If you’re flying Lufthansa from Frankfurt International Airport, then you have a plethora of lounges to choose from. Terminal 2 is the terminal to be if you have Priority pass and are not flying Star Alliance. I’ve already written about the countless lounges in that terminal. However, if you’re flying from Terminal 1, you won’t have many Priority Pass lounges to choose from.
There are numerous Lufthansa business and Senator lounges in Frankfurt so how do you choose? Well the terminal is huge for one so if you want to be close to your gate, you’ll want to just choose the closest lounge. Otherwise, if you have time and want to experience the best business class lounge, then for sure go to the Lufthansa Panorama Lounge which is what this post will focus on!
From now until the end of October 2019, AMEX Platinum card holders (and Centurion holders) can access the Lufthansa Business class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich airport. However, there are many Lufthansa lounges in both airports and this benefit only relates to certain lounges.
Where is the Frankfurt Lufthansa Panorama Lounge?
The Lufthansa Panorama Lounge is located in Terminal 1 in the A concourse. This is where all the Schengen flights are out of. If you’re flying non-Schengen, you can still go here but just keep in mind you’ll still have to clear immigration and all of that before your flight (so leave plenty of time).
The lounge is located near gates A26 right as the terminal forks in directions.
The space was formerly the Fraport VIP Lounge, operated by Frankfurt Airport. It underwent slight renovations and doesn’t really look like the other Lufthansa lounges. Nevertheless, it is the most spacious and probably one of the lesser visited lounges in the terminal.
The lounge is open only Monday to Friday between 06:00am and 09:00pm. It’s also accessible for Star Alliance gold members and of course business class travelers.
Layout of the Frankfurt Lufthansa Panorama Lounge
As soon as you enter the lounge, you must decide if you’re turning left or right. There is a desk here with an employee working which I’m sure will explain to you what the options are if you’re confused. The right side will take you to the main kitchen area with a large open seating plan that is akin to most other lounges I’ve been to. The left side will take you to another area with multiple rooms that is reminiscent of a Victorian era house than an airline lounge.
The lounge is huge. There’s a lot of space to unwind and spend your time. I’ll start off with turning left.
The private rooms of the Panorama Lounge
The left side will take you to a collection of different rooms. This was intended in the past to be private suites but at Lufthansa’s rendition, they are rooms that fit comfortable 3-5 people. At the entrance to the area, there are a few seats, a small food stand with the same food and wine that is served in the main hall, as well as the bathrooms.
I’ve probably been to 100 different lounges in the world and I’ve never seen anything like this before. Each room feels like a meeting room but complete strangers will sit with each other. It’s perhaps a bit too “intimate” for some travelers because the room can have two people and then you feel like you’re awkwardly intruding on their vibe.
There are a total of 5 of these such rooms in this area.
At the end of the long hallway, there is a common area that is more more open and adorned with couches. There is also a small area for refreshments and snacks. This is probably more inviting if you don’t want to be in a room with a few others.
As well, there is another larger “private room” that has a large table, a bookshelf with a TV, and a few couches. I spent most of my time in this room as I had views of the tarmac, a desk to work on that included numerous plugs, and it felt more inviting than the other rooms.
Overall, I spent roughly 5 hours at this lounge and the time passed by quickly!
The main area of the Panorama Lounge
From the entrance, make a right turn to enter the main lounge area. This area will be familiar for all lounge goers that features a large open buffet and an ample amount of seating space. In fact, the seating space here is far larger than the other Lufthansa lounges which is fitting of its name, the Panorama lounge.
There is also another smaller room with seating and couches for those that way to be slightly away from the main area.
The bathroom and shower
The Panorama lounge has a nice large bathroom and an equally large shower facility. You don’t need to make any reservations for the shower from what I could tell. There were towels and amenities provided for you to grab a nice shower.
The food and drinks at the Lufthansa Panorama Lounge
Food and drink in this lounge is no different than other Lufthansa business class lounges in the airport. In the main dining room, a buffet includes soups, salads, hot dishes (usually something with meat and potatoes), breads, and a wide selection of self-serve beverages.
On the other side with the individual rooms, there is a smaller section serving most of the same food as in the main dining hall.
For breakfast, they had a selection of eggs, pastries, ham, and toast. For lunch, it was veggie and salmon wraps. I thought the food would offer a bit more since it is a flagship Lufthansa lounge but it was enough for me to get by.
As for drinks, there is a healthy selection of German wines, beers, and all the standard liquor options you’d expect out of a lounge. One thing I did notice that stood out was the option of Grey Goose as a vodka. I don’t see that type of top shelf liquor at other lounges, including the Lufthansa ones.
The wifi
For those that need to do serious work, this lounge is great. Not only is there an abundance of space for you to do work, conduct meetings and the like, but the wifi is also very fast. I was able to get up 100 mbps down, and 30 mbps up when I was here which was more than enough to do my video conference calls.
Overall impressions
Overall, I was a big fan of the Frankfurt Lufthansa Panorama Lounge. It was incredibly spacious and felt more like someone’s house than an airline lounge. Nevertheless, it feels like most people don’t know about this lounge and remains emptier than its neighbors.
It’s likely you’ll always be able to get your own little spot without much interference. I really liked the individual rooms as well. They had lots of character and were a relaxing place to get work done. It’s quiet, and hopefully it stays that way! If you’re flying out of the Schengen area of Terminal 1, I would look no further than this lounge!
