The Lufthansa Senator Lounge at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) by the Z Gates meets basic expectations but doesn’t have any unique features.

Location of the Lufthansa Senator Lounge FRA (Z Gates)

There are multiple Lufthansa Senator Lounges at Frankfurt Airport. All of them are in Terminal 1:

• A Gates (near gate A50) in the Schengen Area
• B Gates (near gate B43) in the Non-Schengen Area
• Z Gates (near gate Z50) in the Non-Schengen Area

During our visit, all flights to the United States were handled via the Z Gates. This Senator Lounge is immediately before the final passport check but after security and immigration. It’s also connected to a Lufthansa Business Lounge (not reviewed).

To easily find the lounge, once at the Z Gates, just follow the signs that say “Lufthansa Lounges”.

Signage at Frankfurt Airport is thankfully good enough to avoid getting lost in this otherwise user-unfriendly airport.

Access rules

This lounge is open daily from 5AM to 10PM.

Lufthansa Senator Lounges are special in that they are more exclusive than your typical business class lounge. If you’re just flying business class without status, you won’t be allowed into Senator Lounges.

The following guests have access to Senator lounges:

• First class on SWISS or Lufthansa (access for passenger + 2 guests + children under 18)
• First class on another Star Alliance flight (access for passenger + 1 guest)
• Lufthansa Miles & More elite members:
  • HON Circle members get access for the member + spouse + companion + children under 18
  • Senator members get access for the member + companion + children under 18
  • HON Circle and Senator members also have access with a boarding pass for an arriving flight on that day
• Star Alliance Gold members on a Star Alliance flight (access for member + 1 guest)
• American Express Platinum cardholders flying in business class on Lufthansa, SWISS, or Austrian

Seating at the Lufthansa Senator Lounge Frankfurt (Z Gates)

This lounge is entirely on one level–the same level as departures at the Z gates. Once inside, you’ll find plenty of seating and lots of natural lighting. The layout is essentially one large room with partitions based on TVs and pillars. There are some high-top seats like the option below.

And there are plenty of more comfortable leather seats as you’d find further into the lounge.

By the window near the front of the lounge are some swivel chairs that work a bit better if you want to be productive or eat.

Next to the front of the lounge are some more private booths that are intended more for having phone conversations. These aren’t fully private as there is no door.

On our visit, the airline was celebrating its 100th anniversary, and there was plenty of signage commemorating its accomplishment.

I like the way the Lufthansa symbol is integrated into the number.

The view from the lounge is of the tarmac, so you can see planes going about their business from here. With one entire side of the lounge covered in windows, you can easily grab a seat if you’re interested.

The food in the Lufthansa Senator Lounge at FRA (Z Gates)

As we generally do with the buffet of any lounge or restaurant, we’ll let the pictures mostly speak for themselves. There’s a good variety of hot and cold items, but unlike other Senator Lounges we’ve been to, this one doesn’t have a chef who can prepare dishes for you. Still, it fits exactly what you might expect from a German breakfast buffet. We weren’t here when they transitioned over to the lunch offering.

Drinks

In addition to all the food, you can also find plenty of drinks. Of course, the alcohol wasn’t too popular given it was still early in the morning, but it’s there if you’re looking for it.

Showers

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try it out, but there are showers available if you need them. Check in with the front desk to see if one is open for you. These are located in the same area as the restrooms (near the buffet station).

Lufthansa travel books

Sometimes you might be curious about where you’re going or interested in other destinations. If that describes you, you could also grab some free travel books to read while in the lounge or on your next flight. Yes, some of it is an advertisement, but you can’t beat the price!

If you have kids, you might want to pick up some of the kids travel books for some extra in-flight entertainment.

Napping rooms

For completeness, there’s a section towards the back of the lounge where you can lie down and get some rest. I didn’t step inside so I can’t comment on what it’s like. However, officially the area is considered a “sleeping area”. If you feel particularly exhausted, it might be worth checking out. Just don’t miss your next flight!

Recommendation: Good to grab a bite but not much else

We’ve been to both the SWISS and Lufthansa versions of a Senator Lounge recently. Between the two, SWISS is heads and shoulders the better option:

• SWISS (in Zurich) has a chef who can prepare food beyond what you get at the buffet
• SWISS also has a fantastic whisky bar as an added bonus

By comparison, Lufthansa feels a bit bare bones as a Senator Lounge. That’s not to say that it’s not worth stopping in and grabbing a bite to eat before your flight. It just means you should set your expectations appropriately: this particular Senator Lounge is probably best for refueling before you continue on your journey.

Oh, and if you have kids, they might have more fun outside lounge. The terminal seemed to have plenty of video game stations scattered about. Come eat and then consider spending your time elsewhere.

What are your thoughts of the Lufthansa Senator Lounge at FRA (Z Gates)?

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