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Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [Merged]

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Old Aug 2, 2013, 9:15 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: nacho
Why does this lounge have its own thread?
Unlike most non–United Club Star Alliance (*A) lounges in the United States, the Lufthansa lounge at IAD is physically accessible to domestic UA passengers. This means:
  1. United *G members may access the lounge on domestic itineraries, even though they wouldn't be allowed free access to the United Clubs on such itineraries.
  2. Passengers who otherwise have United Club access, whether due to a paid membership or a foreign *G card, have the option of a vastly superior lounge in IAD.
What is the Lufthansa Lounge at IAD like?
There are two floors to the lounge: the concourse level, where you enter and check in, which also has the Senator lounge with ample windows; and the lower level, which has the Business lounge and showers. (The showers are very nice; on par with Senator lounge showers in Lufthansa's Frankfurt hub.)

The Senator lounge offers a complimentary buffet throughout the day, including hot dishes, salads, and dry snacks, and has draught beer and a full open bar including champagne, available upon request.

[Need description of FTL offering. Include photos?]

How do I get there?
The lounge is located at the center of the B concourse, from where non-US airlines depart, to the right of the Aerotrain escalators as you enter the concourse from the train.

Hours have changed seasonally, but, as of April 2014, are 8:20 to 21:30 except Mondays, when the lounge closes at 17:30. It also closes daily from 12:00 to 13:30. Some report the lounge opening earlier on occasion and some report it closing earlier on occasion.

From TSA/check-in, the B concourse is one stop away by Aerotrain, but in the opposite direction of the C concourse from where most United flights depart. Allow 20 minutes between the center of the C concourse and the Lufthansa Lounge. The longest part of the trip is the walk between the C concourse proper and its Aerotrain stop. Between concourses B and C, the Aerotrain makes two stops: one at concourse A and one at the main terminal/TSA/baggage claim.

How do I get inside?
With...
  • Any Star Gold (*G) card (including UA Premier Gold and higher) and a same-day departing *A boarding pass in any class to any destination, domestic or international. There are reports (April 2014) that the physical card is no longer necessary; a *G designation on the boarding pass reflected in the barcode may be sufficient. (Senator lounge, 1 guest)
  • A LH/LX HON/SEN card and a same-day departing or arriving *A boarding pass to/from any destination, domestic or international. (Senator lounge, 1 guest [plus spouse if HON] plus children under 18)
  • A LH/LX FTL card and a same-day departing *A boarding pass in any class to any destination, domestic or international. (Business lounge, no guests)
  • A LH Premium Economy boarding pass with ($35 adult/$20 2-12yo child) lounge pass purchased at the ticket counter. [Can it be paid at the entrance?] (Business lounge, no guests)
  • A United Club or Maple Leaf Lounge Worldwide membership card and a same-day departing *A boarding pass in any class to any destination, domestic or international. (Business lounge, 1 guest)
  • A same-day international departing *A First (Senator lounge, 1 guest) or Business (Business lounge, no guests) boarding pass
  • A same-day arriving LH/LX First boarding pass. (Senator lounge, 1 guest)

In all cases, each guest must also present a same-day *A boarding pass for admission.

Lounge access for travel in a domestic premium cabin is not regulated by *A; as such, UA F domestic passengers (without other credentials) do not have access to the LH Lounge according to *A.com, just as they do not have access to the United Clubs. However, the international requirement for C/F tickets is conspicuously absent from Lufthansa's own lounge access sheet (see below), and domestic UA F passengers have reported admission. (Senator lounge, 1 guest)
[If we get (semi-)official confirmation of this policy, we'll add this to the bullets.]

Provided the lounge does not get overcrowded, as is often the case on US-based LH lounges, you may exit and re-enter the lounge as often as you wish. Note that if you are entering on a lounge pass, which are issued by Lufthansa to their own elites for various reasons, re-entry might not be allowed.

(If your access question wasn't addressed by the above, first check the *A access policy and LH's official access policy [generally relying on the least restrictive policy of the two if they appear to conflict], and if they answer a question that this wiki couldn't, update this wiki to help others! And if they don't, ask in the thread!)

So, can I use the lounge upon arrival in IAD?
Only LH/LX SEN/HON (on any *A carrier) and LH/LX F passengers have access to the lounge upon arrival at IAD without regard to onward travel. See the list above for more details. There are reports, however, of passengers not meeting this criteria presenting their arriving boarding pass and still being admitted.

Furthermore, note that, by virtue of not having access to the terminal, no international passenger whose journey ends at IAD has access to the lounge; they will be ferried by mobile lounge to the International Arrivals Building, which deposits passengers landside. [Can pax without checked bags choose to clear CBP in concourse C regardless? Also, do arriving passengers on LH/LX/*A F/C connecting at IAD to Y-class flights have access? According to LH.com, pax arriving in C on LH/LX can use the lounges in Germany and at JFK upon arrival to freshen up. Is the same courtesy extended at IAD?]

How does the Senator lounge compare to the newest Senator lounges in FRA?
Not favorably. The Senator lounge is like the old FRA lounges (cramped, and before a LH flight departure, crowded). Perhaps due to the crowding, LH offers its departing F pax preboarding from the Senator lounge, something which the FRA/MUC FCT/FCL does not offer but is common among LH's outstation lounges. So, enjoying champagne and macadamias at the nose or upper deck while waiting is a nice feature of the IAD Senator lounge.

