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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 2, 2012, 7:40 am
  #736  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
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Originally Posted by Rus925
A friend of mine who's based in the DC-area said that the LH lounge hours have been reduced to 8-11am and 2-5pm from the "Daily exept monday and thursday: 8:20 am - 6:30 pm. Monday and thursday: 8:20 am - 5:30 pm" still posted on LH.com. Can anyone confirm or refute this?
I can confirm the mid-day closure - they close the lounge at around 11 when the NH flight has left.
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Old Mar 2, 2012, 7:48 am
  #737  
 
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Originally Posted by flugvergnugen
I can confirm the mid-day closure - they close the lounge at around 11 when the NH flight has left.
Note also the discussion above from late 2010/early 2011 about winter hours (early closing) corresponding to changes in LH's flight schedule as well.
beltway is offline  
Old Mar 2, 2012, 8:40 am
  #738  
 
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Originally Posted by GoAmtrak
I'm at the Sen. lounge now and had the same experience as CIT85. The agent seemed to pay more attention to her screen after swiping the card than the card itself. FWIW, I don't even have a United BP right now, just a bar code-less DM card.
So all I need is my UA Premier Gold card, not a BP? I'm flying on Air France next month. Sounds like I can visit the LH lounge.
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Old Mar 2, 2012, 8:53 am
  #739  
 
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Originally Posted by redburgundy
So all I need is my UA Premier Gold card, not a BP? I'm flying on Air France next month. Sounds like I can visit the LH lounge.
Doch.
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Old Mar 2, 2012, 10:16 am
  #740  
 
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Originally Posted by redburgundy
So all I need is my UA Premier Gold card, not a BP? I'm flying on Air France next month. Sounds like I can visit the LH lounge.
You will need your card and a *A boarding pass for a same day flight.
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Old Mar 2, 2012, 11:47 am
  #741  
 
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Originally Posted by redburgundy
So all I need is my UA Premier Gold card, not a BP? I'm flying on Air France next month. Sounds like I can visit the LH lounge.
You can always try but be prepared to take no as an answer when they enforce the same day *A BP rule.
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Old Apr 1, 2012, 10:02 am
  #742  
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Originally Posted by Rus925
A friend of mine who's based in the DC-area said that the LH lounge hours have been reduced to 8-11am and 2-5pm from the "Daily exept monday and thursday: 8:20 am - 6:30 pm. Monday and thursday: 8:20 am - 5:30 pm" still posted on LH.com. Can anyone confirm or refute this?
Interesting...the website still says 8.20am...I will be there on a Monday and am hoping it will be open at that time as it says. Will be a nice place to spend a few hours rather than the boring UA club. Can anyone confirm what the spread is like in the morning hours for the NH flight? Japanese food? Does it open at 8am or 8.20am?
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Old Apr 2, 2012, 1:32 pm
  #743  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Originally Posted by SkyTeam777
Interesting...the website still says 8.20am...I will be there on a Monday and am hoping it will be open at that time as it says. Will be a nice place to spend a few hours rather than the boring UA club. Can anyone confirm what the spread is like in the morning hours for the NH flight? Japanese food? Does it open at 8am or 8.20am?
I was there on Friday morning - opened at precisely 8:20 am, which matched the sign posted (not sure if the time is same all days of week).

There was fresh fruit, fruit skewers, meat and cheese cold cuts, hot soup, cereals, Cheez-it and another salty snacks, pretzels, yogurt cups, some pastries, fruit and vegetable juices. The only Japanese or Asian food I recall was Cup-o-Noodles, which I did not partake.
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Old Apr 5, 2012, 6:28 am
  #744  
 
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Nevermind. :-)
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Old Jun 14, 2012, 5:43 pm
  #745  
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Visited the LH lounge on Wednesday, while I was waiting for my IAD-DXB flight. Had a very filling lunch (Thanks, UA! ), which saved a ridiculous amount of money for an airport meal.

Looks like they're currently open 8:20am-9:30pm.
FriendlySkies is offline  
Old Jun 15, 2012, 11:26 am
  #746  
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
Visited the LH lounge on Wednesday, while I was waiting for my IAD-DXB flight. Had a very filling lunch (Thanks, UA! ), which saved a ridiculous amount of money for an airport meal.

Looks like they're currently open 8:20am-9:30pm.
Do they still close around lunch time or has that been "removed"?
goalie is offline  
Old Jun 15, 2012, 1:28 pm
  #747  
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
Looks like they're currently open 8:20am-9:30pm.
Can anyone confirm usage after 6pm? Would be a huge boon for those of us who want a meal before departing on the evening flights to west coast. ^

We tried earlier this year @6pm and it was shut down. Nothing is worse than wasting 20m getting from Terminal B to C/D after a trip in vain.
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Old Jun 15, 2012, 2:34 pm
  #748  
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Originally Posted by goalie
Do they still close around lunch time or has that been "removed"?
I don't believe so. I got to the lounge at 1:15pm, and was there until 3:45. Didn't see anything about them closing for lunch.

Originally Posted by Boraxo
Can anyone confirm usage after 6pm? Would be a huge boon for those of us who want a meal before departing on the evening flights to west coast. ^

We tried earlier this year @6pm and it was shut down. Nothing is worse than wasting 20m getting from Terminal B to C/D after a trip in vain.
The matron said 9:30pm, which was consistent with the sign outside the door. I would think that she would know the correct hours. :-:
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Old Jun 15, 2012, 3:27 pm
  #749  
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
The matron said 9:30pm, which was consistent with the sign outside the door. I would think that she would know the correct hours. :-:
Not disagreeing, but that's a clear change since my last visit when the sign said 6pm. A welcome change to be sure ^ as I am more likely to enjoy a Spaten during the evening shift than when I'm arriving at 6am.
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Old Jun 15, 2012, 4:18 pm
  #750  
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
Originally Posted by goalie
Do they still close around lunch time or has that been "removed"?
I don't believe so. I got to the lounge at 1:15pm, and was there until 3:45. Didn't see anything about them closing for lunch.......
Thank you ^ as I have a nice 5 1/2 hour sit from 11:30am-5pm and after a red-eye LAX-BOS and then on to IAD, the shower and lunch is gonna be nice . Also, is wifi still free with the code they give you?
goalie is offline  


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