First Timer On LH First

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Princess Fiona

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In a couple of weeks I'll be trying out LH F from FRA and would love to know how best to maximize the experience :)
I have been doing a little bit of research online and thinking maybe I will hire the Porsche before heading to the FCT as I have a transit of about 6 hours at FRA.
I'm not really a whisky drinker save for New Year, nor do I smoke cigars :D so those aspects of the FCT don't really attract me.

I would be keen to hear from anyone who has recently flown and if there's anything in particular you would or wouldn't recommend.
This is a bucket list item for me and I'm just a little bit excited !! Can't wait to get my hands on one of those rubber duckies :)
 
Given your history of burning rubber, PF, I'd give them advance warning to put on a new set of tyres and then have a new set ready to put on for the next customer ;):p:D.
 
Given your history of burning rubber, PF, I'd give them advance warning to put on a new set of tyres and then have a new set ready to put on for the next customer ;):p:D.
Ok, added that to the list along with the twelvty hundred million credit cards I'll have to hand over to hire it :p
 
In a couple of weeks I'll be trying out LH F from FRA and would love to know how best to maximize the experience :)
I have been doing a little bit of research online and thinking maybe I will hire the Porsche before heading to the FCT as I have a transit of about 6 hours at FRA.
I'm not really a whisky drinker save for New Year, nor do I smoke cigars :D so those aspects of the FCT don't really attract me.

I would be keen to hear from anyone who has recently flown and if there's anything in particular you would or wouldn't recommend.
This is a bucket list item for me and I'm just a little bit excited !! Can't wait to get my hands on one of those rubber duckies :)

The FCT is an easy place to spend several hours. The bar is extensive, not just whiskey! You can request a rubber duck from the bathroom attendant, and if you choose, they have very nice baths there. Very relaxing for an hour or so. The restaurant is also pretty good. It's easy to pass two to three hours in the lounge. And they they'll drive you to the plane.

On board they will look after you completely... no need to ask for anything and nothing that's 'on request' (they'll come to you with PJs (separate sizes for tops and bottoms, so you get the right fit!), amenity kit and any other extras). The bathrooms are well stocked, (multiple) mini bottles of Evian mist are in the amenity drawer. Yours to use and take.

First impression the seats and cabin look like they lack privacy, but it's rather nice at the beginning of the flight and adds to the sense of 'community' in the cabin during boarding and meal service. LH F is kinda 'social' in that way, a bit like the old days of F. And it adds to the theatre of the meal service (trolley wheeled out laden with caviar and entrees).

When you've finished being social there's a sliding screen/wall that almost completely surrounds the seat (all the way from the edge of the armrest and round the back of the seat). There's a button to raise/lower the screen.

LH F is a bit like being at your best friend's place. It's all very easy, relaxed, and you feel at home.

The only downside is LH's inconsistency with champagne. At times they can serve some pretty good stuff (Taittigner Comtes de champagne rose, or Laurent Perrier grand siecle), and others they'll have something a bit off the wall. The current offering is Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis. It's at the cheaper end and has had mixed reviews. Those basing their choice of champagne on cost alone are disappointed. Those going in with an open mind haven't found it too bad. But the champagne has been changing every month or two recently.

The only 'oddity' is that while LH serves caviar with plastic utensils, they provide metal to eat it with.
 
The FCT is an easy place to spend several hours. The bar is extensive, not just whiskey! You can request a rubber duck from the bathroom attendant, and if you choose, they have very nice baths there. Very relaxing for an hour or so. The restaurant is also pretty good. It's easy to pass two to three hours in the lounge. And they they'll drive you to the plane.

On board they will look after you completely... no need to ask for anything and nothing that's 'on request' (they'll come to you with PJs (separate sizes for tops and bottoms, so you get the right fit!), amenity kit and any other extras). The bathrooms are well stocked, (multiple) mini bottles of Evian mist are in the amenity drawer. Yours to use and take.

First impression the seats and cabin look like they lack privacy, but it's rather nice at the beginning of the flight and adds to the sense of 'community' in the cabin during boarding and meal service. LH F is kinda 'social' in that way, a bit like the old days of F. And it adds to the theatre of the meal service (trolley wheeled out laden with caviar and entrees).

When you've finished being social there's a sliding screen/wall that almost completely surrounds the seat (all the way from the edge of the armrest and round the back of the seat). There's a button to raise/lower the screen.

LH F is a bit like being at your best friend's place. It's all very easy, relaxed, and you feel at home.

