The Lufthansa First Class Terminal has always been on my bucket list of first class lounge experiences. I’ve always heard great things about it and I thought it was pretty cool that there’s an entire terminal dedicated to first class. On my recent flight from FRA to IAH in first class on the A380, I was able to experience the lounge for a few hours and here’s my review. 

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Getting to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal

It was the last day of my round the world trip and for my last night, I opted to use Hilton points for a free night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport. It’s a pretty basic hotel but what I loved is that the hotel is located within the airport so you don’t have to take any shuttle bus and can just head right into the airport. 

My day started around 3 am with me waking up and getting things packed and ready to go. While ironing my outfit for the day and trying to avoid eating German gummies for breakfast, I got to catch a great sunrise over the Frankfurt skyline from the hotel’s 10th floor.

My round the world trip started out with an amazing sunset on my way to fly EVA business class on the 777 so it was only fitting that it end with an impressive sunrise. 

At about 5:00 am, I checked out the hotel and began the trek over to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal, making my way through the ghost town of an airport which is always nice and relaxing. 

I didn’t have a clue as to how to get to the terminal so I just started to make my way through the empty airport, looking for signs. I never saw any signs for the Lufthansa First Class Terminal, though.  

Eventually, I did see signs for Lufthansa check-in for business class and first class and I followed those down an escalator. 

I figured that the Lufthansa First Class Terminal might be near those or that at least some signs would point me in the right direction. But nope. After not finding any signs, I asked an airport agent where to go and he told me to head out the exit and turn left and that the Lufthansa First Class Terminal would be about 500m away. 

I was really not looking forward to breaking a sweat carrying all my luggage over there but when I stepped outside I was reminded that I was in Frankfurt Germany where, unlike Houston, the morning temperature was in the mid 60s.

Sweating wasn’t going to be a problem, but I’d be lying if I said I still didn’t at least contemplate hiring a taxi to take me to the terminal.

Enjoying the cool morning, I made my way down a sidewalk and through a couple of pathways and then I finally saw the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. I immediately started to get excited.

That excitement was curbed (as was I) when I made my way to the door of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal and realized it wouldn’t be opened for another fifteen minutes. So I just hung out and enjoyed the fresh air until eventually a couple of the Lufthansa staff members opened the door and welcomed me in. 

One thing I like about LH F, they know how to brand their first class product. You see it all over the lounge exterior, the first class cabin, and on the memorabilia. First class doesn’t always feel as special as Lufthansa makes it feel.  

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Lufthansa First Class Terminal check-in and security 

Once the doors were unlocked I entered into the bottom floor lobby and was led into an elevator. 

We then took the lift up to the main lobby of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal where the three check-in desks were.

From the first second I was greeted by the agents, I was impressed with their first class treatment. Throughout the entire stay at the terminal the staff would be attentive, personable, and just a joy to be around — they really added value to the experience. 

I believe this lobby area is where you’ll enter if you get dropped off by a vehicle and that they will also take your baggage from you there. Since I didn’t have my boarding pass yet, they worked on getting me that and then they took my passport and told me that I wouldn’t get it back until just before departure. That was a little odd but a small price to pay.  

They explained to me that I’d have to wait a couple of minutes for the security station to open. So I just sat and relaxed in the lobby, checking out the sights and listening to some music pumping from the sound system. 

After only a minute or two, an agent led me to the security station, where I was the only one in line (for the first 20 minutes I’d have the lounge all to myself). I took out my laptop and then walked through the metal detector. Because of heightened screening for US flights, I also had to remove my shoes and then was subject to a very thorough pat down. 

But it was over before I knew it and then I was led towards the lounge. There’s a duty free store right past security but it was closed that early and I never went back to check it out. Just before you enter the lounge, there’s also a well-lit trophy case proudly showcasing multiple generations of the famous Lufthansa First Class rubber ducks. 

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The Lufthansa First Class Terminal

As soon as you enter the terminal you will see a large collection of literature and magazines to read on the left. Their collection is very extensive so you can probably find something that you are interested in.

Next to the entrance is the magnificent bar area. 

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal bar is one of the most impressive first class lounge bars that I have come across. You can have a seat at the bar or at the counter in front of the bar which has a chess board to keep you occupied.

You can also find a guest book on this counter to sign. People left all kinds of different messages and even drawings in the book, and you’ll probably find the signatures of miles and points bloggers and YouTubers throughout the book. 

I really liked how sleek the look of the bar is. 

The bar at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal is known for its extensive drink selection, which includes over 130 different kinds of whisky. They even offer a whisky tasting service. 

Also, if you are in the mood for gummy bears there are several containers that are organized by color. A little OCD but I liked the look of it. 

Since I don’t currently drink I opted for a mocktail. I’m not sure what was in the drink other than different types of fruit juices. I got about 70% through with it and still couldn’t decide if I loved it or hated it due to the odd and unfamiliar flavors, but I appreciated them whipping up something with no alcohol. 

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Lufthansa First Class Terminal dining 

The dining area at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal is relatively small but it is elegantly put together. This area is divided up by a couple of partitions that allow you a little bit of privacy when dining which is nice and they have a no talking on the phone policy which I think is great. 

You can choose between à la carte items off the menu or simply make your own plate with their extensive buffet. I did a little bit of both. 

First, I tried out the breakfast buffet items. There was a lot to choose from including things like:

• Eggs
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Hash browns
• Nutella crepes
• Waffles
• Cheeses
• Deli meats
• Cereals
• Yogurts
• Pretzels
• Breads
• Pastries

The breakfast selection was pretty much what you’d find at a five-star hotel that knows how to put on a great breakfast, so I was very impressed by it. 

