Review: Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge Frankfurt
The Trip of AA Lifetime (Asia, Australia, Middle East) – Introduction
oneworld operate flights from Frankfurt Airport’s Terminal 2… which I’ve flown out of once in my life, a few years ago. The rest of my travel through Frankfurt has been either through Terminal 1 or the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. My Iberia flight from Madrid also arrived in Terminal 2, so finding the Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge wasn’t a problem.
I had about a two hour connection and therefore wanted to visit Lufthansa’s WorldShop in Terminal 1, so I needed to leave the secure area and take the air train to Terminal 1. After a few moments at the WorldShop, I headed back to Terminal 2 and proceeded to Cathay Pacific’s check-in area since I didn’t have a boarding pass for the flight.
The check-in area was virtually empty and I was one of the last people to check-in. First Class was full and since I booked the flight last minute, I was also stuck in a middle suite.. which kind of sucked.
Once I had my boarding pass, I proceeded through Passport Control and headed to the Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge. Security at Frankfurt Airport Terminal 2 is carried out near each gate, instead of in one centralised location (like in Terminal 1), so the lounge isn’t airside (and I think most lounges in Terminal 2 aren’t).
The Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge in Frankfurt is open to CX First and Business Class passengers, as well as oneworld Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers. The lounge is located opposite of the security control for gates E6-9, and is open from 06:00 – 14:00 in the summer and until 13:00 in the winter.
The lounge features many amenities, including: comfortable seating, a food buffet and drink area, a business centre, internet access, bathrooms, showers, an international and local phone, catalogues, etc.
I was literally one of the last people to visit the lounge, since boarding was scheduled to begin shortly and therefore most of the passengers were already waiting at the gate. I honestly hate lounges that aren’t airside since you always have to worry about the security queue and how far away the gate is.
The Cathay Pacific Lounge consists of two areas. The forward part of the lounge features a business centre, comfortable seating, light snacks, and refreshments. The back area of the lounge (as pictured below) is much larger and features the main food buffet, an extensive range of drinks, and plenty of seating areas. The bathrooms and showers are located next to this area.
The lounge features plenty of comfortable seating throughout, and the food buffet area features restaurant-style seating. There is also a gorgeous bar-like area with high seating.
The food buffet is composed of both Asian and Western choices. Since I visited the lounge just prior to the closing time, the food options weren’t extensive. Some of the choices included salads, soups, sandwiches, rolls, vegetables, fruit, cold cuts, cheese, etc. I decided to try one of the pre-made sandwiches, and it was quite tasty. The snacks consist of cookies, chips, nuts, and other packaged items.
The drink selection is located right next to the food, and consists of water, juice, tea, coffee, soda, beer, wine, champagne, and other alcohol.
Like previously mentioned, the forward area of the lounge features a small selection of snacks and also a smaller selection of drinks. The main food and drinks are located in the larger area of the lounge, near the back.
Boarding was scheduled to begin fifteen minutes after I arrived in the lounge, and after touring the lounge I decided that I’d like a quick shower. I figured a ten minute shower wouldn’t hurt and the security control would be empty by then.
The lounge features a few shower rooms, and the key to each is available at the reception desk. You have to exchange your boarding pass for a key to the shower room. The rooms are quite small and a bit dated, but clean. Amenities provided in the shower room consist of towels, slippers, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a shower cap, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, a hair dryer, etc.
After a quick shower, I grabbed something to eat and just as I made it to the gate, a delay of about thirty minutes was announced.. great!
So, I headed back to the lounge with a few other people and relaxed for a bit while the technical problem with the aircraft was fixed. Boarding was announced shortly after the issue had been resolved, and they made sure First Class could board first.
All in all, the Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge in Frankfurt is a perfectly pleasant lounge to relax before your flight. I like that the lounge has shower rooms and a food buffet consisting of Asian and Western choices. The lounge is designed according to Cathay Pacific standards and while not as nice as the lounges in Hong Kong, it is a bit similar to some of the design that CX’s lounges in Hong Kong feature.
The service was excellent and the staff were friendly, so overall a great lounge far away from Cathay Pacific’s hometown.
