[Anonymous]

[starflyer]

There was a time when airline lounges were supposed to be an oasis away from all the hassle in the terminal building. Not so anymore in Frankfurt airport. Last night’s visit to the LH Senator Lounge in the B area was beyond ridiculous. There was literally standing room only. It strikes me as very peculiar that Star Alliance founder Lufthansa keeps growing the alliance yet makes very little room for thus ever increasing Star Gold passengers. The current lounge in the B area is smaller than the Senator lounge before Star even got of the ground (in those days the staff were definitely nicer too). These days the LH Senator lounges have all the charm of a drab train station waiting room, only enhanced by outsourced rude wardens outside the door hassling passengers for their “gold” cards when it already clearly states *G on each and every boarding pass.

If Frankfurt should be a hub for international business passengers the lounge situation in Terminal 1 needs improve rapidly. I never thought I’d say this but changing in LHR Terminal 1 seems not such bad idea after all.

[RoadKing]

Frankfurt Am Main is a terrible relic from the past. I could understand the mess for a temporary period of time, but this is persistent.

I have avoided FRA for a long time, unfortunately this Friday I had to travel through FRA or stay another night.
Coming from Italy, going forward to Scan means you have to leave the secure area, pass through immigration and security again. Stupid, considering that both countries are inside Schengen.

As if that was not enough, if you wanted to spend some time in the lounge, you have to go to gate B25 which is not in the same security zone as the Scan flights. Meaning double security and immigration, it is just plain stupid.

As I left the arrival gate (which of course was almost as far away in pier A as possible) I had 1 hour before boarding (scheduled that is) was meant to start for the ongoing flight. So, I had to consider, shall I take the chance I will walk myself to death and wait myself annoyed at the security? Or shall I pester at the gate, starving and not getting newspapers?

I did take the chance, which raise another issue, the signs at that crappy airport is beyond any sensibility. I don’t know where they found the guy who decided the sign policy, but he certainly were not a man of the world.

Security fortunately had no long lines and thank God, they had express lanes for *G, but what good is that, when the staff were more concerned about how to write the Christmas cards than checking the security (I speak German so I know what they were talking about).

Christmas cards aside, I have at times wondered if the staff at FRA get paid for delaying people from their planes.

If it wasn’t for the excellence of MUC, I would think German had no clue of creating and running airports. But knowing how MUC shines in comparision, it is even harder to fathom how it is possible that FRA can be as it is.

FRA? If you can, AVOID IT!

[Senator]

As as LH Senator (Gold) I concur that Frankfurt is not the best place to connect. However, we need to seperate what is the airport (Fraport) and what is Lufthansa’s issues. Some of the Senator lounges get really crowded at peak times; nothing is worse than MUC Schengen lounge which is dreadful at time (while the airport is brilliant!)

My gripe (as many others) is how Fraport organise between European Schengen and None-Schengen flights. Flights orginating in FRA require two security screenings when travelling to UK and Swiss destinations.

Lufthansa on the other hand is in my view one of the best managed airlines in the world. Just look at financial performance over the last years; the Swiss integration is a perfect example.

[OzTraveller]

As much as I agree about the confusing signage at FRA, I have to say the First Class Terminal of Lufthansa is the best in the world, and that includes SQ at the new terminal in Singapore. Very welcoming from the limo transfer at the main terminal, your own duty free shop, immigration all done there, and an a la carte restaurant if you dont want to eat on the plane. Showers, resting rooms for a nap, a great bar with snacks, everything to get you in the right mood for your long haul overnight flight. Limo transfer from your own terminal to the aircraft steps. What more could you want!

I hand it to LH for a superb product for First class passengers, far better (on the ground at least) than the much lauded SQ. The gloss has gone off SQ for me. Their standards have dropped, they’ve taken their eye off the ball. But at least not as bad as Emirates.

[robdub]

travel First boys, problem solved, get away from the riff-raff, FRA First Class terminal is undoubtedly #1 in the world. Maybe they should send a few QF execs to have a look, their First lounge in SYD isn’t much more than a cafeteria

[Author]

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