The only downside is LH's inconsistency with champagne. At times they can serve some pretty good stuff (Taittigner Comtes de champagne rose, or Laurent Perrier grand siecle), and others they'll have something a bit off the wall. The current offering is Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis. It's at the cheaper end and has had mixed reviews. Those basing their choice of champagne on cost alone are disappointed. Those going in with an open mind haven't found it too bad. But the champagne has been changing every month or two recently.

The only 'oddity' is that while LH serves caviar with plastic utensils, they provide metal to eat it with.
Thanks :)
I have a seat right in the nose of the 74H, it’s been a long time since I sat in the nose of a 747 and the last time was old F on QF. This will be a vast improvement :D
 
Thanks :)
I have a seat right in the nose of the 74H, it’s been a long time since I sat in the nose of a 747 and the last time was old F on QF. This will be a vast improvement :D

It's a pretty cool plane! And quiet, a bit like the A380, but with the privacy of the 747 nose. The seats are too far back from the nose for the forward view though.

LH is a very different type of service. It's very German. If they're busy doing something else they'll just tell you! Some find that off-putting (the crew aren't obsequious), but unlike (for example) some QF crews, it's as far from patronizing as you could get. It really is more like being at a friend's place than on a plane or at a hotel.
 
Certainly a bucket list item for me. Looking forward to hearing about your experience. Glad you stuck with this over the alternative :)
 
Last time I was in the LH FCT (and first time flying LH F) was when I was coming back from Switzerland, so that's nearly a solid 2 years ago now.

The menu hardly changes, or at least many of the standing items, from what I'd guess. I'd imagine except possibly for Champagne and some wine labels, the drinks selection doesn't change much either (but it's huge - too much for one person to experience in one sitting, let alone a handful). There's also a self-serve buffet on offer with plenty to offer as well, all salad, savoury and sweet.

Here's some menus from ago. They could have changed, but maybe not, given that when I was there in 2015, the food and drinks hadn't changed since I was there 3-4 years prior.
  • Breakfast Menu
  • All Day Menu - the Leberkäse and the Wiener Schnitzel will always be there, the others may change on season or focus destinations
  • Drinks Menu - note: labels have likely changed

You'll also find little snacks in small bowls on the various coffee tables throughout the lounge - little sweets, nuts, gummy bears and so on.

Slumber rooms are available if you need them, but you'll need to request them. Can't comment on their comfort as I've never used one, but I don't think you get a full fledged bed, more like a leather recliner.

There is only one bathroom of five equipped with a bathtub. Make this clear to the attendant who records bookings if you want it. Rubber duckies are only left in the bathroom with the tub; if it isn't there, you can politely ask for one. You may get the generic rubber duck or a seasonal design duck. If you like a soak in the tub, this isn't a bad place to do it. There's no jets or anything - this isn't a jacuzzi. Bath salts are provided.

The rest of the lounge... if you go to one of the far ends you can find some secluded places to relax. The rest isn't say very private but quiet enough. Conversation rooms, if you need to make a phone call, are available.

There is a small duty free shop in the FCT if you want to shop for things there. Note that if you need to make a VAT claim, this must be done at the main terminal only - the FCT has no facilities for VAT claims. It may necessitate you to go through immigration at the main terminal, lodge your VAT claim, then exit back to landside / request a transfer to the FCT. You can also use the F Lounge in the main terminal, which is identical to the FCT except it isn't a separate terminal and no chauffeur to the gate.

Also, when you go through the FCT, your passport will be taken at the start before you go through security screening. Once you are in the lounge, you will be given your boarding passes either while you are in the lounge or once you exit the lounge via the chauffeur transfer. Your passport will be waiting for you once you leave the lounge - the border police are located downstairs as you get chauffeured to your aircraft.

Depending on how many passengers on your flight and how many cars, you may share a transport with them or not.
 
In 2015 when I flew LH F, it was their 747-8. The seating is quite open with not much privacy as such, but it is a comfortable seat. You'll sleep quite well when it's fully flat.

LH have wifi on board available. It is not free of charge, even for First Class passengers. I bought it as it wasn't terribly expensive (not cheap as chips, but not stupid high) and for the novelty of it. As you may have seen on Facebook, I managed to post the entire meal I had in pictures whilst in the air.

Amenity kits are the Rimowa type, just like TG F on most of their routes. Some routes used to or have the bag or Porsche case types, but I don't know which ones, if they still exist.

