Frankfurt’s never looked so good. Germany’s business capital—a hub of European traffic routes and Lufthansa, of course—has a newly renovated airport with high-end lounges that will have your clients smiling during transit (and loath to leave the airport). Though Frankfurt’s excellent museums—flanking the river Main—and the surrounding vineyards offer up rich touristic opportunities for those who wish to discover the region.

Luxury Travel Advisor recently traveled to Frankfurt for Lufthansa Premium Day to check out Lufthansa’s whopping EUR 150 million in improvements of its premium airport lounges.

 

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The bar in the First Class Lounge

 

A down economy is precisely the time to invest in innovative products and services. Lufthansa has secured its position during this economic crisis—distinguishing itself from the pack with an eye for long-term growth.  “Lufthansa has invested as much in the last five years as it ever has in all its years of business,” said Thierry Antinori, Lufthansa Executive Vice President Marketing and Sales. In addition to the swanky new lounges, Lufthansa showcased the new A-Corridor (for the future Airbus A380), the First Class Terminal, new Welcome Lounge (for long-haul passengers), and First Class menu selections from their latest Star Chef, Alexander Herrmann.

Bottom line: Consider sending your top clients via Frankfurt on their next overseas trip.

 

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Private Jet

 

Luxe Lounges

Lufthansa is investing millions in lounges worldwide, but there’s been particular fuss over the new First Class Lounge in Frankfurt. After we saw the private spa—featuring the Babor product line—and Nintendo Wii room, we understood the buzz. Not only can your clients relax with a shower or soak in a Jacuzzi tub (rubber ducky included), but they can also get pampered with a massage in one of the two spa treatment rooms. (Note: Spa services cannot be booked in advance; they are available for an additional fee, and can be arranged with the personal assistant assigned to each lounge guest.) Sprawling over 1,220 square meters, the lounge features a gourmet restaurant, cigar lounge, bar serving 80 types of whiskey, office units, and comfort area with armchairs and flat-screen TVs. Your clients are taken to their flights by Mercedes S-Class or Porsche Cayenne transfer.

The Tower Lounge is pretty cool, too, because of its panoramic views over the airport through a wall of glass. Open to First and Business Class passengers, the Tower Lounge has an array of amenities—from a hot/cold sandwich bar to Sonic pod chairs where guests can sink into a cocoon of music.

 

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Michelin-starred chef, Alexander Herrmann

 

Meals on Wheels

For the months of May and June, Lufthansa’s premium passengers are in for a treat: a menu devised by Alexander Herrmann, an award-winning, Michelin-starred chef who’s also a German TV star. From appetizer to scrumptious dessert, Lufthansa passengers get to taste creative gourmet cuisine from a different master chef every two months. In essence, the airline morphs into a different resto in two-month intervals, serving haute cuisine translated into special “airline form.”
Gone Jetting

For your clients who want flexibility, convenience, and a seamless travel experience in Europe, private jets may be the answer. Lufthansa is the only scheduled carrier with its own fleet of private jets.  As described by Dr. Reinhold Huber, Vice President Lufthansa Private Jet, the program combines the best of both worlds: the exclusivity of a private jet experience and the numerous advantages of a large commercial operator—use of Lufthansa’s First Class Lounges and limousines, easy booking with a travel agent, accrual of Star Alliance miles, and product transparency (fixed prices, standard electronic tickets, Lufthansa flight numbers for each trip).

 

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Cuisine prepared by Herrmann

 

The fleet consists of seven Cessna aircraft—including the Cessna Citation XLS+ that seats up to seven passengers—and can fly 2,100 miles at faster than 500 miles per hour. Operated by Swiss Private Aviation, Lufthansa Private Jet flies point-to-point in Europe or in combination with Lufthansa or SWISS long-haul flights through Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Zurich, and Geneva.