London Heathrow to Frankfurt on Luthansa – Airport Hacks

A highly situational list – but it might help someone!

[1] (FRA) Boarding Pass Check Dodge

Due to the airport only having two electronic boarding pass scanners in Hall B, which often break down, long queues can build up while a single employee manually checks every boarding pass. If you don’t mind being a weasel, you can walk through the back of the shopping malls from Hall A, and arrive more or less at the beginning of the queue. And then try and look innocent and/or important while you merge into the head of the queue.

[2] (FRA) Security Line Mini-Dodge

Frequent visitors will dread the security line at Frankfurt, which can take over an hour to get through. Once you’re past the first two folds of the snake, it pays to keep your eyes open as you near and pass each red coat, as they will periodically open the barriers to let in 20 or so people to another scanner area. I’ve no idea why.

[3] (FRA) Passport Check Dodge

After you’ve finally cleared the security line, you’ll be dismayed to discover another big line to get through passport control. If you’re an EU passport holder, turn left past both the electronic gates and the big queue, and you’ll find another set of electronic gates, which usually have no traffic.

[4] (FRA) Mysterious Pre-Boarding Check Explanation

This one is not a hack, really just an explanation. You’ll sometimes see everyone queueing up at the gate before boarding is announced. This is so passports can be pre-checked, in return for a slip of paper, which makes boarding that little bit faster.

[5] (FRA) Taxi / Mobile Signal Tip

There appears to be very poor mobile signal outside Arrivals, and also it seems to take taxis ordered through services like MyTaxi a long time to arrive. Just get the esclator one floor up to Departures, where you’ll get better signal, and much more chance of a taxi who has just dropped off.

[6] (FRA) Lounge Tips

The Lufthansa lounge is OK, but you need to be a Frequent Flyer to take advantage. Don’t be tempted by the Priority Pass (Pay-As-You-Go) lounge. It has limited facilities, but the killer blow is it is landside, so you can’t stay there for very long, because of the mutliple long queues you still have to surmount before you get to your gate.

[7] (LHR) Lounge Tips

Spoilt for choice. The Lufthansa lounge in Terminal 2 is excellent, but the Priorty Pass lounge is even better, and has an excellent lunch and evening meal if you’re flying later on

[8] (LHR) Other Tips

I’m afraid the only other tip for Terminal 2 is to enjoy the efficiency, space and comfort – the trouble is usually at the other end.

 

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