going over to the FCT, as passport control is done within the FCT lounge and walks to the gate can be quite lengthy. That is also what I intend to do on the return flight to Singapore.

Frankfurt to Zürich on Lufthansa Business Class

When I arrived at the gate, the plane that would take us to Zürich just pulled in. The gate staff made an announcement that the plane had only just landed from Düsseldorf, and that boarding wouldn't start until 20 minutes later. This is actually the advantage of having somebody drive you over from the lounge to the gate, as they would be notified when boarding starts and I could have spent the delay in the lounge instead of a crowded gate area where I didn't even manage to get a seat.

There were obviously people on the flight who would connect to long-haul flights in ZRH, and they started getting a bit nervous. At some point, the gate staff made another announcement asking for people who were familiar with Zürich airport to report to the front desk. As it turned out, there was a group of people who had a very tight connection to the E gates (maybe 60 minutes or so) and were now worried that they might not catch their connection. Everybody who had shown up at the gate agreed that it was still possible to make the connection, and they calmed down a bit. Approximately 20 minutes late, the boarding call was made.

The Flight

Flight: LH1184
From: FRA/EDDF
To: ZRH/LSZH
Aircraft Type: Airbus A320-200
Registration: D-AIPH "Münster"
STD: 08:00
STA: 08:50

Due to the short noticed rebooking, I had been assigned seat 1F directly in front of the bulkhead. While I really don't like those seats (I'm already staring at a wall all day during work), I didn't really have a chance of changing it, as the flight turned out to be full. However, the space for your knees is a bit better in the first row, while the legroom itself is relatively restricted as you don't have a seat in front of you under which you can stretch your feet.





During boarding, the captain made an announcement welcoming all of us on board and that nobody should worry, as we would still arrive more or less on time in ZRH despite the delay.

However, pushback just didn't happen. When we finally pushed back considerably late, the pilots came onto the PA again, telling us that the engine starter that is integrated into the plane didn't work properly, and that they had to summon a ground vehicle which could provide the compressed air necessary to start the engines. They also advised us that we would now definitely land with a delay of at least 20 minutes, which would probably make for a very close call for those connecting to the longhaul flight (however, SWISS has a "direct connection" service for people with tight connections where they will pick up people at the arriving flight and directly drive them over to their connection in a MB Sprinter, and I hope that the people affected were actually able to use this).

We taxied out to runway 18 and were airborne a good 35 minutes behind schedule.

As soon as we had reached our cruising altitude (which wasn't too high for this 40 minute hop), breakfast was distributed. I was once again quite impressed about the size and quality of the food, as you'll usually only receive a few bites on LX operated flights on those short routes (and it is generally said that LX' catering is better than LHs on shorthaul flights). What I found a bit odd was the way the table is mounted in this first row. Except for seat 1C, the tray table cannot be found in the armrest (as it is the case on SWISS planes, for example), but the table is mounted to the bulkhead from where it can be extended. While the table is surprisingly large, the entire construction looks a bit odd.



Just after the trays had been cleared, we were already landing in Zürich.

After deplaning, I decided to try my luck accessing the brand-new FCL A based on my inbound first class flight to Frankfurt. Even though I had severe doubts as to whether this would be possible in the first place, I had received the information that it was indeed possible a few days earlier in the old FCL A.

Contrary to the old FCL, the new one is accessed airside from an inconspicuous door on the gallery level, right next to the construction site that will eventually develop into the new business class and Senator lounges. Once again, you really need to know that it is there, or you might easily miss it.



After entering though that door, you'll end up in a narrow, hospital-style corridor and have to follow the signs towards the lounge entrance.



The corridor ends right at the airside lounge reception desk (more about the layout of the lounge in a later part of the report), and I was welcomed by an attendant. When I explained my situation, he looked at me sceptically and told me that he had to check back whether my situation would actually entitle me to access the lounge. He vanished into a back office and when he returned, he apologized and told me that unfortunately, I couldn't access the lounge. As I had already anticipated that, I told him that it was not problem and left the lounge again.

However, as most forum posters and bloggers actually say that it would be possible to access the lounge in this situation, I decided to bring this to the attention of customer service, as I wanted to have a definitive statement on this. The customer service center confirmed that it was actually *not* possible (only if you're arriving in F directly at ZRH) and that they would consider my suggestion of publishing the access rules online. They also told me that they had allowed themselves to credit 5000 miles into my account for the hassle that I'd had with the situation, which I found to be quite generous (and even a bit exaggerated), as I hadn't even really complained but just asked who had been right.