This sounds too good to be true!
Lufthansa agrees! If the rumors are true, as of January 1, 2015, LH's Business Lounges will become its *G lounges, which means non-LH *Gs will be directed downstairs to the Business lounge after that date. There's some discussion of exceptions, most notable being that *G traveling in longhaul business class will still be admitted to the SEN lounge. Lufthansa has been more generous than most *A airlines in admitting *Gs to its designated *A First class lounges—not even UA's own 1Ks get to visit United's first class lounges without a first class ticket—so this change will bring Lufthansa somewhat more in line with the rest of the alliance. Went to the LH IAD lounge in June 2016 with TK G and SK BP flying Y, we were directed into the Senator lounge.
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Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [Merged]

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Old Mar 25, 2009, 12:29 am
  #16  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
Me: Can I get a couple drinks since I am flying international to YYZ
Dragon: No sir, Toronto is domestic. (ok, i knew i wasnt entitled to them anyway, since i was in coach)
Me: Can I standby for an earlier departure then...
Dragon: No sir, not on international flights....


That is funny!
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 5:54 am
  #17  
 
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Funny, that.

Any idea if they sell memberships like US carriers do, or is it a status-only thing?
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 10:45 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
yesterday I had nearly 5 hours to kill at IAD connecting from LHR to YYZ

Getting off from LHR around noon, I went to the first RCC I came across, near the C gates.
Me: Can I get a couple drinks since I am flying international to YYZ
Dragon: No sir, Toronto is domestic. (ok, i knew i wasnt entitled to them anyway, since i was in coach)
Me: Can I standby for an earlier departure then...
Dragon: No sir, not on international flights....
Hysterical!

Am I correct in assuming that this is a Star Alliance lounge, so a United *G can use it even if flying outbound on a UA-operated international flight?

Last edited by mecabq; Mar 25, 2009 at 10:48 am Reason: Made a mistake. OP is BD, so my question is valid.
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 10:46 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by mecabq
Hysterical!

Am I correct in assuming that this is a Star Alliance lounge, so a United *G can use it even if flying outbound on a UA-operated international flight?
Yes.
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 1:14 pm
  #20  
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Originally Posted by lucky9876coins
Yes.
How about a United *G flying outbound on a UA-operated domestic flight?
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 1:33 pm
  #21  
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I have a feeling there will be a steady stream of people making the trek to B51 in the near future

I would assume any star gold would be welcomed, even UA/US departing on ANY star alliance flight, regardless if the destination is domestic..... I wonder if this is going to be the lounge that NH and SA will start using too for their departures.

In any case, if you are used to RCCs, youre in for a treat!


One question for the experts, since the entry lady wrote down my BD*G number and the flight number I was on, does LH "bill" in some way either airline for the entry of me+guest?
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:01 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
One question for the experts, since the entry lady wrote down my BD*G number and the flight number I was on, does LH "bill" in some way either airline for the entry of me+guest?
Yes, LH bills BD for that visit, although since BD is now owned by LH....
Originally Posted by kokonutz
How about a United *G flying outbound on a UA-operated domestic flight?
By my reading of the rules, technically no, since you're not on an international itinerary. That being said, LH may very well not know about UA/US's rubbish lounge access policies....
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:06 pm
  #23  
 
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man, someone should try and see if they let you in on a domestic ticket as a *G. cause i will do some flying out of IAD and hit up that lounge.
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:23 pm
  #24  
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But can a non UA *G like a SQ *G use the lounge when flying on a UA domestic ticket?
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:27 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Benny8444
But can a non UA *G like a SQ *G use the lounge when flying on a UA domestic ticket?
Can't say, since mine was to Canada, so technically international.

Remember the lounge is only open from 2pm until LH departs.
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:29 pm
  #26  
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
Remember the lounge is only open from 2pm until LH departs.
According to lufthansa.com it's 1PM.
Originally Posted by Benny8444
But can a non UA *G like a SQ *G use the lounge when flying on a UA domestic ticket?
Definitely
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:39 pm
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by lucky9876coins
Both! Especially since the LH lounge closes at 7PM, so you'll have to go over to UA sooner or later.
Can do! ^

Thanks!

Last edited by goingbananas; Mar 25, 2009 at 2:40 pm Reason: left out info
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:43 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by lucky9876coins
According to lufthansa.com it's 1PM.
The sign on the door said 2pm, we were there after 2, so cant say for sure

Here is a couple pictures I took while we were only guests (before 3pm)
The food + bar
Entrance, computers and bar
Seating area

I also forgot to mention, a huge international selection of newspapers and countless magazines are available
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:46 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
Here is a couple pictures I took while we were only guests (before 3pm)
The food + bar
Entrance, computers and bar
Seating area
Great pictures. Please don't post any RCC pictures.
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 2:50 pm
  #30  
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Originally Posted by rankourabu

Here is a couple pictures I took while we were only guests (before 3pm)
The food + bar
Entrance, computers and bar
Seating area
OMG! Do I see right? Are those German pretzels? I am so there.

Thanks for the pictures!^
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