Inside the New Lufthansa First Class Terminal Expansion at Frankfurt

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt has long been the most exclusive piece of airport infrastructure in Europe — a separate building, a dedicated immigration channel, and a Porsche or Mercedes-Benz S-Class to your aircraft door. Last week’s reopening, after an 11-month renovation, has not changed any of that. What it has added is room.

The terminal closed on May 5, 2025 with a clear capacity problem. Built in 2004 to handle roughly 90 first class passengers per day, it had been pushed past 220 by HON Circle qualifications and the post-pandemic premium boom. The expansion adds 4,200 square metres of floor space, a 60% increase, and roughly doubles the seating capacity to 280.

What’s new

A second restaurant. The original dining room — gold-trimmed mid-century, white tablecloths — remains. Alongside it, Lufthansa has opened a 42-seat all-day restaurant designed by Berlin three-Michelin-starred chef Tim Raue. The menu rotates weekly; on our April 4 visit it included a sea-trout tartare with pickled cucumber and a 14-hour-braised wagyu cheek that has already become its signature dish. The wine list runs 184 bottles deep, with seven Champagnes by the glass including a 2014 Krug Grande Cuvée poured at no surcharge.

Day-suites. Eighteen private suites, each 18 square metres, have replaced the old back-of-house storage block. Each has a daybed, a desk, a rainfall shower, and a TV preloaded with the Sky Q catalogue. Reservations are 90 minutes per booking, with no time limit on suites left empty by absent passengers.

The “quiet wing.” A separate corridor running parallel to the main lounge, with 28 reading chairs in dark green leather, brass reading lamps, and a no-phones rule actively enforced by staff. There is also a dedicated bar — the Brass Bar, named after the brass cask Lufthansa commissioned from a Cologne distillery — that serves a 12-strong list of single-malt whiskies including a 1997 Brora that costs the airline EUR 740 per pour.

Smoking lounge upgrade. The cigar room has expanded from a single humidor to a full walk-in selection of 60 lines, with a Davidoff sommelier on staff weekday afternoons. (Yes, this is genuinely useful, and yes, it is genuinely smoke-extracted.)

What hasn’t changed

Access is still limited to passengers travelling in Lufthansa First Class, the Lufthansa Group’s HON Circle members (the airline’s highest tier, requiring 600,000 status miles in two consecutive years), and a small number of Star Alliance partner carriers’ equivalent passengers travelling Lufthansa metal that day. United Polaris passengers, ANA First Class passengers, and Air Canada Signature Class passengers do not qualify, despite occasional confusion in the points-and-miles community.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class transfer to aircraft remains, with 12 vehicles in the fleet (up from 8 before the expansion). On April 4 our wait was two minutes. On the busiest day Lufthansa has recorded since reopening — April 7, with a Tuesday morning bank of long-haul departures — the wait peaked at nine minutes.

Worth the detour?

If you are flying Lufthansa First Class — the only realistic way to access the terminal — yes, unequivocally, and you should aim to be on the ground three hours before departure to use it properly. If you are connecting onto a Lufthansa First flight, request the FCT entry at check-in even if you arrived in business class on a Star Alliance partner; Lufthansa now permits same-day onward First passengers in. Otherwise, the Senator Lounge at the B concourse is the next-best option, and remains very good.

A walk-through video tour by the airline’s product team is now live on Lufthansa’s YouTube channel as of April 5.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I access the Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt?

Access to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal (FCT) at Frankfurt is limited to passengers travelling in Lufthansa First Class on a same-day departing flight, and to Lufthansa Group HON Circle members on any same-day Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels, Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, or Lufthansa City Airlines departure regardless of cabin. A small number of Star Alliance partner First Class passengers travelling on Lufthansa metal that day also qualify. Crucially, United Polaris, ANA First, and Air Canada Signature passengers do not qualify, despite recurring confusion in the points-and-miles community. The terminal is a departure lounge and is not accessible to incoming passengers.

What is HON Circle and how do you qualify?

HON Circle is the top tier of Lufthansa’s Miles & More frequent flyer programme, sitting above Senator (Star Alliance Gold) status. Qualification requires earning 600,000 status miles (HON-qualifying mileage) over two consecutive calendar years — a threshold typically only achievable by sustained Business and First class flying on Lufthansa Group metal. HON Circle members are the most operationally privileged passengers in the Lufthansa Group system and have access to the Frankfurt FCT and Munich First Class Terminal on any same-day departure regardless of cabin or fare, including on partner airlines within the Lufthansa Group portfolio.

What is new at the expanded Frankfurt First Class Terminal?

The renovated Lufthansa First Class Terminal reopened on April 1, 2026 after an 11-month closure, adding 4,200 square metres of floor space (a 60% increase) and roughly doubling seating capacity to 280. The headline additions are a 42-seat second restaurant designed by three-Michelin-starred Berlin chef Tim Raue (rotating weekly menu, 184-bottle wine list), 18 private 18-square-metre day-suites with rainfall showers and Sky Q TVs (90-minute reservation blocks), a quiet wing with a no-phones-enforced rule and a Brass Bar serving a 1997 Brora at EUR 740 per pour, and an expanded smoking lounge with a Davidoff sommelier on weekday afternoons.

Is the Mercedes-Benz transfer to the aircraft still operating?

Yes. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class ramp transfer from the First Class Terminal to the aircraft door remains a core feature of the FCT experience. The vehicle fleet expanded from 8 to 12 vehicles as part of the April 2026 reopening, supporting the higher peak-hour throughput. On a typical day the wait for a car runs around two minutes; on the busiest day Lufthansa has recorded since reopening — Tuesday April 7, with a heavy bank of long-haul departures — the peak wait was nine minutes. Porsche vehicles are also available in the fleet, used for the highest-status HON Circle passengers and specific First Class connections.

Related on the journal. Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt: A Full Review · Lufthansa Senator Lounge Frankfurt — A 2026 Review · Plaza Premium’s New JFK Lounges (at Terminal 1, not 4): What’s Coming with the NTO