Verdict


This Lufthansa short-haul was once again one of those typical flights where nothing really happens and there is nothing to actually report on. It was perfectly ok, the food was actually a bit better than I had expected, and the seat comfort is not that important on such a short flight. It was a pity that I couldn't take a look at the new FCL on its second day of operation, but as I'm finishing to write this, I'll make my way from our office in Zürich to the airport for the second part of the trip, and this time, I will definitely get access to the new FCL and I will have plenty of time to look around before boarding my flight to Frankfurt, and then onward to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and back to Europe.

SWISS First Class Lounge Zürich, Concourse A

Despite departing in first class, I had decided to take the train for the one stop from Oerlikon to Zürich Airport. Actually, just like in Frankfurt, the first class experience will probably be better when arriving by car, as you can pull up right at the first class entrance of the terminal and only have to walk a few steps until you arrive at the lounge. When arriving by train (again, this is similar in FRA), it is necessary to walk quite a few hundred meters from the airport railway station to the check-in area or lounge, respectively. I decided to already make my way to the airport shortly after noon, as I were the only person in our office and I was getting hungry, so I thought I might as well spend the time in the lounge and have lunch there.

The new A FCL also has a landside entrance, which is one of the features that were received with lots of praise. When coming from the check-in area 1, you walk right past the normal boarding pass check, up the stairs at the end of the hall, and you’ll be right at the landside reception of the lounge.



I wasn’t exactly sure which of my three boarding passes I would actually have to present, and chose to present the one taking me from ZRH to FRA. The receptionist looked at the boarding pass, and then, with a confused look on her face, asked whether I had any kind of VIP status or the like. I explained that I would continue my journey in first class, and she told me that the F boarding pass needed to be scanned first. After scanning the boarding passes, she told me to wait a few seconds as she would look up whether my flight would leave from a terminal or remote gate. However, it was still too early (and we both suspected that it would be a terminal gate), so she told me to just keep an eye on the information board and report to someone should the gate turn out to be a remote one - they still provide limousine service from the lounge to remote stands, as they always have.

I then proceeded through the door towards the first class security check, which is located right in front of the main entrance of the lounge (where you’ll also end up when coming into the lounge from the airside gallery of the terminal). This is definitely a great feature, as there were three Kantonspolizisten just waiting for me, booting up their screening devices and all greeted me in a very friendly way. The screening process itself was as painless as it usually is when no problems arise, and I made my way into the actual lounge after each of the police officers had wished me a good trip.

As you would expect for an early Saturday afternoon, the lounge was almost completely deserted, with only 3 other people sitting inside (two of which left shortly after I arrived). After getting a first overview across the lounge, I put my stuff down at the far corner of the sofa area and proceed to the restaurant area for lunch.







The menu itself seems to be almost identical to the one found in the E lounges, with an important difference being a (very small) self-serve area behind the central bar where you cannot only help yourself to a soft drink but also grab a few (tiny) bites.







As the beef tartar has always been exceptional in the E lounge, I decided to also order it on that day, followed by the falafel and accompanied by some still water. While I had recently been complaining about the level of service in the E lounge, it was different in the A lounge this time. I actually had the feeling of the lounge to be overstaffed, particularly for a saturday afternoon. There were 4 staff members behind the bar, and another 3 in the kitchen, and despite there were only two guests in the lounge at that time, they seemed quite busy, constantly rummaging in the box containing the cutlery, sorting plates and so on, which, of course, caused quite some noise. Additionally, the people in the kitchen (which has a large window facing the lounge restaurant were talking and laughing quite loudly, so the entire atmosphere in the lounge was actually not really calm - at some point, they even started vacuuming the floor.

When the food was served, the tartar was excellent once again, while I found the falafel to be a bit dry and salty (they obviously try to maintain the falafel as a vegan option while I actually prefer to have a yoghurt sauce to go along with it, as it minimizes the risk that the falafel are actually too dry.





After finishing the meal, I went around to explore the lounge a bit. First of all, I have to say that the lounge is really small, and I would say that it is actually considerably smaller than the old FCL A, and maybe half the size of the E lounge. Adding to that, the central bar occupies most of the space, and the empty area around the entrance also „wastes“ quite some space, so the rest of the lounge actually looks and feels a bit cramped (at least if compared to the FCL E). As the central bar is quite dominant, it also feels a bit like you’re always in plain sight, particularly when sitting in the restaurant.









