I had flown into Frankfurt airport on an Air Dolomiti Embraer E195, and would be leaving for Buenos Aires on a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8.
The Air Dolomiti flight landed 5 minutes late at 19:55 (see review). However we still had to take a bus to Terminal 1 Concourse B. Fortunately my flight to Buenos Aires also left from Gate B28. The Lufthansa Flight to Buenos Aires was scheduled to depart from Frankfurt Airport at 22:05, although it actually took-off 43 minutes late (see review).
In any case I was flying in Business Class so I could make a short stopover in the Lufthansa Business Lounge very near Gates B24-B28 (which are non-Schengen gates).
Frankfurt Airport has two main terminals, Terminal 1 used by Lufthansa and Star Alliance carriers, and Terminal 2 for non-Star Alliance airlines. In Terminal 1 there is Concourse A and Concourse B for both Schengen and non-Schengen flights (Concourse B is for Gates B1–B59). There is also Concourse C, for a limited number of long-haul and non-Schengen flights, and a Concourse Z, located above Concourse A, also for non-Schengen flights.
Lufthansa has a number of Business Class lounges around the airport. There are two in Concourse A, one near Gate A13, and the other near Gate A26. In Concourse B there is the lounge I visited near Gates B24–B28, and another near Gates B44–B48, after security. There is also a Business Class lounge near Gate Z11, and another near Gate Z50.
What's in this Business Class lounge?
The Business Class lounge near Gates B24-B28 gets a lot of non-Schengen traffic, in particular to the UK. It’s a large space, but there is also a lot of coming and going, so it’s always best to sit, if possible, far from the entrance and near the windows (even if the views are nothing special).
The lounge features a semi-circular layout and there are armchairs, benches, and workstations. I found the decor ordinary but the seating reasonable (although some people complain about the lounge being uninviting and the seating uncomfortable).
The buffet provides a selection of hot and cold dishes, such as soups, salads, and regional specialties, alongside coffee, tea, beer, wine, and spirits.
The food and drink is on a buffet along an interior wall. I found it not very inviting, a bit like an upmarket canteen. There was not a great variety on offer, two or three options for each food course.
On offer was:-
- Pea Stew with sausages
- Carrot Soup with Ras el Hanout and Coriander
- Chicken in Tomato Edamame Sauce with Coriander & Basmati Rice
- “Spätzle” Noodle Pan with Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes, roasted Onions & Spring Leeks
- Chocolate Cream with salted Peanuts & Caramel Sauce
- Vanilla Dessert with Red Fruit Jelly.
I remember two of the wines, a 2019 Rioja Crianza Heraclio Alfaro and a Bordeaux Réserve Cheval Quancard (don’t know the year).
In theory the Bordeaux should have been decent, but it wasn’t. I may have been a little tired, but the Rioja tasted better, only marginally.
I had to keep getting up to check status of my flight, so the screens, etc. are not that well positioned.
I think there are shower facilities, but I did not try them.
Overall impression
I was disappointed, I expected better. I did find a decent place to sit and check my phone, etc.
But the decor was bland, and the food was really disappointing. Slightly better than canteen food, but without any passion. I suppose the whole experience is designed to give the weary traveller an urgent desire to leave and arrive home as quickly as possible.
In my case it left me looking forward to my lie-flat in Business Class.
