Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [Merged]

Community
Wiki Posts
Search
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.
Print Wikipost

Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [Merged]

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 6, 2013, 1:47 pm
  #841  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 257
Does the Senator part of the LH lounge has shower facility? I'm currently at the Senator lounge and I don't see any sign of shower, or do I have to ask the lounge staff to be directed to the shower? It would be nice to have a shower since I just arrived from NRT and have 4 hrs layover in IAD.
ben237829624 is offline  
Old Jan 6, 2013, 1:48 pm
  #842  
Marriott Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: USA
Programs: 1K 1MM; Bonvoy Ambassador; Nat'l EE; Hertz PC; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,465
Originally Posted by ben237829624
Does the Senator part of the LH lounge has shower facility? I'm currently at the Senator lounge and I don't see any sign of shower, or do I have to ask the lounge staff to be directed to the shower? It would be nice to have a shower since I just arrived from NRT and have 4 hrs layover in IAD.
Yes it's downstairs though. Just ask the front desk.
nevansm is offline  
Old Jan 6, 2013, 1:53 pm
  #843  
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Originally Posted by nevansm
Originally Posted by ben237829624
Does the Senator part of the LH lounge has shower facility? I'm currently at the Senator lounge and I don't see any sign of shower, or do I have to ask the lounge staff to be directed to the shower? It would be nice to have a shower since I just arrived from NRT and have 4 hrs layover in IAD.
Yes it's downstairs though. Just ask the front desk.
Yup-just go down the stairs and hang a left hand u-turn and you'll see the "check-in desk" for the showers where the attendant will ask for you bp and log you in. (n.b. the front desk will notify the attendant but it has been my experience that they are a little slow in arriving so you might have to go back upstairs and ask again)
goalie is offline  
Old Jan 6, 2013, 2:03 pm
  #844  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 257
Originally Posted by goalie
Yup-just go down the stairs and hang a left hand u-turn and you'll see the "check-in desk" for the showers where the attendant will ask for you bp and log you in. (n.b. the front desk will notify the attendant but it has been my experience that they are a little slow in arriving so you might have to go back upstairs and ask again)
Great! Thanks!
But they closed at around 530pm today as soon as the LH flight was gone. I thought they close at 630pm(according to LH website)

Last edited by ben237829624; Jan 6, 2013 at 4:19 pm Reason: Closing time
ben237829624 is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2013, 6:46 pm
  #845  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan SE AND 1MM, HHonors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum , L'Accor Platinum
Posts: 9,580
Access to LH lounge in IAD for non UA Star Alliance Gold member flying on UA?

In a couple of weeks, I will be flying on UA, from YOW to SAN via IAD. I will have a 2.5 hour layover, around noontime (Fri).

I am a Star Alliance Gold member, with Air Canada/Aeroplan.

Will I be able to access the LH lounge? I have not visited that LH lounge (but I have visited several LH Senators and Business lounges in Frankfurt and Munich). I have of course visited several of the United Club lounges at IAD?
FlyerGoldII is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2013, 6:48 pm
  #846  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
There is a dedicated thread about access to the LH lounge in the UA forum, you should try and google it. The short answer to your question is "yes".
Exleftseat is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2013, 6:52 pm
  #847  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
+1. The answer is also "yes" for any other *Gold lounge in the world with exceptions that can be counted on one hand (e.g. SQ in SFO).

This is exactly the purpose of *Gold access to lounges.
star_world is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2013, 6:55 pm
  #848  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan SE AND 1MM, HHonors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum , L'Accor Platinum
Posts: 9,580
Originally Posted by EXLEFTSEAT
There is a dedicated thread about access to the LH lounge in the UA forum, you should try and google it. The short answer to your question is "yes".
I have just seen that thread.

It sort of says that it is not easy going from the UA gates to the LH lounge? Can the LH lounge be reached from UA strictly via an airside route? I guess the walk would be very long - or does need to use some other form of transportation from going from an United Express Gate to the LH lounge to the United Gate?
FlyerGoldII is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2013, 6:57 pm
  #849  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
Airside - walk to A and take the passenger mover to D (if it's operating at the time you're there), or get the train from B to C. Allow 15-20min for either option.
star_world is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2013, 7:01 pm
  #850  
Used to be 'joony'
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NEC
Programs: General Member!
Posts: 203
Hours today were:
0820 - 1200
1330 - 1730

Got in tonight thinking it was still open :/
pizzabox is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2013, 10:00 am
  #851  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 15
Hi folks. I have a 1hr 39m layover (15:41 - 17:20)...looking for insight on if there would be a wait for the shower at that block of time?
JeffAhn is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2013, 10:16 am
  #852  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: RIC
Programs: AA, IHG
Posts: 239
Originally Posted by JeffAhn
Hi folks. I have a 1hr 39m layover (15:41 - 17:20)...looking for insight on if there would be a wait for the shower at that block of time?
I've never had a wait for a shower at this lounge. Although it does get busy upstairs during this time period, IMO you should be fine.
hausrath is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2013, 10:46 am
  #853  
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Originally Posted by JeffAhn
Hi folks. I have a 1hr 39m layover (15:41 - 17:20)...looking for insight on if there would be a wait for the shower at that block of time?
I've never had to wait more than 5-6 minutes for the shower attendant but variables to consider-

Imho, you'll need to arrive on time

Are you departing on a LH flight or a UA/UX flight? If a LH flight, you'll be fine as LH departs from the same terminal (B) but if on a UA/UX flight, you'll have to allow for getting to from your gate which if UA will be terminal C or D but if UX, it could be Terminal A or Terminal C. Terminal A is about a 6 minute walk from the lounge but allow yourself about 15-20 minutes to get to and from the lounge from Terminal C if taking the underground train* and about 15 minutes to and from the lounge if taking the moon-buggy**.

*the train ride itself is about a minute to/from Terminal B to C (gate C17) but walking to & from the station and to/from your gate in C or D is what takes the time.

**The moon-buggy arrives and departs near D10(ish) and arrives and departs near gates A5-6(ish)

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont.../maps/iad.aspx
goalie is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2013, 10:58 am
  #854  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 505
I can't recall when they scan - do they need the actual card, or is the bp enough for entry?

It hasn't been an issue before for me before, as I've always had both, but so far UA has not managed to send me my new card...
flugvergnugen is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2013, 11:46 am
  #855  
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: TPE, SF, DC
Programs: UA Lifetime GS 4mm
Posts: 891
Originally Posted by flugvergnugen
I can't recall when they scan - do they need the actual card, or is the bp enough for entry?

It hasn't been an issue before for me before, as I've always had both, but so far UA has not managed to send me my new card...
bp is problematic because they ask *A gold card proof.
Best best is print out and present your *A credential from website account info
npei is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.