This review covers my overall experience with the LH lounge at Frankfurt Airport…read more
Will not return: it's difficult to get in.
The lounge itself is okay: spacious, clean, with various seating options. The drinks are much better than the food. It has four showers and a large business section.
Getting in, however, is a challenge.
Before this incident, I didn't pay attention to their two lounge types: Senator and Business, and my credit cards and ticket gave me access to both.
I wasn't planning to use their lounge because:
- The layover was short, but the first leg of the trip on LH from Krakow was delayed.
- I have other easy options.
But flying Lufthansa, I see their mustard-yellow lounges right off the plane.
The first one, a Senator lounge, greeted me first. A woman by the door said, "Oh, you can't go," after I showed her my access code on their LH App.
"Really? Why?"
"You just can't," she replied.
"So, the code doesn't work?"
"You just can't," she insisted.
"May I see your supervisor?" I asked, snapping a photo before she left to find someone.
"Did you just take a photo of me?" she asked.
"No, I just took a photo; you may be part of it."
She went inside and soon reappeared with a tall white man.
"Are you the supervisor?" I asked.
"Did you take a photo of her?" he asked.
"Yes, because she happens to be there."
"Delete it," he instructed.
"It's a public space," I said.
"It's not allowed in Germany," he responded.
I think that's not true, but why argue with a self-important buffoon? I deleted the photo. He looked satisfied and tersely said, "You can't use the code," then walked away.
Did he get high on bullying a little old Asian woman?
Okay, you won't key in with the code. Neither of them asked me what kind of access credentials I have. If you don't want to deal with your co-brand North American credit card, do NOT publicly offer it as a benefit. I didn't sign up for free LH lounge access.
I found his manner repellent and somewhat amusing: I'd think by 2025, everyone would know that a deleted photo can be recovered from the 'Recently Deleted' folder with two clicks. Is he dumb, or is he just another of their army of counter-agents, taking pleasure in harassing customers?
If you still think German precision is great, consider that their trains are often running late and that airport escalators have been broken for years...
I don't know... Germany used to be the engine of Europe, but their top airline can't even scan a code properly. (The same goes for the Old Opera House in Frankfurt; they couldn't scan the ticket they emailed me. I had to print it out. For Pete's sake, save a tree or two, will you?)
On my way to Centurion, I passed by another LH lounge (I think there are 14 of them in FRA) near my gate. I checked my email, and bingo, it worked, allowing me to write this. I won't be flying Lufthansa again anytime soon.