Before our SWISS flight to Zurich from Milan, we visited the Lufthansa Lounge in Milan Malpensa airport. While technically not a Senator lounge, it felt comparable to the Senator standard, and with a lack of crowd, it was a perfectly pleasant place to relax before our flight. It’s not an impressive by any measure, but it was not bad for a Lufthansa outstation.
Location and access
The Lufthansa Lounge Milan is located at the “A” gates of Malpensa Terminal 1, a bit beyond the walkway leading to the A1-A10 pier. From security, head right all the way until just before the escalator to the “A” bus gates.The lounge is to the left when facing the escalators going down to the bus gates.
Since we were flying Business, we had access to the lounge. Even if we were not in Business, my Star Alliance Gold status via KrisFlyer could also have gotten us into the lounge.
The Lounge
We were welcomed to the lounge by an agent who scanned our boarding passes.
Seating
The lounge was roughly in a L-shape. Nearer the entrance were a couple of communal work tables.
Further along, there was a semi-private pod of sorts. This didn’t really have a proper table though, so not conducive for dining nor working.
The shorter side of the L-shape was where most of the seating areas were. The seating was a mix of high-backed chairs, wide armchairs and sofas.
One wall had a wallpaper of a bookshelf. This area had more swivel chairs and fixed armchairs.
For dining or working, there were dining tables and a couple of high tables as well.
On this relatively quiet afternoon, there was plenty of seats and choice of seats for everyone. I imagine it could probably get quite cramped at peak hours.
Food & beverage
The buffet was laid out on the inside of the “L”. Nearer the entrance was the coffee machine and soft drink dispensers.
There was also a selection of cold salads, including a Nicoise salad, and sandwiches. There was a selection of bread and cheese as well.
There were 4 hot dishes and a couple of soups. Having not had lunch prior to arriving at the airport, the relatively wide selection of hot dishes was welcome. There was a seared fish in sauce, macaroni and cheese, vegetables and one other item I can’t recall. The quality of food was average at best, but at least the selection were items I didn’t mind eating, unlike the experience at the Heathrow Senator lounge which was heavily vegetarian.
There was a small circular buffet counter with fruits and dessert, plus savoury focaccia.
There were a couple of red wine and white wines each, plus a prosecco. There was the usual spirits and beers as well.
Overall, I was mostly satisfied with the quantity of food on offer, if not the quality. It was good for a light lunch, and given we didn’t expect to get heavily fed on the short hop to Zurich, the food at the Lufthansa Lounge Milan hit the spot for us.
Other amenities
The lounge doesn’t have showers, but it did have a pretty nice toilet. I’d heard of lounges in Europe which have “sponsors” or partners who supply fixtures. However, this was the first time I’d actually seen one. There was a sign proudly proclaiming the restrooms as “Premium Restrooms by Villeroy & Boch”.
The fixtures were nice but nothing special. More interesting was the wallpaper, which resembled a historical map and was a huge contrast to the normally-sterile restrooms of Lufthansa lounges.
Conclusion
With a lack of crowd during this visit, the Lufthansa Lounge Milan Malpensa was a surprisingly pleasant place to wait for our slightly-delayed flight. The decor was typical Lufthansa, but I found the F&B variety a bit better than the average selection at most Lufthansa Group lounges. I can imagine the lounge might get crowded during peak times, but on this occasion it honestly felt like one of the better LH lounges I’ve visited.