The most private space is probably the small sofa corner at the far right end of the lounge, where I had chosen to settle down. When sitting on those sofas, you are actually looking down onto the main concourse of check-in 1. While it is definitely not a bad thing to watch the hustle and bustle downstairs from the comfort of the lounge, there are virtually no outside views from the lounge, even though they are advertising something like „overview over the airport area“ (which is true, but it’s just the inside area). Leading up to the sofa corner is a row of 3 „living room“ seating areas similar to those in E, with four armchairs and a TV each. Across the aisle by the windows (which are, as I said, looking down onto the concourse) there are three groups of two armchairs facing each other. This relaxation area is divided from the bar by the same wooden semi-dividers that can also be found in the E lounge (and as they are open, you can still see and hear everything that is going on at the bar.











At the far wall of the lounge, adjacent to the relaxation area and located directly behind (and facing) the bar, there’s the restaurant area with a number of tables for two persons each. At the end of the row of tables, you can find the kitchen window where the food will be prepared and picked up by the waiters. If you turn left in front of the kitchen, there’s a small area with two refrigerators where they keep soft drinks, beer and a very small selection of tiny bites (very similar to what was available in the former FCL A).





While I appreciate that you can help yourself to at least something (I already mentioned that in one of the previous installments), I actually miss typical lounge snacks like peanuts or sweets. The only thing in this respect that could be found around the lounge was a bowl of Lindor chocolate balls on the bar.

When you complete you tour around the bar, you’ll end up at a row of office cubicles, and a very small quiet room with two reclining chairs in a semi-dark environment. The washrooms are located behind the office cubicles, and they look similar to what you can also find in the concourse E business and senator lounges. I didn’t have the chance to look at the shower rooms, but I suspect that they are similar to what you can find in the FCL E.





I then proceeded to the upper level of the lounge, where the conference room and the smoking room are located, as well as the exit you need to take if you get driven to your plane by car.

While they advertise the conference room to have views across the apron, this is actually correct - however, the conference room is located on the inside of the building, and the corridor to the limousine checkpoint is actually leading past the conference room on the apron side - this means, you still have to look „through“ the corridor when looking out from the conference room.



The smoking room is relatively small, with only 8 seats and a small whisky bar. Actually, there should be an outside terrace that is accessible from the smoking room, but that was locked when I came there. Peeking through the openings on the otherwise etched windows, I could see that the outside part didn’t look particularly appealing, and they had placed a lot of construction stuff there (probably from the refurbishment of the business and senator lounges).









During my stay in the lounge, I was mostly the only person there. However, every time I would leave the sofa corner (where nobody from staff could actually see me) in order to walk around or visit the bathrooms, somebody would come over shortly afterwards and ask whether I needed anything. In the end, I declined the offer every time, as I was quite happy with my bottle of water from the upper level and the odd glass of whisky I sampled from the smoking room.

Around 4pm, the lounge got relatively full (at least comparing to what had been the number of people inside before), and there were actually lots of families around (HON circle members can actually bring their entire family, regardless of the number of children, as long as they don’t exceed a certain age). However, it was soon time to board from gate A74, and I approached the attendant at the airside reception whether it would actually be possible to leave the lounge through the limousine corridor (you’ll end up at the entrance to the former first class lounge) which she confirmed was possible (and can save you a few steps as you don’t have to do the slightly circumstantial walk from the airport center gallery to concourse A). When I proceeded down the corridor, I was quite surprised to find another desk staffed by an agent at the end of this corridor. When I explained that I just wanted to leave the lounge without being picked up, she looked oddly at me, but said she would open the door and summon the elevator for me (which is done by the push of a button underneath the desk), so obviously, you cannot leave the lounge unattended. I wonder how this would work for limousine rides to remote gates, where they actually need to notify you that your flight is ready for boarding.





I left the lounge, rode the elevator down and walked the length of the concourse towards gate A74.

Verdict

While the lounge itself has a very nice design, it’s main selling point is probably the ease with which you can get airside through the dedicated security checkpoint. As the lounge is really small, I cannot yet imagine how it would look like when lots of HON Circle members and arriving first class guests would use it before their connecting flights all across Europe. And just like many reviewers who have already been here (or even attended the pre-opening event), I find it relatively problematic that everything is centered around the bar. The amount of noise emerging from that (and the semi-open kitchen) is quite considerable, and somehow, it constantly feels like you’re under surveillance by the staff (which might be good service-wise, but suboptimal when it comes to privacy). The new A lounge can definitely not hold up to it’s older sibling in E, but I would say that it’s a nice addition to the lounge landscape here at ZRH, particularly as the old FCL A has never really been on the top lists of international airport lounges.