After I visited the Alpine Lounge, I went over to clear border control before heading over to Concourse E where my flight was departing from. Do make sure to cater some additional time as you will still need to take the train over to Concourse E. The queues at border control might be unpredictable too. I visited this lounge previously when I was flying Singapore Airlines Suites back to Singapore from Zurich. It is nice to be back again after a long time. This lounge is one of the best in the Lufthansa Group network with a lovely terrace area and whisky bar. The food and drinks do require some polishing. Frequent flyer members have it good over here. In a stark contrast to the rules here in Singapore. You will get access to this superior lounge if you have KF Gold or Star Alliance Gold regardless of the cabin you are flying in. But if you are in business class, you are relegated to the much more crowded Business Class lounge. If you are not on LH metal, this is the highest lounge you can access. Even in SQ Suites, you can’t go to the First Class Terminal or First Class Lounge. Perhaps we should adopt the same and kick Star Alliance business class pax to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge? This is defacto the Star Alliance First Class Lounge.

Access Requirements

The Senator Lounge Concourse E is open daily from 6am to 10pm. Currently, all Star Alliance Group First Class, Lufthansa Senators, HON Circle Members and Star Alliance Gold Members holders are allowed access to the lounge. You will not get access if you are in Star Alliance Business Class. This isn’t your standard Star Alliance business class lounge, since non-Lufthansa Group Star Alliance premium passengers can’t access this lounge unless you have Star Alliance Gold too. Typical access rules for guests follow. The Senator Lounge does make it kind of weird! Star Alliance premium passengers will not like it here. It is funny that you will be able to access the Senator Lounge as an economy class passenger with Star Alliance Gold but if you are paying thousands of dollars for business class, you get relegated to the business class lounge? I got in on account of my Star Alliance Gold status while flying to Istanbul on Turkish Economy.

Arrival & Location

Both the Business Class Lounge and Senator Lounge share the same entrance. They also share the same shower rooms which is a negative aspect in my opinion. They should have some exclusively for the use of Senator Lounge guests. Both rooms are more or less the same size. It is just more private over here and the Senator lounge usually comes with a bar. I was invited into the Senator’s side of things after presenting my boarding pass. If you would like to use the showers, you will have to make a reservation over here at the reception.

Swiss Senator Lounge Concourse E Zurich Flughafen  

The Senator Lounge measures 1100 Sqm. It is a huge space and nicely designed. I love the decor of the lounge and how it comes with plenty of natural light as well as the view of the runway. The terrace stretches throughout the lounge and this is open when the weather is good. It is very rare to have an outdoor area in an airport lounge. This is very much appreciated with the crisp alpine views, air and views of the planes. There is something magical about grabbing some whisky and having a drink outside. Great during summer. Sadly, it is closed on the day of my visit. To the left of the lounge is the whisky bar. I will come back to this later on. The main lounge area is on the right with a large elongated entranceway. I love this area. It is my favourite with the design. I love how they have all the Swiss Alps stencilled on the side with the altitude. That is such a cool feature. There are also some seatings on the side here.

The phone booth allows you to have your conversation with more privacy when needed.

Heading in, you will find the main space itself with couches and sofa seats. Nearer to the refreshment area, you can also dining tables that are more suitable for dining. Here are some pictures of the place.

Towards the inner part of the lounge, you can also find a quiet zone with recliners. This will come in handy for a shut eye or to zone out during your transit.

Toilets and Showers

The toilets are in the middle of the lounge. The showers are by the entrance and shared with the adjacent business class lounge. This is on an appointment basis and you have to head to the reception to use one. I did not get a chance to visit them since they were occupied. The toilets were nice and clean. They are well maintained but nothing too memorable.

Food and Drinks

First up around the refreshment corner, you have a drinks counter with tons of coffee machines and packaged tea by the side. There are also multiple self-serve alcohol options, soft drinks, juices and a soda fountain. I do remember the wine selection being better previously. It felt like even the Alpine lounge earlier had better selections. Do keep in mind that there is still the Whisky Bar to come later on.

Food wise consist of some fruits, cakes, salad and pizza. It was super lacklustre over here and the food looks extremely unappealing as compared to the Alpine lounge.

28/10, the Whisky bar is an exclusive facility in the Zurich Senator Lounge. It is towards the left after entering. This is a cosy space and it comes with over 200 different whisky from all around the world. What an amazing collection. You can do numerous tasting or whisky flights over here. It has to be the one lounge with the best collection out there.

Conclusion

This is one of the better Star Alliance lounges out there and it’s nice to have access as a gold member even when flying in economy. This is also the so-called first-class lounge for non-Lufthansa Group first-class passengers. Even if you are in SQ Suites, this is the highest-level lounge that you gain access to. I love the space and the decor. It is worth mentioning the outdoor area which is great to see in a lounge. I also love the whisky bar and collection. That can add a lot of points if it is up your alley. After visiting for the second time, it is still the same conclusion that the food and drinks need some improvement. The Alpine Lounge is much better.