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:
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...
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.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [Merged]
#331
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,138
Bummer, indeed. My next chance to use the LH lounge would now give me only ~20 minutes there; nott worth the trek over to B at that point, IMHO.
#332
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: US
Programs: AA/UA/DL
Posts: 2,773
I was there last week and it is still two PCs (unless one is hidden behind a corner somewhere).
Unfortunately the internet is provided by t-mobile and requires a subscription, otherwise this would be the perfect place to kill time in IAD.
On a side note, LH rep requested my 1P card and when I stated I didn't have it they said the card is required to enter the lounge and they'd make an exception for me.
happen to anyone else?
Unfortunately the internet is provided by t-mobile and requires a subscription, otherwise this would be the perfect place to kill time in IAD.
On a side note, LH rep requested my 1P card and when I stated I didn't have it they said the card is required to enter the lounge and they'd make an exception for me.
happen to anyone else?
#333
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Aeroplan Former E
Posts: 1,022
Very normal for LH. You were very lucky as they tend to be draconian in the "no card, no access" department. They are backed up by *A's stated policies.
#334
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,852
Noooo. Are these new hours verified.. I am going to be there on Monday 11/2 and wanted to hole up there for a few hours and take a shower before going to EZE on UA.. Can someone confirm these new hours. Thanks and Safe Travels
#336
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,928
Ugh. I scheduled a trip through IAD Friday evening expressly for the purpose of visiting the LH lounge.
#337
Join Date: May 2003
Location: RDU, NC, USA
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton something
Posts: 841
data point: i was allowed in with zero grief this afternoon. I'm flying RDU-IAD-DEN on a low-fare UA-only coach ticket which I upgraded using e500s. The friendly agent at the door checked my BP and my *A gold card, and let me straight through to the "senator"(upstairs) section of the lounge.
Infinitely better than any RCC I've ever been in.
Infinitely better than any RCC I've ever been in.
#338
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: IAD
Programs: United 0, HH Gold
Posts: 2,827
Another data point: I went here on Monday night on a domestic flight and met up with a friend who was on a different UA flight leaving about the same time. I was admitted with he as my guest to the Sen lounge without any problem at all.
The food was plentiful, christmas cookies were out, and many beers (Becks or Shock Top Wheat) were brought out to us. I even used the shower before my flight (you tell them at the desk and they call down to the business lounge to expect you). The shower facilities were very nice.
The whole experience was so great that my friend wants to arrange his next flight to coincide with mine so he can go again! Sadly, I'm losing 1P at the end of January ...
The food was plentiful, christmas cookies were out, and many beers (Becks or Shock Top Wheat) were brought out to us. I even used the shower before my flight (you tell them at the desk and they call down to the business lounge to expect you). The shower facilities were very nice.
The whole experience was so great that my friend wants to arrange his next flight to coincide with mine so he can go again! Sadly, I'm losing 1P at the end of January ...
#339
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Programs: AA PP, Hilton/MR Gold
Posts: 743
I too recently used the LH lounge for the first time. I was admitted as a *Gold on a domestic UA ticket with no problems. They invited me to use the Senator portion of the lounge which, while crowded, had a great selection of hot and cold food and alcoholic beverages.
The only downside is that I lingered a bit too long and nearly missed my flight over in C-terminal!
The only downside is that I lingered a bit too long and nearly missed my flight over in C-terminal!
#340
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
So I guess the ANA / Air France lounge right before it is not a *A lounge? Seems strange a *A and non-*A airline partnering on a lounge but I guess it happens? So is it in that case, it doesn't have to be opened up to *A?
#342
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Raleigh
Programs: United GS 2MM,, Marriott/Starwood Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 754
Another data point - I entered with my *A Gold Card (UA GS) and my domestic economy boarding pass on December 1. I got Senator lounge access, as I have on my prior three visits.
The posted hours on the sign were 1pm - 6pm daily.
I timed my walk to the A gates - 10 minutes total (moving swiftly and non-stop but walking only). For me, this will be my new (afternoon) lounge for "A" departures.
I think I'd only come over from C/D if I had at least 2 hours on the ground and not too much work to do. Realistically it's a 15 - 20 minute journey from (and back to) C/D, depending on your timing of the shuttle.
The posted hours on the sign were 1pm - 6pm daily.
I timed my walk to the A gates - 10 minutes total (moving swiftly and non-stop but walking only). For me, this will be my new (afternoon) lounge for "A" departures.
I think I'd only come over from C/D if I had at least 2 hours on the ground and not too much work to do. Realistically it's a 15 - 20 minute journey from (and back to) C/D, depending on your timing of the shuttle.
#343
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,852
#344
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Ti, UA Silver
Posts: 5,037
Another data point - I entered with my *A Gold Card (UA GS) and my domestic economy boarding pass on December 1. I got Senator lounge access, as I have on my prior three visits.
The posted hours on the sign were 1pm - 6pm daily.
I timed my walk to the A gates - 10 minutes total (moving swiftly and non-stop but walking only). For me, this will be my new (afternoon) lounge for "A" departures.
I think I'd only come over from C/D if I had at least 2 hours on the ground and not too much work to do. Realistically it's a 15 - 20 minute journey from (and back to) C/D, depending on your timing of the shuttle.
The posted hours on the sign were 1pm - 6pm daily.
I timed my walk to the A gates - 10 minutes total (moving swiftly and non-stop but walking only). For me, this will be my new (afternoon) lounge for "A" departures.
I think I'd only come over from C/D if I had at least 2 hours on the ground and not too much work to do. Realistically it's a 15 - 20 minute journey from (and back to) C/D, depending on your timing of the shuttle.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/washi...fficially.html
So the timelines should be much more favorable going from C/D to the LH lounge.
#345
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: UA S
Posts: 1,335
Visited the LH lounge for the first time this afternoon in between legs of my MR and WOW...really impressive. No problems getting into the SEN side, and quite a decent food/drink selection. Definitely worth the hike