Inside the new Lufthansa lounge at Newark Liberty Airport

A completely new concept in lounges from German carrier Lufthansa, and it has just made its official debut at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

The new and improved lounge features a luxurious bar, bistro-style kitchen and first-class dining area, along with clean lines and modern furnishings. The lounge is inspired by Allegris, Lufthansa’s new brand for its enhanced passenger experience, including its clean cabins in first and business class.

Lufthansa said it is spending about $2.7 billion on product improvements over the next year and a half, including lounges, new seats on many planes and improved meals. The Newark resort is a good example of what Lufhansa is working on.

“We are proud that we can now open a new lounge in a new way in terms of design but also when it comes to customer experience,” said Victoria Schuster, vice president of customer experience at Lufthansa. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held today at Newark Airport attended by Lufthansa leaders and people from the New York and New Jersey Port Authority.

Related: Your first look at Lufthansa’s Allegris plane, with new seats in every cabin and shocks in first class

New Lufthansa Lounge in Newark – location

You’ll find Lufthansa’s sleek lounge in Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport on B3 Satellite which occupies gates 60-68. The current lounge occupies the same space as the old Lufthansa lounge but now has 25% more space. The entrance to the lounge is around the corner from Gate 68. It is across the concourse from the Scandinavian Airlines lounge — the only two lounges in this part of the airport.

Opening hours are 2:15 pm to 9:30 pm, seven days a week.

What to expect in the new and improved Lufthansa Lounge

The revamped lounge is inspired by Lufthansa’s investment in new aircraft interiors, which are gradually arriving on board starting with the new Airbus A350 aircraft. Several of the Munich airline’s planes already have new and improved cabins.

The centerpiece of the upgraded lounge is what the airline calls the Skyline bar, which features a wide selection of alcohol, including a new cocktail Lufthansa is debuting today called the Ziegler Avionic Lufthansa Aperitif. This cocktail has alcohol and (how does it taste) tonic or Champagne added. Described to me as an Aperol spritz type drink.

“The motivation behind that bar is to see how we can bring people together,” said Marc Suhr, Lufthansa Group Newark station manager. He said the aim is to get people to enjoy a drink together before flying and to have a social gathering place.

I would call it one of the standout features of the space, and it reminded me of the bars that American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have installed in some of their new lounges.

You will see the new Allegris aircraft interior inspiration reflected in the choice of colors and design elements of the lounge. You will find shades of gray, pops of navy blue and metal accents throughout the lounge.

Lufthansa wanted a new, expanded lounge to have more areas where guests can choose to work, eat, entertain or relax in different parts of the space.

“Whether you’re traveling alone or in a group, whatever your needs are, you’ll find a place to stay here in the lounge that fits your needs,” said Schuster.

Of course, you’ll find two small soundproof rooms – perfect for Zoom meetings or calls.

There are also small seating areas spread throughout the resort.

“We want to be more flexible when it comes to passenger needs,” said Jessica Scheibach, executive director of customer experience and lounge design at Lufthansa. “[We want customers to] they feel like a quiet retreat, where they can really kick back and have their every need met. If they need a meeting place where they can get a call in peace, they can retreat there. If they just want to stay comfortably in the team, we have a place to do that too.”

Although the shades were drawn during our visit, there are views of the planes at the nearby gates if you look behind the curtain.

Navy, brown, gray and camel leather sofas are placed throughout. There are many different seating areas with comfortable seating and plenty of electrical outlets.

There is also a conference table with multiple plugs.

I loved the world clocks on a few walls in the living room.

The bathrooms are modern but on the small side. Unfortunately, there are no showers in this lounge.

The lounge has an advanced food selection set in multiple buffet areas. There is a good variety of food here, and there is an open kitchen area.

Some local New Jersey specialties, such as a candy bar, with local favorites like saltwater taffy and M&Ms. Did you know that M&Ms were born in Newark, New Jersey? I didn’t either!

There was a tasting board showing a selection of charcuterie, various types of bread, including German favorites and several types of salad.

A large mural on one wall is actually a picture of one of New Jersey’s many farms. That was just one example of an attempt to incorporate New Jersey elements into the living room vibe.

“We built a bistro there, and the focus is on the farm. So that’s where you also see the image of the New Jersey farms in the background. And everything is based on that idea,” Suhr said. Many New Jersey farm products are also featured on the menus at the lounge.

Another innovation is a new section reserved for a la carte dining for first class passengers.

This category is for passengers flying on two first-class cabins departing from Newark’s Terminal B – a Swiss flight to Zurich and a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. You can also choose to dine here if you are a high-class Lufthansa elite member.

Lufthansa executives told me that the first class section is where you will see the strongest indications of the new Allegris brand, “You will see, for example, the leather upholstery, the dark blue leather is exactly the same as what you will find in the first class cabin on board,” said Scheibach.

The menu looked amazing, with dishes like brown sugar pork with roasted parsnips and carrots or harvest squash risotto with basil pesto.

I tried the butterscotch panna cotta they served for dessert – it was divine. An impressive wine list for first class food is also below.

This was the most stylish and inviting lounge class, in my opinion, and there will be guests sad that they can’t try it if they don’t fly first.

How to enter the new Lufthansa Lounge

Passengers sitting in business class or first class on United, Lufthansa, Swiss or Austrian Airlines can access the new Lufthansa Lounge, although the number of eligible flights to and from Newark’s B3 terminal is limited.

Passengers with Star Alliance Gold status on any program other than United Airlines also get access to the new Allegris-inspired lounge (with up to one guest on the same flight). Star Alliance Gold members with United MileagePlus status can only access United Clubs within the US before international flights on Star Alliance flights (unless seated in first class or business class).

According to information on the American Express app, four people Platinum Card® from American Express they can use the lounge even if they are a flight instructor, as long as they will be on a Lufthansa Group flight. Cardholders must show their physical cards for entry. Platinum cardholders are not allowed as guests.

In fact, Platinum Card® holders from American Express, Business Platinum Card® from American Express and the invite-only Centurion black card has been able to access Lufthansa lounges when flying Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa or Swiss since 2017.

The information for The Centurion Card from American Express has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card information on this page has not been updated or provided by the card issuer.

Priority Pass members also have access to this lounge during limited hours, but it sounds like that might be negotiable right now. Priority Pass card members currently cannot access the new lounge between the hours of 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm.

Priority Pass members also continue to have access to Lufthansa Business lounges at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington, DC’s Dulles International Airport (IAD), but that may change at some point.

Related: Is a Priority Pass lounge membership really worth it?

Below is the new Lufthansa Lounge

The new and improved Lufthansa lounge in Newark is stylish and has a nice touch. The lounge was expanded by 25% and now makes better use of the available space. It’s a welcome break from a section of Newark Liberty International Airport that doesn’t have many lounge options. It will be interesting to see how its lounge changes over time especially if Priority Pass members will continue to use the Lufthansa lounge when flying out of gates 60-68 at EWR.

We are also happy to see this new design concept being rolled out in many Lufthansa lounges. The airline tells TPG that New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington, DC’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) will be next, although Lufthansa has yet to commit to an opening date for either terminal. . They said the planning and design phases are going well, so stay tuned.

Lufthansa serves 26 destinations in North America.

If you happen to be traveling in Berlin, there is also a new Allegris-inspired lounge now open at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).

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