And at long last, I fully wrap-up my Northern Lights trip report to Finland. After a visit to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, I hit one more lounge before my Singapore Suites flight. The Lufthansa Senator Lounge B Frankfurt services Star Alliance First Class passengers. It’s among the nicer Lufthansa lounges I’ve visited, a big upgrade over the congested Lufthansa Business Lounges in Terminal 1. James visited this lounge back in 2018; it hasn’t changed much since then, it appears.
Note: this post is part of my trip report series about my trip to Finnish Lapland in October, 2022. Click here for the trip report index and introductory post.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge B Frankfurt
Access
The Lufthansa Senator Lounge B is available to the following passengers:
- Lufthansa or SWISS First Class passengers. But if flying Lufthansa or SWISS F, you really should visit the First Class Lounge or First Class Terminal.
- Star Alliance First Class passengers.
- HON Circle members traveling on a Lufthansa or Star Alliance flight, except on a Eurowings Basic Fare.
- Miles & More Senator members traveling on a Lufthansa or Star Alliance flight, except on a Eurowings Basic Fare.
- Most Star Alliance Gold members traveling on a same-day Star Alliance flight. Exceptions apply to Air Dolomiti, Eurowings, Discover Airlines, and Lufthansa City Airlines passengers.
Location
In the B Gates of Terminal 1, near Gate B43. Hours of operation are normally 6 am to 10 pm daily. However, Lufthansa does occasionally change operating hours for operational reasons. Visit Lufthansa’s lounges page to verify changes to operating hours on the day of your visit.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge B Frankfurt – Review
I expected this lounge to feature automated entry gates. However, to my surprise, access is still checked the old fashioned way, by an agent outside the lounge entrance. I thought I might get some pushback, since Singapore directs its First Class passengers to the Air Canada lounge next door. However, the agent quickly scanned my boarding pass and welcomed me inside.
Immediately inside the entrance is a good-sized business center. This section includes a large number of workstations, along with a few cubicles with higher partitions. There’s also a printer/copier if you need to print out some last-minute documents. If you need a quiet place to work, keep this section in mind, but it’s also rather dark and tucked away. Also note that the business center provides both Euro and universal plugs, though the rest of the lounge provides Euro plugs only.
The main lounge itself is in sort of an “O” shape, not terribly dissimilar from the Air Canada lounge. In one corner is the dining area. Honestly, I felt the breakfast selection was a little underwhelming. Hot options included scrambled eggs, stewed tomatoes, and quiche, along with cold cuts, sauerkraut, cheeses, and yogurt. There were also some fresh pretzels, which looked delicious. However, the lunch spread seems more impressive, both based on James’ report, and Live and Let’s Fly’s from 2018 and early 2024.
There is a Lavazza coffee machine in this area. But if you’re a coffee snob, barista-made coffee is available at the bar (discussed later in this report).
But there’s one thing that makes this lounge worth a visit. It’s hard to see here, but buried in the selection of water and bottled beer is a carafe of fresh-squeezed orange juice. As someone who devours fresh-squeezed OJ, this along makes this lounge preferable to the Maple Leaf Lounge.
There’s also a very decent selection of wine, mid-shelf spirits, and draft beer for later in the day. If you prefer non-alcoholic beverages, there’s a soda fountain with Coca-Cola products.
The dining area itself consists of an expansive seating area, with a variety of communal tables, single tables, and booths. Euro power ports are provided at the booths and larger communal tables, providing space to work and eat. If anything, the number of seats in the dining area seems disproportionate to the rest of the lounge.
At one end of the dining area are a couple of larger booths, with a blast for the past behind – a magazine rack.
As for the main lounge area itself, if you’ve visited a Lufthansa lounge, you’ll recognize the decor. The beige and blue furniture is remarkably consistent from lounge to lounge. However, the “City Lights” theme provides a simple, yet chic and modern look. It’s an effective amalgamation of traditional German functionality with modern design. The main seating area is essentially one long corridor, with floor-to-ceiling windows on one side. While I visited before sunrise, during the day, the expansive windows allow plenty of natural light into the lounge.
One thing that I quickly noticed – the lounge was very, very quiet. Granted, late October isn’t exactly high season in Europe, but it was less than half full, providing a relaxing experience on this visit. Certainly way better than the Lufthansa Business Lounges, which can be standing room only depending on when you arrive.
After sunrise, the big windows afforded excellent views of the ramp area. This morning, I enjoyed seeing an Air Canada 787, and Lufthansa and Eurowings jets getting ready to head elsewhere.
At one end of the main seating area is a small theater area with seats facing a pair of TVs. This seems like kind of a wasted opportunity. It seems like they could close off this area and broadcast movies on one big screen, rather than keep it open with generic news on mute.
There’s also a separate smoking room in this lounge. Thankfully, Lufthansa did a good job of sealing this room off, so no smoke smell permeates to the rest of the lounge.
Just off the dining area are a handful of relaxing loungers. In the past, this lounge included a sleeping room with four beds. However, I can’t tell if this room still exists or not. Thus, these loungers are probably your best bet if you need a quick nap.
The centerpiece of the lounge, though, is the seating area on the other side of the “City Lights” lettering. This area contains several single seats and couches, but also the lounge’s bar. In addition to a pretty extensive spirits selection, you can get barista-made coffee here. I already had a cup of coffee in the Air Canada lounge, and can’t do two cups in rapid succession. Needless to say, I wished I’d waited until coming here to have a cup.
The Lufthansa Senator Lounge B Frankurt also has a “Senator Spa”. Unfortunately, treatments aren’t complimentary. Prices range from €20 for a 10-minute treatment to €200 for a full 90-minute massage. As someone who doesn’t really see the value in massages, that’s way too pricey for my taste. You can sign up for a shower room on a first-come, first-served basis, though.
Wi-Fi is free and fast throughout the lounge.
Final Thoughts
Compared to the horribly congested Lufthansa Business Lounges in Terminal 1, the Senator Lounges are a huge improvement. While the food selection on my visit was rather unimpressive, the lack of crowding made it a relaxing space. I’m frankly surprised Singapore directs its First Class passengers to the Maple Leaf lounge rather than here. But I’d definitely consider coming here instead if you’re flying in Singapore Suites.
