Food is also still only for consumption outside of the lounge. Fun signs at SEN B explaining that the area immediately outside the lounge doors in front of the elevators counts as the lounge and that you have to actually go downstairs into the main terminal first to eat.

I don't know what Germans are thinking while not allowing food consumption in the lounge and sending passengers to the main passenger hall which would be more crowded than the lounge. I hope that this non-sense restriction gets lifted soon.

In the USA, the Los Angeles County integrated a similar non-sense rule for open lounges, food & beverage must be consumed outside, then they realized their mistake when lounge eligible passengers were crammed into crowded gate areas and people were eating/drinking at gate seating areas with many people removing their masks at the same time.

Probably just better to re-open everything minus the open buffet. I'm sure it will all be fine.

DXB LX/LX Lounge Access
 

18 Jan 21 still no LX/LH lounge available but I did use the Ahlan Lounge (I think this is the business class lounge) using Priority Pass. Complementary bottom shelf alcohol, not bad selection, staff served buffet line served until 11:00 (2300) but then meals available off of menu. I have used the Ahlan First Class lounge many times and always pleased, this was almost.....but not quite as good. Ahlan services are a part of the DIH (Dubai International Hotel) and I use their meet and greet services often. I was there about 3 hours. Didn’t ask if showers were available. Overall positive experience.

Sounds like it is better than the Marhaba Lounge noted above.

DEN

Is it possible to get a glass of water and drink it in the lounge at FRA or do you have to go outside of the lounge for just plain water?

There are no glasses in the lounge, bottles of water are provided for consumption outside the lounge, however on every occasion I was there people were drinking from water bottles inside the lounge.

I assume they have this idea that the lounge will be packed with people and they want people to keep their masks on and not take it off (ie while eating). Instead of not providing any food, I guess they let you take some out. I don't think they considered that there could be times where the lounge is less crowded than outside. For example, I've seen reports of people on here feeling "unsafe" in the LHR PP or LH lounges because of crowding and people not wearing masks. But I agree, at some point, there is no purpose in even having the lounge (ie LAX)

Must be annoying for the lounge dragons having to check in people more because they have to keep leaving and coming back every time one wants to eat or drink something.

I don't know if you guys have flown through German airports since lockdown 2.0 but it would be highly unusual for lounges to be less busy than public areas. The times I flew, I was able to have an entire gate area to myself when flying Schengen-Schengen.

There is no clever strategy from LH here - it is purely to remain compliant with State law. Restaurants & bars in Hesse (the State) are closed for everything except takeaway, and the lounge is legally considered a restaurant. Hence they can provide food and drink to take-away but not to eat-in - the same as all other restaurants. Personally I give LH credit for offering the take-away option.

Perhaps it is safer to eat inside the lounge than the terminal (in the same way it may be in some cases safer to eat in a restaurant than at home), but that is unfortunately outside of LH control.

I had a long layover at LHR last week so actually went between the PP and LH lounge to compare. I found the LH lounge more crowded but I had no problem finding a place to sit with like 10-20ft space. Both offered a buffet menu where a staff member gets you what you want. PP had english breakfast, yogurt, fruit, pastires and for lunch, chili, sandwiches, soup, warm apple crisp, and other desserts. LH had a egg muffin sandwich, oatmeal, fruit, pastries and for lunch warm potato salad, soup, sandwich options, toffee cake, and dessert pastry. Overall I preferred PP's food options more but I thought both were pretty good.

LH:
https://i.postimg.cc/dV0VdrC9/IMG-20210129-084513.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/qM4RJ9MS/IMG-20210129-121855.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/TY0PpCKw/IMG-20210129-124650.jpg
PP:
https://i.postimg.cc/26W6yYWR/IMG-20210129-074230.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/DzJfphBJ/IMG-20210129-113111.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/bv7yK5B6/IMG-20210129-115408.jpg

I had a long layover at FRA yesterday and went to B43 lounge as it was the only non-schengen lounge. They do not open til 7am. My gate was over in Z so you have to allot some time (ie 15-30min) to take the train (or walk if the train isnt running) and go thru security again. It's also a long walk. No eating/drinking in the lounge though I saw some people eating. There was also a sign stating you could not eat just outside the lounge doors or in the stairway. There is a nice rest area just outside the lounge though. They offered coffee/water, banana, sandwich, pretzel as options for takeaway. One big advantage to the lounge is the option to take a shower. Otherwise, there isn't much reason to stay here. Also, there seems to be a new rule that you can't wear cloth masks, you must wear a surgical mask or certain other types. They'll give you one if you don't have one though.

https://i.postimg.cc/8PXV23Fh/IMG-20210203-070527-4.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Pr5jFhqX/IMG-20210203-073131.jpg

Thanks for the updates.

That’s quite a quantity of food that you sampled in London in the name of science...and then there’s the beans :o

So they still don't manage to actually enforce the rules.. pathetic..

No wonder Europe/Germany are still stuck in the middle of the pandemic.

It was quite the length of layover. And I didn't eat all of it. One of the issues with having someone else serve you is that you have no control over quantity.

geesh, I guess no champagne during my FRA layover coming up. I'm sure LH will discount my flight price in the absence of the lounge givings :rolleyes::D