Once I left the Concourse A lounge I tried to make my way to Concourse C, as I wanted to check out the Air Canada lounge. I got rather lost along the way (partly because I was so tired), so I decided to just leave it and head straight to concourse Z.
To my surprise, there wasn’t a line for immigration at all. I assumed it was just a checkpoint, but apart from the agent being quite rude and talking to the agent manning the counter next to her while she helped with my procedures (not that I blame her, it was 8:20 PM so she must have had a long day), I was through in under five minutes. On one hand I was bummed as I could have visited the Air Canada lounge with time to spare, but on the other hand I was ready to get some work done at the Lufthansa lounge.
While no means one of my favourite concourses, the Z Concourse at Frankfurt Airport looked decent and seemed more modern than Heathrow Airport.
Frankfurt Airport Z Concourse
I was quick to find the Lufthansa lounge entrance, which leads to both the Senator Lounge and the Business Lounge. Similarly to the A Concourse lounge, if you pass by with a business class or partner airline first class ticket at hand, you’ll have access to the lounge. You’ll also have access to the lounge as a Star Gold cardholder.
The lounge is located close to gate Z50, so is quite close to immigration. It was quite far from my assigned gate Z66, which I would learn the hard way later.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Entrance
I was welcomed by a lounge agent, who noted that I had visited the Concourse A lounge. I said that the Concourse A agent had said that this lounge was significantly nicer, and she lowered my expectations by saying “meh, it’s roughly the same”.
Still, I was excited to have a nice place to work for a couple of hours, so I went up the escalator that led the way to the lounge.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Escalator
The entrance featured a few elevators that led back to the main terminal. Additonally there were also a few chairs equipped with power ports, though there was a manned desk right across them so I’m not sure why you’d want to sit there unless the lounge was packed.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Entrance Area
By the entrance was a set of lockers where you could place mid-sized items. My mother’s carry-on fit in a compartment (mine wouldn’t, but I checked it in this instance as my parents truly bought a lot in Geneva), but the bag on top of it had to go in another one.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Lockers
The lounge itself was one massive triangle-shaped room that featured a lot of seating on both sides. It was nowhere near crowded and almost emptied out by the time I was about to leave. I’m not normally a fan of sterile, corporate decor, but somehow I loved the decor in this lounge, ranging from the orange armchairs to the wood finishes. It’s exactly what you’d find at the A lounge, except this lounge is much bigger.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Lounge
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Lounge
The lounge featured a multitude of seating options, including bar seating, sofas, tables, armchairs, communal seating, and much more. I’m always a fan of multiple comfortable seating options.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
Near the entrance was a TV area, and since the lounge was huge, I could barely hear the TV from around the lounge. I do slightly wish there was a dedicated room for it, but as far as open TV setups go, this was really nice.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
There was a beverage “island”, which I’ve also seen at the Swiss Dock E lounge at Zurich. It’s definitely not a setup that every lounge should have, but it is a really nice space, in my opinion. I like how there’s seating next to the island and the fact that it reduces “wasted” space in the lounge, yet it isn’t in the way at all.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
In terms of drinks, there are a few types of water, which I appreciate. I do wish there was a barista since this is Lufthansa’s flagship lounge, but the machine was good as far as coffee machines go.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Snack and Beverage Spread
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Snack and Beverage Spread
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Snack and Beverage Island
The lounge itself is really well designed, in my opinion, from the range of different seating options to the layout of the lounge itself.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
As you can see, some of the communal tables really emptied out by the time we left, to the point where none of the tables were taken. I can’t imagine they’d be great places for working for long periods of time, though they’d definitely be good places to sit as a family and talk.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
On the right side of the lounge, where I spent the bulk of my time, was an area with a forest-like backdrop. I think it’s meant to be more of a relaxation area, though my family and I were the sole occupants of the space during the entirety of my stay. The space featured a few “normal” arm chairs as was true for the rest of the lounge, and by the side there were a few daybeds, as well as chairs with partitions behind them.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
I love when there’s a partition behind me, as I hate it when people watch over my shoulder when I’m working, especially when it’s reviewing a lounge…at the lounge. In this case it didn’t matter because I was working on my science homework, though I’ve gotten accustomed to liking when my computer screen is shielded.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
By the side were daybeds, and the area was rather dark, though there was a separate nap room so those seats were more akin to backup daybeds than anything.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
On the (more crowded) other side of the lounge, there was more seating with partitions in between to create privacy. Overall it was a space that was pretty well thought out, despite it not being as big or as private as some other lounges.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
There was a bench in the area, though I can’t imagine it’d be comfortable to sit on.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
The entire backside of the lounge featured tarmac views, with blinds you could pull up or down if you wanted to. Ultimately I couldn’t get any good pictures at night, though I imagine it would be a little easier during the day.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Seating
