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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 29, 2012, 3:15 pm
  #826  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 120
Originally Posted by cchuang1980
This explain my question for a long time, thanks.
I used to live in VA and it was illegal to serve sangria until about 2009 due to their antiquated liquor laws. Couldn't mix wine and distilled spirits.
bigmarley4 is offline  
Old Dec 8, 2012, 8:59 am
  #827  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: DXB IAD DEN
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 141
Lufthansa Lounge as an Arrival Lounge, Arriving UA in F

I will be arriving at IAD from DXB on UA in F. Will I be able to show my arriving boarding pass for access to the Lufthansa lounge?
agoldstein is offline  
Old Dec 10, 2012, 5:38 pm
  #828  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1
1st time post, so please excuse this possible newbie question.

I'm a MileagePlus Club holder. Can I get access to the Luft lounge in IAD term. B? If so, can I take guests with me? I'll be traveling with my wife and a 1.5 yr old.
Rich Leung is offline  
Old Dec 10, 2012, 6:53 pm
  #829  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Originally Posted by Rich Leung
I'm a MileagePlus Club holder. Can I get access to the Luft lounge in IAD term. B? If so, can I take guests with me? I'll be traveling with my wife and a 1.5 yr old.
Welcome to FlyerTalk, Rich Leung.

If you have a same-day, departing *A BP, your United Club membership will gain you admission into the LH Lounge. Unfortunately, you will be allowed only one guest.
14940674 is offline  
Old Dec 10, 2012, 11:31 pm
  #830  
Moderator: United Airlines
 
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Originally Posted by 14940674
...If you have a same-day, departing *A BP, your United Club membership will gain you admission into the LH Lounge. Unfortunately, you will be allowed only one guest.
With a sub-2 year, you might be OK with the infant.
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Old Dec 15, 2012, 11:08 am
  #831  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [Merged]

The LH lounge at IAD is a bit of a trip from the UA C/D gates, and the new train takes a circuitous route from the C platform to B, where the lounge is located. Sometimes I get off the train at A and then walk from the A train stop to the LH lounge in the B concourse.

I have a log long layover here at IAD, so I timed both routes. It was 7 minutes 30 seconds walking from the A concourse train platform to the lounge door. It was 8 minutes 40 seconds walking from the lounge door to the adjacent B concourse train platform and then taking the train to the A platform.

Also, the lounge winter Saturday hours - at least today - are 0820-1200 and 1330-2130.
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Old Dec 21, 2012, 6:34 am
  #832  
formerly bulgarianfreak55
 
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: United 1K, Marriott Platinum, SPG Platinum, Hertz Pres
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So can I access the Lufthansa lounge if I am United Gold (since from what I know, that is automatic Star Alliance Gold), flying domestic in United economy?

Also, would a United Club pass (from explorer card) get me in there if I am flying United domestic?

Thanks!

Last edited by TurboFan779; Dec 21, 2012 at 6:45 am
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Old Dec 21, 2012, 7:14 am
  #833  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
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if you are united gold, you can use the lounge flying domestic.
opusone is offline  
Old Dec 21, 2012, 8:21 am
  #834  
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
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Originally Posted by bulgarianfreak55
So can I access the Lufthansa lounge if I am United Gold (since from what I know, that is automatic Star Alliance Gold), flying domestic in United economy?

Also, would a United Club pass (from explorer card) get me in there if I am flying United domestic?
Gold will get you in on domestic UA flights as it is a *G lounge.

UC passes will not (though a UC membership will).

International C or F on *A will get you in even if not Gold; domestic F technically will not without Gold, though YMMV by reports.
exerda is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2012, 7:08 pm
  #835  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: AA ExecPlat
Posts: 35
I'm currently CP with US Airways and so have a US Airways *G card, but I'm flying United without any UA status next week via IAD. Since I'm crediting miles to UA, it won't show *G on my UA boarding pass even though I am *G through US Airways (with card as proof). Is this a problem?

Just in general, I find the difference in benefits between having *G status on the BP of the flight you're flying vs. *G status through another airline's membership card to be rather ambiguous in the rules (for example, can I use the FC security line and priority boarding as a *G even though *G is not on the boarding pass? I've heard stories suggesting yes, and some suggesting no). It's like everyone assumes that you'll only ever have status with *one* Star Alliance carrier.

Last edited by rubiety; Dec 22, 2012 at 7:17 pm
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Old Dec 22, 2012, 8:06 pm
  #836  
Moderator: United Airlines
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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Posts: 66,859
Originally Posted by rubiety
I'm currently CP with US Airways and so have a US Airways *G card, but I'm flying United without any UA status next week via IAD. Since I'm crediting miles to UA, it won't show *G on my UA boarding pass even though I am *G through US Airways (with card as proof). Is this a problem? ...
no problem for LH lounge access as long as your have the *G card and are departing on a *A flight.
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Old Dec 27, 2012, 9:03 am
  #837  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Originally Posted by exerda

International C or F on *A will get you in even if not Gold
What about Intl C connect to domestic UA flight?
sjlin0121 is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2012, 9:14 am
  #838  
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
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Posts: 67,145
Originally Posted by sjlin0121
What about Intl C connect to domestic UA flight?
Should for a same-day flight, IIRC. Present the C boarding pass to the counter.
exerda is offline  
Old Dec 28, 2012, 12:47 pm
  #839  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Washington, D.C.
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Posts: 219
Originally Posted by cchuang1980
This explain my question for a long time, thanks.
It's odd, because the BA lounge at Dulles has self-service liquor. Seems like either LH or BA is confused about the law.
Mr. Mastodon Flyer is offline  
Old Jan 1, 2013, 2:05 pm
  #840  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NYC
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Posts: 6,166
Visited the LH and BA lounges today using Star Gold and domestic F bp for the former and priority pass for the latter. The LH lounges were very nice and quiet after the NH flight left. The BA lounge (F side only was open) smelled a bit stale or moldy. Glad I finally made it here!

If coming from C, I would take the train all the way to the B stop. It is a rather long hike from the A stop.

Wifi is free and requires no code, but speed was slow even with very few people in the lounge -- about 1Mbps, which was slower than my iPhone 5 on Verizon LTE.

Last edited by Buster CT1K; Jan 2, 2013 at 7:50 am
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