Ground service starts with drink of your choice (Champagne available) and typically macadamia nuts (not an amuse bouche). In the air, before the main meal the amuse is served with an aperitif. Unlike the tiered trays of the old days, entrees on LH F (after the caviar course) come on a long plate as a set of tasters (a bit more than a taster, but anyway). When I flew to Japan, a Western and Japanese menu was available; seeing as you're flying to another Western country I have no idea what would be offered. Cheese is served by trolley; you can select as much or as little of each as you want.

There's not much in terms of a menu between main meals, but I think there are usually snacks left near the drinks at the front of the cabin, plus I'm sure if you ask the crew they may be able to find something for you if you're peckish between meals.

As said, service is typical German hospitality. A no-nonsense but still friendly style of service.

When you land, it may be quite common that there will be someone available for LH F passengers either for extra assistance or to help you through the terminal. Although they were not specifically for me (no name), service for LH F passengers arriving in HND in the form of an escort and ground services was available and I sought their assistance as I had to transfer to NRT.
 
Overall, enjoy the LH F experience. Some may argue it doesn't match the top notches of some of the other F services out there (where some of those other experiences are much easier to obtain apart from paying outright for it). Most actually put the LH FCT on their bucket list more than LH F.

I think there is more than one way to have a great F experience, and LH F is one of those up there.

I'd gladly try LH F again, though it'd always have to be via an award because I can't afford to pay it outright in cash. Even then, except for Miles & More members, LH F space can be notoriously difficult to obtain, even if one searches within 14 days of departure.

So, enjoy the experience! Never forget - it doesn't hurt to admit that it's your first time (i.e. LH FCT, LH F on board, etc.).
 
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So, enjoy the experience! Never forget - it doesn't hurt to admit that it's your first time (i.e. LH FCT, LH F on board, etc.).

Oh I’ll be telling everyone it’s my first time at the FCT and first time onboard. I don’t want to miss out on anything !! :D
 
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It's strange with the baths... the ones in the main terminal are jacuzzi - with various settings for the jets ranging from full spa to wave motion or pulse. Unfortunately the current amenity kits aren't always Rimova - although the USA seems to be the ones that luck out, with the current ones a bit of a nondescript one by Braun Buffel (here's one from ebay: Lufthansa First Class BRAUN BUFFEL Ladies Amenity Kit 2017 Turquoise New Sealed | eBay. I think Japan may still have Rimova but I'm not sure about system wide. I managed to find a picture of the privacy screen surrounding the seats as shown on this page: https://www.samchuiphotos.com/LH748/49.JPG

I guess there could be some who think LH F isn't top tier... but I think that comes down to what I mentioned in my post... if you're looking for obsequious service like SQ, LH F isn't that product. While all Fs are different, I think LH is among the best with perhaps only three or four others in the same category.
 
Overall, enjoy the LH F experience. Some may argue it doesn't match the top notches of some of the other F services out there (where some of those other experiences are much easier to obtain apart from paying outright for it). Most actually put the LH FCT on their bucket list more than LH F.

I think there is more than one way to have a great F experience, and LH F is one of those up there.

I'd gladly try LH F again, though it'd always have to be via an award because I can't afford to pay it outright in cash. Even then, except for Miles & More members, LH F space can be notoriously difficult to obtain, even if one searches within 14 days of departure.

So, enjoy the experience! Never forget - it doesn't hurt to admit that it's your first time (i.e. LH FCT, LH F on board, etc.).

I used award points too and enjoyed the F LH experience but later ...... flew Economy and noticed the big difference and must say the Frauline Dragon really knew how to say Nein when I had “only” asked politely to have a look through the lounge I was missing out on. On the contrary the Asians ports had no problems ( don’t mind ) letting me have a nosy about.

Take pictures these experiences are fleeting. I made it a point to use every lounge Feature PF and eat as much of the Cavior that was available! I was the only one in First!!
 
I used award points too and enjoyed the F LH experience but later ...... flew Economy and noticed the big difference and must say the Frauline Dragon really knew how to say Nein when I had “only” asked politely to have a look through the lounge I was missing out on. On the contrary the Asians ports had no problems ( don’t mind ) letting me have a nosy about.

I assume you mean have a look through the FCT, in which case she was fully entitled to tell you 'no'. I'm not sure how diplomatically she did so at the time, but part of me is telling you that even the thought of wanting to "nose around" when you were clearly not entitled to do so means you must have been kidding yourself. To call her Frau Dragon on that pure account seems a bit much.

It probably doesn't help that at one time, many people were gaming access to the FCT, so they were probably inundated with lots of phony passengers passing through.

In Asian ports I'm sure it's purely discretionary as well, as second and third hand experience has told me. In any case, this is completely up to the agent.
 
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