Aug 2, 2013, 9:15 am
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]
May 13, 2013, 8:40 am
#901
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 8,634
The official policy is that guests must also be travelling on a star flight. "Guests must enter with an eligible Star Alliance Gold customer and must depart on a Star Alliance airline, though not necessarily on the same flight."
YMMV.
YMMV.
May 13, 2013, 8:57 am
#902
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
Not by Star Alliance policy. Guest needs to have a departing flight on a *A airline. It does not have to be the same flight as the sponsoring member.
They may not be diligent about always checking, but if they wish to enforce the rule, your guest will not be allowed access.
They may not be diligent about always checking, but if they wish to enforce the rule, your guest will not be allowed access.
May 13, 2013, 8:58 am
#903
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: DXB IAD DEN
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 141
If I am on an int'l UA flight in business, can I still access the LH lounge or am I stuck with the RCC?
May 13, 2013, 8:59 am
#904
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: 67,145
You should be able to access it, though you will technically be limited to the business lounge (downstairs, IIRC). Shouldn't be that different an experience, though.
May 13, 2013, 9:03 am
#905
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MCO, DCA, IAD
Programs: UA GS 1MM, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,134
Not by Star Alliance policy. Guest needs to have a departing flight on a *A airline. It does not have to be the same flight as the sponsoring member.
They may not be diligent about always checking, but if they wish to enforce the rule, your guest will not be allowed access.
They may not be diligent about always checking, but if they wish to enforce the rule, your guest will not be allowed access.
May 13, 2013, 9:25 am
#906
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
Not by Star Alliance policy. Guest needs to have a departing flight on a *A airline. It does not have to be the same flight as the sponsoring member.
They may not be diligent about always checking, but if they wish to enforce the rule, your guest will not be allowed access.
They may not be diligent about always checking, but if they wish to enforce the rule, your guest will not be allowed access.
May 13, 2013, 10:20 am
#907
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 252
The one time I brought a guest, she was asked to show a boarding pass.
May 13, 2013, 10:29 am
#908
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: 67,145
They've always checked my guest's BP, but really for no reason as I was *G on a departing *A international flight, and in C to boot. I am sure some part of that entitled me to a guest regardless of the guest's status/class.
May 13, 2013, 11:06 am
#909
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Brattleboro, VT
Posts: 706
Because I come to the * lounge often, recently my non * guest got "We'll make a one-time exception for you." Might be worth a try.
May 19, 2013, 9:35 am
#910
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
Not by Star Alliance policy. Guest needs to have a departing flight on a *A airline. It does not have to be the same flight as the sponsoring member.
They may not be diligent about always checking, but if they wish to enforce the rule, your guest will not be allowed access.
They may not be diligent about always checking, but if they wish to enforce the rule, your guest will not be allowed access.
On 5/14 I was at the lounge and asked about the guest policy and as a 1k/*G, I am allowed 1 guest and we would both be allowed access to the Senator lounge but the guest must be departing on a *A flight (which does not have to be the same flight as the sponsor)
Jun 24, 2013, 1:23 pm
#911
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,166
If I am flying on UA domestically in Y with a connection at IAD, can I still access the LH lounge at IAD?
I have *G status with AC, and I'll be travelling with my friend who does not have any status. (we are on the same flight)
I have *G status with AC, and I'll be travelling with my friend who does not have any status. (we are on the same flight)
Jun 24, 2013, 1:44 pm
#912
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: many - mostly ZRH
Posts: 232
As a Star Gold, you and your friend will be allowed to access the Senator lounge. Just make sure that the Lounge is open on your visit.
Jun 24, 2013, 1:52 pm
#913
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MCO, DCA, IAD
Programs: UA GS 1MM, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,134
LH Lounge is now open all day, used to close during the noon hour but not anymore.
Jun 24, 2013, 2:02 pm
#914
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,166
great, thanks for the answers.
How much time should I allow to get from the UA domestic terminal to the LH lounge (and back), and does it involve going through security again?
I'm not familiar with IAD, and I'm not sure if getting from the domestic terminal to the international terminal (guess this is where the LH lounge is) requires security re-screening.
I'm flying SEA-IAD-ATL.
How much time should I allow to get from the UA domestic terminal to the LH lounge (and back), and does it involve going through security again?
I'm not familiar with IAD, and I'm not sure if getting from the domestic terminal to the international terminal (guess this is where the LH lounge is) requires security re-screening.
I'm flying SEA-IAD-ATL.
Jun 24, 2013, 2:11 pm
#915
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: many - mostly ZRH
Posts: 232
great, thanks for the answers.
How much time should I allow to get from the UA domestic terminal to the LH lounge, and does it involve going through security again?
I'm not familiar with IAD, and I'm not sure if getting from the domestic terminal to the international terminal (guess this is where the LH lounge is) requires security re-screening.
How much time should I allow to get from the UA domestic terminal to the LH lounge, and does it involve going through security again?
I'm not familiar with IAD, and I'm not sure if getting from the domestic terminal to the international terminal (guess this is where the LH lounge is) requires security re-screening.