The lounge contains a huge working area. I knew there would be WiFi on the flight which I would be using, so I just decided to enjoy my time here and rest up a bit – however, if I needed to work, I would really enjoy these cubicles. Lufthansa’s workstation is so nicely set up, in my opinion.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Office Cubicles
Personally I would stick by the sides since there are privacy barriers, but if you don’t need privacy barriers or need to work in pairs, there is space for you to do so as well.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Office Cubicles
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Office Cubicles
The lounge also has a nook containing more private seating, which I’d appreciate if in need to work or in a small group. I was in a rather large group, though, so I stayed out in the open.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Private Area
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Private Area
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Private Area
There were also a few telephone booths, though much like I explained in the lounge on the A side, I would appreciate if they had chairs and doors to make extended phone calls or Skype calls.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Phone Call Booth
Past the left side of the lounge was a relax/sleep area, which was completely unoccupied during my stay. It featured a dozen or so daybeds much like the ones we saw earlier, except that I personally would choose this space as it was darker, more exclusive and thus a place where it would be easier to sleep.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Nap Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Nap Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Nap Room
There was a picture of Cape Town along with the wings of a 747 on the wall. I appreciate the travel theme despite not knowing what exactly it was there for.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Nap Room
In terms of nap rooms, there was another nap room on the side, which also featured many bottles of water. This one was less exclusive and featured more light, though arguably the chairs are more comfortable, despite looking like dentist’s chairs based on the pictures below.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Nap Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Nap Room
I loved the different types of water Lufthansa offers – it’s really indicative of the level of attention they put into the small details while setting the lounge up.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Nap Room
The food spread in this lounge isn’t as big as you’d find in some other flagship lounges, though the food that was on display was great and markedly German. For example, there were great sausages, there was pretzel bread, and once again there was rice pudding. There were also a few other soups and hot options in this lounge, which I appreciate.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Food Spread
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Food Spread
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Food Spread
There is a separate drinks spread here, which features a similar selection to what I’d found in the “beverage island” on the other side of the lounge.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Food Spread
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Food Spread
Much like the A lounge there is a WorldShop consisting of duty free items, though as you’d expect for a flagship lounge, it is quite a bit bigger.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Duty Free Store
At this point I decided that the thing I needed most was a shower, as I’d be up for the night. I asked the front desk for a shower, and they told me to just tell the shower attendant directly. The shower attendant was very friendly and in no time I was assigned a shower room.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Waiting Area
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
The shower room was similar to the one in the A lounge, in which it was sterile, though clean and pleasant. I liked the ambient music playing in the room – it was borderline cheesy, though for a few minutes I could certainly deal with it.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
The water pressure from the rainforest shower was phenomenal, and just felt so good after a series of not-so-great showers at the chalet. I’m not sure how it stacks up with the other great showers I’ve had at airports, though the water pressure at this lounge sure was amazing.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
I do appreciate how big the shower rooms are – they don’t feel like warehouses, unlike the shower room that Korean Air gives their passengers.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Shower Room
Even the bathrooms themselves are really nice. The entire lounge is sterile without being bland, which is actually true with most of the Lufthansa brand.
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Washroom
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Concourse Z Washroom
I had a few sausages and another rice pudding, and worked throughout my stay. Soon it was time to head towards the gate. I hadn’t realised that Z66 was at least a 15 minute run from gate Z50, due to how large the airport was. I ended up sprinting my way to the gate, and I still wasn’t first in line for boarding, unfortunately.
Frankfurt Airport Z Concourse Hallway
Frankfurt Airport Z Concourse Hallway
I was excited to see the whale jet that would be taking me back to Hong Kong, despite not grabbing a great picture of it at the airport – bummer.
Lufthansa Airbus A380-800 Frankfurt Airport
Once again, the gate featured self-boarding – however, at this point families with children were called to board first. My parents and Hailey strolled in leisurely right at this time, so we decided to just board the plane right away, making me the first person onboard again. Score!
Frankfurt Airport Z Concourse Boarding Gates
Bottom Line
For a flagship lounge, Lufthansa’s lounge is fine – while I love the decor and the lounge is quiet, I don’t think it would rank as one of my favourite lounges. I wrote a post about the top 10 things I look for in an airline lounge – if there’s one thing that I didn’t spot, it would be a variety of specialty dishes. I love it when a lounge hypes a few signature dishes that we can try, such as the chef’s counter at the Swiss lounge. This would definitely bring the lounge to the top of the pack, though I know it’s a big ask.
Would I arrive the airport early to visit the lounge? Probably not, since it’s pretty boring otherwise. But it’s a very pleasant place to spend your time before boarding.