Everything that I tried was high-quality. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the bacon and the crepes were simply amazing. But I didn’t want to go too hard on the buffet to save room for later so I ended up just trying a little bit.

I did come back about two hours later to try something off the menu. I ordered eggs Benedict and a waffle but was informed that items like the waffles were to just be taken off the buffet. I was slightly disappointed since it’s hard to beat a fresh waffle but I decided to just go with the eggs Benedict.

The order promptly came out after only a few minutes and the eggs Benedict was delicious. I think the  hollandaise sauce had something special in it because it had a strong flavor I’m not used to tasting, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. But it was very delicious. 

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Lufthansa First Class Terminal seating

There is a lot of seating throughout the lounge and you can find a number of small living room type setups in different sections of the lounge. These areas, which are great for groups, have chairs and sofas that are set up around a coffee table where you can find things like nuts and dried fruits to snack on.

There are also a couple of places for you to hang up your garments. 

I preferred to relax in the “easy chairs.” These were lining the windows and were very comfortable.

In the middle of the lounge you can find the concierge desk which can assist you with all things related to your flight. 

While most things were great in the lounge, I did have a couple of complaints. 

The first is that there were no outlets suited for international/US use and no adapters either. I had misplaced my adapter at some point during the trip and I was a bit surprised the lounge didn’t have at least one US power adapter to use.   

Another drawback to the lounge is that there are no true privacy areas (aside from the quiet rooms below that are very limited in quantity). All of the seating is out in the open. Sometimes it’s nice to just get cozy in a private little cubby and feel cut-off from the crowds (or the world) and that really is not a possibility there.

Also, there are very limited views that are not ideal for plane spotting. Below are what the views look like from the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. As you can tell, they are nothing special.

Maybe it was a little early for plane spotting but I don’t recall seeing much in the sky. 

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Lufthansa First Class Terminal quiet rooms

Lufthansa First Class Terminal has two quiet rooms with day beds (I just call them nap rooms). These can be reserved and occupied for up to three hours which is double the time allowed with the Day Suites at The Pier in Hong Kong.

The rooms are spacious and nice but I would not put them above the rooms found at the Al Safwa First Class Lounge in Qatar. There are far more rooms at that lounge and you can stay in them longer (up to six hours), not to mention the fact that they have private showers and TVs. Still, these quiet rooms would be great for a layover. 

There are also four shower rooms that you can use in the back of the lounge.

The shower rooms are very nice and one of the rooms even has a bathtub you can relax in. Unfortunately, that bathtub was occupied every time I wanted to get photos of it so I was not able to get any.

To reserve a shower or bathtub room simply head to the desk with the ducks and the bell and ring it to get attention. Someone will probably pop out very quickly to greet you if they aren’t already at the desk. By the way, don’t forget to take your duck before leaving!

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Cigar lounge

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal has a cigar lounge like some other first-class lounges. This lounge within a lounge has glass walls and the furniture is similar to that found in throughout the lounge.

Interestingly, the cigar lounge does not provide cigars so you will have to bring your own which is a departure from the Etihad First Class Lounge. 

There is a bar within the cigar lounge which was stocked pretty well.

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Lufthansa First Class Terminal massage chairs

At the end of the lounge there are three special massage chairs that you can relax in. This is one of the few areas of the lounge where you can get some privacy so if you’re looking to relax, you might want to try out one of these massage chairs. 

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Lufthansa First Class Terminal Bathrooms

The bathrooms in the lounge are very nice and well-kept. There are several different private stalls that you can enter in each stall has a toilet as well as a urinal. You can also find a shoe shiner. 

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Lufthansa First Class Terminal Chauffeur service

One thing that the Lufthansa First Class Terminal is known for is the personal chauffeur service. It is a pretty sweet perk and basically you get dropped off directly to the aircraft on the tarmac. And they don’t just use any old vehicle to do this — in many cases you are transported in a Porsche. It’s a short ride but it is a pretty sweet feeling to get dropped off in a Porsche.

When you arrive at the lounge or sometime shortly after, an agent should explain what time to expect to be taken down to the vehicles. In my case, it was right when boarding was scheduled. We went down the elevator and arrived at the waiting lobby. 

This is where you’ll get your passport back from passport control, which could take a couple of minutes depending on how things are going. In my case, I took a seat for about three to four minutes while I waited for them to process everything. 

Finally, I was informed that another passenger would be riding with me and when he finally came down we made our way through the doors where the vehicles were parked. Sharing the Porsche was a little bit of a letdown in large part because it meant trying to get photographs without another passenger in them as we boarded.  

It was pretty cool to see a line-up of Porches waiting for us. 

We then loaded into the Porsche and then made our way to the A380, which only took about two minutes.

After arriving, we took a large elevator up to the boarding level.  

There were some people boarding through the jet bridge (I assumed business class passengers) and then we turned left into the first class cabin and the Lufthansa first class experience began! 

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Final word

Overall, the Lufthansa First Class Terminal is a solid first class experience. In my opinion it has the following features that stand out: 

• Exclusivity factor and ability to avoid public security lines/passport control
• Fantastic in-lounge service 
• Great bar and solid dining
• Cool cigar lounge 
• Nice nap rooms and shower facilities
• Porsche chauffeur service 

The only things I wasn’t crazy about were: 

• Lack of privacy
• Lack of views for plane spotting