New York Stories #1 – The outdoor terrace at Hamburg Airport’s Senator lounge

I am in New York this week.  However, as the trip is very similar to the one I wrote up in detail last Spring, I don’t intend to write too much about it.  I am planning instead to run a series of posts highlighting things of interest.

We start in the Senator lounge at Hamburg Airport.  The Lufthansa lounge system is similar to BA – you have a lounge for passengers travelling on business class tickets (the ‘Business Lounge’) and then you have a separate  lounge for First Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold card holders (the ‘Senator Lounge’).

Except, of course, Lufthansa has no long-haul flights out of Hamburg and so there are no First Class passengers.

You have the slightly odd situation whereby someone holding a business class ticket gets sent off to the lower quality lounge.  Someone like me, holding a Turkish Airlines Gold card which he received as a status match from his British Airways Gold card, gets to go in the smarter bit.

My memory may be playing tricks on me, but this lounge seems to have improved.  British Airways could take a leaf out of their book for the Gatwick lounges. 

There was only one hot food option but it was a decent chicken tikka masala.  There was a decent selection of cold options and a trolley with some individually prepared deserts.  There was a decent drinks selection but no champagne – as is normal for Germany.  They did have a decent sparkling rose and sparkling white though.

The real high point, though, is the outdoor terrace:

I have never been on an outdoor lounge terrace overlooking the airport apron before.  It is impressive.  You can sit at a table with your drink and watch the planes come and go.  Amusingly, newspapers and napkins are banned from the terrace in case they get blown away and interfere with the aircraft.

Tomorrow I will take a look at the Lufthansa short-haul business class product which – in terms of seat pitch and seat layout – is a precursor to what British Airways is bringing in.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2025)

Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A good package, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.