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What are Lufthansa 1st Class Ground Services?

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What are Lufthansa 1st Class Ground Services?

I recently had the unbelievable pleasure and privilege of experiencing Lufthansa 1st Class Ground Services on a trip back from Europe. It is a pretty surreal experience. The backstory is I needed a flight back from Dublin to Los Angeles and I was lucky enough to fly DUB-FRA-LAX where my Frankfurt to Los Angeles leg was in Lufthansa 1st Class. The only way I could do this was to use points. I ended up paying 80k Singapore Air Krisflyer miles and roughly $300. The cherry on top…the ground services. So what are Lufthansa 1st Class Ground Services?

Ground Services…

…are what you experience while you’re, well, on the ground. So check-in, between gates, lounge, etc, etc. When you fly 1st class things get amped up another notch. With Lufthansa in particular it is pretty amazing. In fact it’s beyond anything I’ve experience thus far. I recently wrote about American Airlines Five Star Service and basically, Lufthansa gives you this as part of your ticket whether you used points or cash.

Here’s a brief overview:

  • If you are arriving by car to depart Frankfurt – you will get complimentary Valet at the First Class Terminal
  • A personal assistant can be arrangeg to accompany you where you may need them.
  • In the First Class lounge (whether in the First Class terminal or elsewhere) there are dining areas, top shelf alcohol, shower suites, and even private bedrooms. If you like Cigars…they have a cigar lounge too!
  • A chauffeur will drive you from the lounge to the plane via the tarmac.
  • If you are connecting (see below for details) you will be driven by chauffeur from your arriving plane, to the lounge, and then when your connecting flight is boarding, to the plane again.

Check out Lufthansa’s First Class site here

I’ll be writing a more in depth review of the ground services soon, but here’s a quick look at what it was like for me.

When I got off my flight from Dublin there was a guy with an umbrella and Porsche Cayenne with heated seats waiting for me at the bottom of the steps. I MEAN…

Per Lufthansa – If your intercontinental flight arrives at non-gate position (as mine was – we exited and everyone had to bus to the terminal) and you’re flying in First Class, you will be collected on the tarmac and driven to the bus stop at Terminal 1.  I was on an award ticket and they still hooked this monkey up. TALK ABOUT SERVICE!!!!
Lufthansa First Class Ground Services

We zoomed across to Terminal 1 in a Sleek, Black, Porsche Cayenne. My buns were TOASTY with the heated seats and no glare in this monkey’s eyes we had tinted windows.

Lufthansa First Class Ground Services

I was dropped off and I made my way to the First Class lounge…where I slept in a private bedroom, showered in a spa suite, had some food until I was summoned to my plane. I didn’t have to worry about missing my flight – the staff was on it!

Lufthansa First Class Ground Services

Lufthansa First Class Ground Services Lufthansa First Class Ground Services

screen-shot-2016-10-21-at-6-25-42-pm
Lufthansa First Class Ground Services

After hanging out for a few hours in the incredible First Class Lounge in Terminal 1, I was summoned, then whisked away in a Porsche. My 747-8i was waiting across the airport for me ðŸ˜‰

Lufthansa First Class Ground Services

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My 747-8i awaits. You see those first 4 windows? They were alllllll mine! How crazy!

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There is a private elevator that will take you from the tarmac to the jetway. Since other passengers have been boarding for about 15 mins they actually stop traffic so 1st class passengers can board uninterrupted.

And straight to this sick seat! I’ll take my champagne now 😉 lufthansa-first-class-747-8-frankfurt-to-los-angeles-40-of-161

As luck would have it – I ended up with both nose seats. A bucket list dream come true

lufthansa-first-class-747-8-frankfurt-to-los-angeles-36-of-161

Where do they offer the chauffeur service?

Per the Lufthansa website:
screen-shot-2016-10-21-at-4-44-19-pm

 

screen-shot-2016-10-21-at-4-32-34-pm

And who qualifies for the service?

Per Lufthansa’s website

screen-shot-2016-10-21-at-4-43-58-pm

I used Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You, and American Express Membership rewards to transfer into Singapore Krisflyer. Since Singapore Air is a partner of Lufthansa I was able to book this flight and enjoy all of these benefits just by using points and about $300.

This was my Lufthansa 1st Class Ground Service Mood.

courtesy of giphy
courtesy of giphy

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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