[Anonymous]

[please_turn_left]

Dear Most Knowledgeable Forum
Does anyone know whether Lufthansa & Swiss still do a car from the first class lounge to the airplane steps for first class (and Hon Circle) passengers?
I had this last time I travelled Swiss first but now can’t see anything on the Swiss / Lufthansa website. It just mentions “priority boarding” for first class passengers.
I’m travelling Zurich – JFK in Swiss first and returning in Lufthansa first via Frankfurt. Can I expect a car to the plane in Zurich and a car from the plane to the lounge in Frankfurt to wait for my connecting flight?
Thanks.

[SwissExPat]

It. has been 18 months since I did this at ZRH.

I had a car bring me from the lounge in main terminal over to terminal E.

I then boarded a lift to take me up to the main terminal where I was then just another PAX.

Would have preferred to go to the steps of the airbridge but this seems not to be the way.

[ZKSmith]

Can’t comment regarding Swiss.
Arriving at FRA with LH, it depends. If your plane arrives at a terminal gate, you are just another passenger and it is up to you to make your way to the first class lounge or terminal (or at least that is what happened to me a few months back, and when flying business I’ve never seen cars waiting at the gate for the more premium passengers).
However, if your plane arrives at a remote stand there should be a car waiting for you.

[millionsofmiles]

I can talk about ZRHwith some certainty that a private car/minibus brings you to the plane. This was done not only for original departure, but also for th transit.

In FRA, you will be ferried to the plane with either Mercedes, Porsche or Minibus upon departure from the First Class Terminal.
As far as my experiences go, you are not picked up for regular arrival, but in some cases I was picked up at the plane and brought to my next flight.
So, for the first segment, leaving from F-Cl Terminal, it is for sure.
For transit maybe,

[please_turn_left]

Thanks all for the info.
Bizarre they don’t talk that up on their respective websites as part of the “first” experience. Given some of the other standard fare they mention as being “advantages of travelling in the SWISS First Class” or with Lufthansa “Travelling First Class means always being able to expect the exceptional”, I would have thought that a car to the aircraft would actually be something worth talking about.

[millionsofmiles]

Here it is:

http://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/First-Class#

http://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/Lufthansa-First-Class-ground-services

http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/de/info_and_services/at_the_airport?nodeid=3282115&l=en&cid=18002

The last link gives you information about limousine service to the plane at various airports.

[Wasborntotravel]

My experience at Zurich was the same as SwissExPat, minibus to Terminal E, escorted to a lift and once on the departure floor, left to your own devices.

[SimonRowberry]

My experiences at ZRH, in Business with SWISS, (when using a remote stand) have been to have a separate Business Class minibus on arrival, but no segregation on departure (i.e. Only one bus for the plane).

Simon

[millionsofmiles]

@Simon

The privat car transfer to the plane upon departure is only for First Class passengers.

[MarkCymru]

In Munich, I made my own way to the Hon Circle lounge but there was a transit clearance facility there (complete with border guard) and a chauffeured car took me directly from there to the connecting flight. Very impressive. (I think there may have been a car from the inbound flight to the lounge but I wanted to stretch my legs so I ignored the people on the jetway with sign boards — a bit ungrateful, I know)

[Senator]

Hello,

The devil is in the details here, and everything depend on where your journey begins:

Originating FRA:
You check in using the First Class Terminal (FCT) if you like and you are driven to the aircraft regardless of position.

Transit FRA with gate position:
You disembark and walk to either First Class Lounge (FCL) A/Z or B, or if you have enough time you can leave for landside and the 5min walk to the FCT. Regardless, you are driven to your gate

Transit FRA with apron position:
You are collected from the apron in a car, and driven to the appropriate arrival area (Schengen or None-Schengen) at A or B. The walk to either FCL A och FCL B is very short, and you are driven to gate.

Originating MUC:
You check in using the First Class Area and you walk to the FCL lounge. You are not driven from here.

Transit MUC with gate position:
You disembark and walk to the FCL First Class Lounge (FCL)

Transit MUC with apron position:
You are collected from the apron in a car, and driven to the FCL.

Originating ZRH:
You check in using the First Class Area and you walk to the FCL lounge. You will be taken to E-gates and walk to the gate, not all the way to the gate.

Transit ZRH with gate position:
You disembark and walk to the FCL First Class Lounge (FCL), and driven as above.

Transit ZRH with apron position:
You are collected from the apron in a car, and driven to the FCL, and driven as above.

In ZRH there is also a special set up from transfer passengers to GVA who are collected on arrival regardless and driven to FCL. I had this in August.

The ground experience in FRA is the superior experience, can’t find anything to fault. The on-board experience after sampling LH B747-8i out from FRA, and the LX A330-300 return to ZRH I find Swiss to be miles ahead of Lufthansa.

[please_turn_left]

Thanks again all for the info.

MoM, thanks for the links. That’s the last time I moan at my kids for not looking properly when they say they can’t find something!

Senator, agree regarding the LX vs LH first comparison. My trip is a b’day treat for myself and I was going to go to LA but decided on NY in the end specfically so I get the new first on the LX A330 vs the old first on the A340 and so that I get the seat plus bed on the LH 747-4 vs the very ordinary looking seat on the A340 on the way back.

Am travelling tomorrow so will let you all know how it goes with the transfers.

[GoonerLondon]

Completely agree with Senator – Swiss is better on the plane. I think the Frankfurt F terminal experience must be better (i’ve only done F through Munich)

The transfer is a bit style over substance at Zurich because you only get the car to the E Gate building – so it just replaces the journey on the train. Also to take the car, you have to leave the lounge quite a bit earlier, so you can find your self hanging about a bit waiting to board.

It also means 2 trips through security – one under the lunge before you get in the car – and then again at the E gate building!

On the Apron (I usually fly in from LCY to connect) – I’ve never been collected by a car! Did I miss out?

Anyway. Thanks to the changes on the M&M scheme the days of upgrading my cheaper J tickets are a thing of the past, so I guess I wont be troubled with such things again. I’m sticking with BA from now on…

[LuganoPirate]

Senator is right, but you only get a car from the stand if flying First and the flight originated in Geneva.

When I arrive from MXP I always get the Business Bus from the stand to the arrivals, then to the First Class Lounge with the lift.

When they take you by car to the E gate you are accompanied and at the desk where they check your passport (I’m talking JNB flights here) the driver announces to the desk clerk you’re F (or HON) and he then immediately checks your documents and through you go to board.

On arrival from JNB etc, having flown First, you have to slum it with everyone else through security and onto the train, though HON passengers are met and taken by car. Happened to me once as a “treat” they told me!

[Author]

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