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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 Nov 3, 2013, 9:11 am
  #1006  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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It's not listed on the beverage menu, but this morning, there was Heidseck "Blue Top" Champagne available in the Senator lounge. Not sure if this is always the case.
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Old Nov 3, 2013, 9:32 pm
  #1007  
 
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Originally Posted by jparrott
It's not listed on the beverage menu, but this morning, there was Heidseck "Blue Top" Champagne available in the Senator lounge. Not sure if this is always the case.
It was there a week and a half ago; I learned of this option's existence when I heard the pop of the cork from across the room. Good stuff
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Old Nov 8, 2013, 12:27 pm
  #1008  
 
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posted lounge hours now has a break between 12noon to 13:30.
opusone is offline  
Old Nov 16, 2013, 10:54 am
  #1009  
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Originally Posted by opusone
posted lounge hours now has a break between 12noon to 13:30.
Does it still open exactly at 8:20am? Seems like an odd time to open...I'm coming off a red-eye with a connection a little after 9am so I wasn't sure if I would have time for a quick shower there....if they open closer to 8am, then I'd have plenty of time...
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Old Nov 16, 2013, 11:11 am
  #1010  
 
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Originally Posted by PDXPremier
Does it still open exactly at 8:20am? Seems like an odd time to open...I'm coming off a red-eye with a connection a little after 9am so I wasn't sure if I would have time for a quick shower there....if they open closer to 8am, then I'd have plenty of time...
If the sign says 8:20AM, it will be open at exactly that time. Been there; done that.

BTW, sometimes, it takes a while to find the shower room attendant who has the keys to the two shower rooms.
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Old Nov 16, 2013, 11:20 am
  #1011  
 
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Originally Posted by lax2010
If the sign says 8:20AM, it will be open at exactly that time. Been there; done that.

BTW, sometimes, it takes a while to find the shower room attendant who has the keys to the two shower rooms.
The three times i have been there it has taken an irritatingly long time for them to open the shower room. It is like a ghost town down there in the morning and there was one lady I guess who was nowhere to be found last month when I was there.

Shower is nice for sure. No bathtub like in FRA first class lounge however.
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Old Nov 17, 2013, 1:56 pm
  #1012  
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Originally Posted by schley
The three times i have been there it has taken an irritatingly long time for them to open the shower room. It is like a ghost town down there in the morning and there was one lady I guess who was nowhere to be found last month when I was there.

Shower is nice for sure. No bathtub like in FRA first class lounge however.
Thanks...I have priority pass too so I may just go ahead and use the BA Galleries lounge which supposedly opens at 7am and has one shower.
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Old Dec 27, 2013, 4:43 pm
  #1013  
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Originally Posted by opusone
posted lounge hours now has a break between 12noon to 13:30.
Can confirm that those hours are still posted.

Currently sitting in the LH lounge-- only person in here
FriendlySkies is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2013, 5:01 pm
  #1014  
 
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
Can confirm that those hours are still posted.

Currently sitting in the LH lounge-- only person in here
NICE! No line for the beer!

I really like that lounge.
valor155 is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2013, 5:07 pm
  #1015  
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Originally Posted by valor155
NICE! No line for the beer!

I really like that lounge.
Or plenty of attention from the friendly bartenders
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Old Dec 27, 2013, 6:20 pm
  #1016  
 
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
Or plenty of attention from the friendly bartenders
That's good to hear . . . I'll be there for the better part of 4 hours tomorrow unless I can get a SDC before then.

But I've never had a bad experience there. Even when crowded, it was still very good and I was able to relax and get some work done.
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Old May 30, 2015, 8:34 pm
  #1017  
Moderator: United Airlines
 
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Due to length (system issues) and some of the older posts are out of date, will break off the last year and half of posts and create a new thread.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...4-forward.html

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 30, 2015 at 8:41 pm
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