Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD

Some airports are scarce with lounges, others are not. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) certainly falls into the latter category with countless options. In fact, some of my favorite lounges in the U.S. happen to be at IAD. On a recent flight out of Dulles, I checked out the Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD.

Lufthansa, more specifically Lufthansa Group, including Austrian, actually operates two lounges: the Senator Lounge and a Business Class Lounge. The latter of which is located on the floor below, with a review coming shortly. 

This article is part of my Trip Report: Starting Summer in East Africa including:

• My Comically Bad Luck Flying to Africa
• No Compensation for an Involuntary Business Class Downgrade?!?
• Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD
• Review: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD
• Review: Lufthansa B747-8 Economy IAD-FRA 
• My First Flight on the Queen: My Thoughts
• Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge FRA
• Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge FRA 
• Review: Lufthansa A330 Business Class FRA-NBO
• Review: DoubleTree by Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham
• Review: Air Kenya into the Safari
• JW Marriott Masai Mara Review: Luxury in the Savannah, a Truly Unforgettable Safari
• Is the JW Marriott Masai Mara Worth $3k a Night?
• Review: Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO)
• Review: Kenya Airways NBO-ZNZ E190
• Exploring Tanzania: My Thoughts on Zanzibar
• When Flights Don’t Go as Planned: Delayed in Zanzibar
• Review: Air Tanzania ZNZ-ARK
• Mt. Kilimanjaro Day Hike: My Thoughts
• Exploring Moshi, Tanzania: What Everyone Gets Wrong
• Review: Twiga Lounge by Aspire Lounge Kilimanjaro International Airport
• Weirdest Flight Delay I Have Ever Had… 
• Review: Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa Executive Regency Suite
• Exploring Addis Ababa: My Thoughts
• Review: Ethiopian Cloud Nine Business Class Lounge Addis Ababa
• Review: Ethiopian Cloud Nine B787-8 Business Class ADD-IAD
• My 18 Hour Odd Business Class Experience: A Stop in Lome, Togo?

Location

The Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD is located in Terminal B at IAD near Gate B49, which is conveniently attached to Terminal A (opposite sides of one very long hallway). Luckily at Dulles, everything is connected airside. If you have enough time, you can reach the Lufthansa Senator Lounge despite being in a different terminal. 

This lounge is ideal for Star Alliance departures (except United, which operates from a different terminal, where their Polaris Business Class Lounge is located), due to access, but more on that later. 

One of the best perks of this lounge is the ability to board your flight directly from the lounge itself, rather than having to leave and go to the gate, an awesome feature that is not very common. 

The Lounge

The Lufthansa Senator Lounge is located on the same floor as the entrance and check-in counter.

While it has massive windows that face out over the tarmac, the lounge itself is not that large. 

Upon entering, there is a buffet to your left with plenty of both warm and cold options. A cool feature I noticed was the ability for the attendants to be able to access the buffet from the back side, opening a small door/window, to replenish the food without having to exit the kitchen.

To the right was a small area set aside for First Class passengers as well as HON Circle elite members.

Throughout the lounge, there are plenty of seating options, including everything from bar stools at a counter to lounge chairs for more comfortable seating. For the most part, the lounge is divided into the more ‘relaxed’ seating area with plush seating, as well as the other side near the buffet with more bar stool-style seating. 

There was a bathroom in this part of the lounge, but if you want to take a shower, you need to go to the front desk, get a pass, and go downstairs to the business class lounge. While there was no wait when I was there, during busier departure times, this may lead to a wait. 

Food and Beverage

I found the food to include improved lounge food offerings. In addition to the classic assortments of fruit, cheese, cold cuts, and crackers, Lufthansa has a nice assortment of warm options that could easily amount to a proper meal. 

During my visit, there were veggies, mashed potatoes, and some short ribs in addition to soups. Of course, no Lufthansa lounge is complete without the carrier’s famous pretzels. There were also many jars of snacks and candies to take.

As for drinks, there is a self-serve soft drink fountain that includes all of the typical Coca-Cola products you would expect, as well as a coffee machine. In addition, there is a bar in which you can order an assortment of alcoholic options including many wines and beers. 

Access

Access to the Senator Lounge is reserved for Star Alliance Gold members traveling in any class of service (which includes United Elite Gold and above), as well as passengers traveling in first class. 

Alternatively, passengers traveling in business class can access the business class lounge downstairs. 

The final way to gain access to the Senator Lounge, which is how I received access, is with both a Star Alliance business class ticket (in this case on Lufthansa) AND an American Express Platinum Card. 

Priority Pass members have access to the business class lounge downstairs during off-peak hours, which, unfortunately, means it is not accessible during evening departures to Europe. Further, access can be purchased to get into the business class lounge through Lounge Buddy.

The Last Point

My main curiosity and reason for checking out the Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD was to compare it to the Business Class lounge before my departure to Frankfurt. While both are similar in terms of seating and food selections, I would favor the Senator Lounge due to the views alone. 

I can say that between the massive windows and the slightly upscale food selection, I was pleasantly surprised and would gladly come back to visit this lounge again (although on a Star Alliance business class departure, I may try to access one of my all-time favorites, the United Polaris Lounge). 

If you are a fan of pretzels or want the ease of boarding your flight directly from the lounge, I would highly recommend checking out the Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD.