I was in Detroit recently and had the chance to visit the Lufthansa Senator lounge. I last reviewed this lounge in May 2015, and while the space is basically the same, the food continues to improve. So I figured it was worth an update. The Lufthansa Senator lounge is located in the North Terminal, where…
Continue reading: Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge Detroit Metro Airport North Terminal
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
How many flights a day does Lufthansa operate from Detroit? I'm surprised they operate their own lounge.
So while on the left is the Business Lounge and on the Right is the Senator/*G lounge, it has been my experience that when the Lufthansa flight is at the gate (maybe 1-2 hours) before departure, they send all the united customers over to the business lounge until the Lufthansa flight departs. Only then will they allow *G customers into to the Senator lounge.
I've had this happen twice to me.
I used to fly from Detroit to Houston every week in 2012. I used to go past LH lounge thinking that I wont be able to access it as United doesn't even let their own Elite members use their own lounges then why in the world can LH let me use it. One day I tried my luck and was amazed when the agent directed me to the Senator lounge after scanning my boarding pass 🙂
I use this lounge every single time I fly to DTW. It's a step up from the horribly outdated Delta SkyClubs there. What's more, LH only has one flight per day to FRA from DTW (the auto industry is still strong, and the executives like their lounges), and in all my years flying back and forth, it only ever gets crowded in the afternoon just before the FRA flight boards. Otherwise, there have been many, many times I was the only person in there for hours, aside from the attendants.
Is it as large or expansive as other LH lounges, no, not by a long shot. But it is a gem, in my opinion.
DTW is my home airport and I use this lounge a lot. I am never sent to the Senator lounge side even though I am a UA platinum. I ave questioned the attendants about this before and I am told the left side is for the LH first passengers. There is a lot of inconsistency in the lounge. I will warn readers that hot food does not appear until 1:30pm. Overall the lounge needs a new manager who applies the rules consistently.
For a relatively new terminal, the North Terminal at DTW really has to be one of the ugliest looking terminals ever built. Look at the picture above of the airfield, the concourse building to the left looks like the back of a shopping mall with a few windows thrown in here and there - no architectural design elements whatsoever, where is the roof-line? It doesn't come close to comparing with the McNamara terminal. Also, it is only one level, and that means international passengers walk through a basement to go to customs. It beggars belief how European and Asian airports can be significantly nicer (from both an architectural and just plain infrastructure perspective). Most international airports use an arrivals level (usually below the departures level) and therefore use fixed (glass) jet bridges and head-of-stand roads. ALL walls are usually glass too. This is a square box with some weird blue shipping containers attached to it. Embarrassing really, but I suppose pretty similar to JFK T4, MIA, ORD etc.