Trip Report & Review – Lufthansa Senator/Business Lounges Washington-Dulles

Since I was traveling on a United GlobalFirst ticket, I was able to access the Lufthansa Senator Lounge at Dulles (IAD). The Lufthansa lounges are set up such that they are essentially two (or…three?) lounges in one, sharing the same main entrance. The Senator Lounge is located at the entrance floor, with a roped off area for First Class, and the Business lounge is located a floor below.

This is the second part in my latest series of reviews and reports on my trip to Asia in First Class. See also:

• Part 1: British Airways Galleries Lounge Washington-Dulles

The lounge agent scanned my boarding pass, and directed me to the Senator Lounge on the main floor.

The seating area, while not varied and on the small side, was quite nice. The elevated work bench lines the wall and is thoughtfully equipped with both US and European outlets. Floor to ceiling windows gave a good view of the tarmac, though there was not much plane-spotting to be seen.

A special section within the Senator Lounge was roped off for Lufthansa First Class passengers, though no one occupied that space when I was in the lounge, and I didn’t see any special amenities in the area other than a few lounge chairs.

Perhaps it’s because it was breakfast time, but the food selection was pretty underwhelming. There was sliced fresh fruits, hard boiled eggs, a few type of cheeses, and some Deli meat. There were also a few pastry items as well, accompanied by chips and gummy bears.

To top all of that off, there were a few Cup Noodles placed next to a pot of hot water. It’s really not a First (or even Business—I remember when United used to serve these on their long-hauls to Hong Kong in Economy) Class offering, but I am obsessed with hot food, so I treated myself to a one.

In terms of drinks, there was a fancy-looking soda fountain available, as well as juices and San Pellegrino/Aqua Panna bottles. There was also a Coffee machine identical to the one I saw at the British Airways Galleries Lounge.

Alcohol offerings were a bit sad, though I am not sure if they brought more out in the afternoon. A sign there said Virginia Law prohibits a self-service bar…sneaky sneaky British Airways!

After my cup of noodles, I asked for a shower at the front desk, and the agent directed me to the Business lounge downstairs. There was no wait, but it wasn’t a very efficient system: once I was by the shower rooms, there were no shower attendants. Turned out the shower attendant had to run up because the keys are kept at the front desk.

The shower room was pretty well-appointed with plenty of towels and amenities (comb, toothbrush, etc.). The water temperature fluctuated between really hot and really cold throughout the shower, in absolutely unpredictable waves, no matter how I turned the dial.

After the shower, I took a few pictures of the Business Lounge. The food and beverage offerings there were mostly the same, but the Business Lounge didn’t have any windows and the seating area…well, let’s just say it looks like a fast food restaurant.

Overall, this isn’t a bad lounge and I can imagine easily spending an hour or so here waiting for my flight. For an outstation lounge, I think Lufthansa did a pretty good job, though it really doesn’t feel like a foreign carrier’s lounge and it’s pretty commensurate with some of the nicer US carrier lounges.

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Lufthansa Related:

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• Pro Tip – Using Lufthansa Miles for Domestic First Class on United