On my return trip from Michigan for Thanksgiving, I made a stop at the Lufthansa Senator and Business Lounges at the north terminal.
Lufthansa Lounges and Admission Rules
Lufthansa operates four types of lounges and they vary from airport to airport:
- First Lounge
- Senator Lounge
- Business Lounge
- Welcome Lounge
The lounge at Detroit airport has two sides – The Senator Lounge for first class passengers and the Business lounge for everybody else. You can find the lounge next to gate D8 and the operating hours are:
- Mondays through Saturdays from 5:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Sundays from 11:00 am to 6:30 pm
I did not see any employees of Lufthansa at this lounge. The lounge concierge and staff are contracted airport workers from Airport Terminal Services (ATS).
The lounge admission rules depend on which lounge you want to enter and what kind of flyer you are. Here is a brief list of admission requirements:
PRIORITY PASS
I was flying on Alaska Airlines so I had none of the credentials listed above. I was able to enter the lounge with my Priority Pass Select card and same-day boarding pass. Using Priority Pass restricts your access to the Business Lounge. Due to capacity control, the Lounge will not accept Priority Pass members from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
The Business Lounge
The business lounge is to the left of the concierge desk. It is about the same size as the Senator Lounge despite having a higher proportion of lounge customers.
BUSINESS LOUNGE SEATING
This business lounge has a dated look with minimal windows. There are three types of seating from tables to bar seating.
BUSINESS LOUNGE FOOD AND BEVERAGE
The food service features hot and cold items:
- Swedish meatballs
- Turkey cutlets with gravy
- Mashed Potatoes
- Tomato basil soup
- Fresh fruit and salad fixings
- Breads and pastries
Beverage service consisted of:
- Self-serve beer and soft drink refrigerator
- Self-serve coffee machine
- A selection of alcoholic beverages along with four wines
- Juices
The lounge staff did an excellent job keeping both the food and beverage items stocked. Something that I usually don’t see was the hourly temperature check to make sure the hot items are maintained at a safe temperature.
The Senator Lounge
I may have been restricted to the Business Lounge but I did manage to take a look and see the differences between the lounges. The seating was more or less the same but had more windows. There was a noticeable upgrade in the food selections:
- Fruit and cheese platter
- Shrimp cocktail
- Veggies and olives
- Mashed potatoes Swedish meatballs and turkey cutlets with gravy (same as the business lounge)
- Sweet potatoes with candied pecans
- Green bean casserole
- Burgandy beef tips
- A better selection of breads and pastries
Overall Impressions
Although the lounge has a dated look to it, it was still a comfortable place to wait for my flight. The lounge staff was very attentive and they did a great job keeping the food and beverages stocked. The Senator Lounge definitely has a brighter look to it with many more windows than the Business Lounge. The food selection was good in the Business Lounge and much better in the Senator Lounge. I would have loved having a shrimp to two. If you are a Priority Pass member, get there before the 1:00 pm cutoff. Once you are in, they don’t ask the Priority Pass holders to leave when the clock strikes 1:00 pm.
