Trip Report PRG-FRA-SFO Part I: Lufthansa Y and Tower Lounge
A month's gone by, and it's time to leave Europe. There was a direct shuttle from outside of the Hilton Prague Old Town to the airport. I was the only one on board the bus, which runs every 30 minutes and costs 130 CZK. I think it might not have been so popular because you can also take several city buses to the airport for less money, but I didn't bother to investigate since it was right outside the door (in front of the CSA Czech Airlines office).
There was no Star Alliance lounge at PRG - I believe Lufthansa business class passengers use the CSA lounge. It was fine actually, as there's a supermarket in the terminal where I bought some reasonably priced rolls, cottage cheese, and an interesting string cheese which I believe is from Slovakia.
On board the Lufthansa flight to PRG aboard the Airbus A319, we were served drinks, and I thought that was the extent of the service on the hour-long flight.
But towards the end of the flight they handed out cheese sandwiches! I saved it for my next flight.
At FRA, I had little time for the lounge as I went to the Lufthansa World Shop to buy some expandable travel bags, and then spent a long time getting the VAT refund. First the clerk in the store told me to go to the wrong counter for the Customs stamp on the receipt - she told me to go to one of the check-in counters in a different concourse to get the stamp, but that is only for checked baggage. If you are bringing your purchases onto the flight with you, Customs stamps it after passport control, so I had to hike back to the concourse for my departing flight, and that area is not actually staffed with Customs officers! You pick up the phone and then request that someone show up. Two officers showed up after about 5 minutes, opened up an office, and stamped my receipt. Then it was not clear where to get the refund. There's a box outside of the Customs office for one tax refund service, but that is not the service that the World Shop uses. Thank goodness the Customs officer told me that they were not interchangeable, otherwise I would not have known. She said to try at a currency exchange office, and luckily the Reisebank gave me the full refund - all of €7!
Finally I got to go to the Lufthansa Tower Lounge. I read that this lounge will be replaced in a couple days with a new Business and Senator Lounge. Since I would have been only able to access the Business Lounge with my United Club card, I think I benefited from the Tower Lounge because its food is more on the level of a Senator Lounge.
I had a couple rolls, "Munich style" potato salad, turkey hot dog (it was a US themed menu according to a sign), a vegetable cream and some kind of mousse pate in glass cups, caramel pudding, and a multivitamin fruit juice.
There was also a variety of fresh fruit and other desserts, along with a freezer full of Cornetto, with chocolate and strawberry flavors on offer.
