Follow along on Snapchat and Instagram to see what I’m up to in real-time and email me any questions (if you don’t want to post a comment) at andystravelblog at gmail!

There are airline lounges, then there are nice airline lounges.  Then there are aspirational airline lounges, like Cathay Pacific’s The Pier in Hong Kong or Qatar’s Al Safwa First Class Lounge in Doha..

But then there is the Lufthansa First Class TERMINAL in Frankfurt.  That’s right.  Not a lounge, a terminal.

After taking epic pictures in Austria and Slovenia last weekend I decided to fly home in style and re-visit the First Class Terminal.

What’s the big deal about the First Class Terminal?

Let’s keep this short and simple.  Why would someone choose the First Class Terminal when there are other Lufthansa First Class lounges in Frankfurt?  Here’s what sets it apart:

• Security – the FCT has its own security check.  There’s never a line and it takes seconds.
• Immigration – when you arrive at the FCT your personal assistant takes your passport and delivers it to the immigration officer, who keeps it until you are ready to leave, at which point it has already been stamped (if necessary)
• Service – The FCT is bigger than other First Class lounges, but not enormous.  That said, your personal assistant is just one of many people roaming the terminal to make sure you’re squared away
• Shower suites – There are numerous shower suites, one of which has a bathtub which comes complete with a rubber ducky!
• The Drive – since you’ve already cleared security and immigration when you enter the FCT, you are driven to your jet in a German luxury vehicle

Who can access the First Class Terminal?

You can access the FCT if:

• You are departing Frankfurt in First Class on Lufthansa
• You are connecting from a First Class Lufthansa flight to another Lufthansa flight where Business is the highest class of service offered (example, I flew DFW-FRA in First and connected FRA-OSL where only Business was offered, I still got in)
• You are part of Lufthansa’s HON Circle status level (their top tier)

How do you get to the First Class Terminal?

If you’re driving or taxiing to the airport, there’s plenty of signage to get you to the FCT.  If you’re staying at an airport hotel or taking a train, it’s very easy to get to but you will need to walk.

• Go to the arrivals level at the ground level of the terminal
• Walk to the left-most exit door
• Turn left when you exit the terminal
• Walk along the sidewalk for about .5km (you’ll see a big taxi stand to your left, keep going)
• You’ll see the FCT straight ahead
• Go into the ground-level lobby and take the elevator to the first floor to check in!

Ok enough of that, I’m just here to see pictures and hear about your experience!

Fine!  I awoke early in the morning at the Hilton Garden Inn at Frankfurt International Airport.  My flight to Dallas departed at 10:00am and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to enjoy the FCT so I checked out of the hotel at 6am and walked over to the FCT and was promptly checked in and ensconced in the beautiful luxury of the FCT by about 6:20am.  First mission: shower suite with the bathtub.

I checked with the shower attendant and she said that suite was reserved but suggested I could get some breakfast while waiting.  Challenge. accepted.

There’s a dining area at the FCT where you can sit at a table and either order from the menu or get your food from a delicious buffet.  I opted for the buffet with a side of champagne.

After enjoying a plate of healthy delicious carbs food, and another glass of champagne (this will be a recurring theme), the shower attendant informed me that my shower suite was ready!

The shower suite which has the bathtub is (obviously) bigger than the other shower suites because duh.  On the bathtub is the legendary rubber ducky (don’t worry, I got an extra to give away to a lucky reader!) and some bath salts.

I drew a bath and relaxed for a bit…then my thoughts wandered to how many reviews I’ve seen of the FCT, all of which seem to talk an awful lot about that bathtub.  After realizing just how many people I personally knew who have also used that bathtub I kinda quickly decided maybe it was time for a shower, so I made my way over and took a quick shower.

Refreshed AF I went out to enjoy another glass of champagne the rest of the lounge.  There are a variety of seating options in the FCT and even though the seats fill up when there are lots of departing longhaul flights it never really seems crowded, a nod to the smart design of the facility.

At each seating area there are snack trays with a variety of nuts and various menus of drinks on offer.

At the end of the FCT there are some reclined lounging chairs with warm blankets if you need a nap.  They also have day beds for your use as well if you need more than a quick nap.

When I say that the FCT has a variety of services I mean it!  They have a Cigar Lounge with a wide variety of cigars on offer as well as a minibar with all manner of cognac and scotch for you to enjoy with your favorite smoke.

Next to the dining area is the main bar, which has about the widest variety of booze ever.  I’ll put it this way: they offer fifteen different varieties of WATER.  I stuck with champagne but man I could get into some trouble there.

On an island near the bar they had a gummy bear bar available as well because why the heck wouldn’t you have a gummy bear bar.

As the time to board was drawing near my dreams came true: a delay!  Normally that would prompt a lot of swearing, but not when you’re enjoying your time in the FCT.

Eventually my personal assistant took another passenger and me down to the immigration area where we received our passports and met our driver, who put our luggage in the trunk of a Mercedes S-Class, into which we hopped in for the unfortunately short drive to our aircraft.

The drive was quick but the experience was still freaking cool, driving by A380s and 747s and even an Airbus 321!  We arrived at our A330 and took an elevator to the aircraft, but not before I snapped a few more pictures.

So how was the flight?  You’ll have to stay tuned to find out!

Which is your favorite picture from the FCT?  Let me know if you have any questions about the experience in the comments below!