Christian
In this article
- The basic structure: two terminals, two worlds
- Terminal 2 and the satellite: Lufthansa territory, and nothing else
- Priority Pass in Munich: exactly two lounges, both in Terminal 1
- What Amex still offers in Terminal 2
- When no card opens the door: paying
- Fast lane and security
- When all of this is not worth the effort
- Conclusion
Munich is Lufthansa's second German hub and the more awkward of the two big airports for cardholders. The reason is the layout: the lounges a credit card opens are almost all in Terminal 1, the Lufthansa flights leave from Terminal 2, and airside the two buildings are not connected.
This guide sorts out terminal by terminal which card gets in where. Its counterpart is the Frankfurt premium guide.
The basic structure: two terminals, two worlds
Terminal 2 is run jointly by the airport and Lufthansa. Lufthansa, SWISS and the Star Alliance partners depart from here, plus the satellite, two minutes away on an underground train. Terminal 1 handles everything else: Eurowings, easyJet, Condor, the Gulf carriers and SkyTeam.
Since 21 April 2026, non-Schengen traffic out of Terminal 1 has run through the new T1 Pier, a separate building in the Module B area with its own central security checkpoint. Modules A and D stay Schengen, Module C can do both, Module E serves arrivals.
For lounge planning that is the decisive part: Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 only works landside, through the Munich Airport Center and then through security again. A lounge in the wrong terminal is a detour of over an hour, not an option.
Terminal 2 and the satellite: Lufthansa territory, and nothing else
Terminal 2 and the satellite hold more than a dozen Lufthansa lounges. The split follows the levels: level 04 is Schengen with the G and K gates, level 05 is non-Schengen with the H and L gates.
- Main building, Schengen: Business and Senator Lounge at gate G28, another Senator Lounge near G24, plus the weekday-only Senator Café at G28.
- Main building, non-Schengen: Business and Senator Lounge at gate H24.
- Satellite, Schengen: Business and Senator Lounge at gate K11.
- Satellite, non-Schengen: Business and Senator Lounge at gate L11.
- First Class Lounges: one in the main building, one in the satellite with a roof terrace. Access only with a Lufthansa or SWISS first class ticket or HON Circle status.
Most open around 05:00 and close at 22:00, a few keep shorter hours.
Access depends on fare class and status, not on your card: business class or Star Alliance Gold for the Business Lounge, Senator or HON Circle for the Senator Lounge. How the tiers differ is covered in the piece on the Lufthansa and Senator lounges.
The point many have not registered yet: since 1 October 2026, no American Express card opens a Lufthansa lounge. Centurion lost the First lounges, Platinum lost the Business and Senator lounges. The background is in the article on the end of the partnership. For Munich that means Amex cardholders have no complimentary lounge access in Terminal 2. None at all.
Priority Pass in Munich: exactly two lounges, both in Terminal 1
Priority Pass lists two lounges for Munich, and both sit in Terminal 1.
- Airport Lounge World, in the T1 Pier, non-Schengen. Opened with the pier in April 2026: roughly 1,200 square metres on two levels, apron views, showers and quiet areas. Priority Pass states hours of 05:00 to 22:15.
- Airport Lounge Europe, Module D, level 05, Schengen. Entry and maximum stay are capped at three hours. According to Priority Pass, shorter hours apply from 9 November 2026: daily 05:30 to 20:00.
Lounge Europe comes with a restriction your card's product page will not mention. Since summer 2025, Frankfurtflyer has reported that it only accepts boarding passes from certain airlines, named as Condor, Finnair, Icelandair and Widerøe. Departing Schengen on Eurowings, easyJet or Iberia, you may well be turned away. Check the Priority Pass app on the day you fly.
The other Terminal 1 lounges are airline-bound: Emirates in the pier for Emirates premium passengers, Air France KLM for SkyTeam tickets and Flying Blue status.
So Priority Pass only helps in Munich if you depart from Terminal 1 anyway. Which programs come with which network is sorted out in the comparison of Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass.
What Amex still offers in Terminal 2
As a replacement for the Lufthansa access, Amex is running dining vouchers called Lounge on the Go until 31 March 2027: six vouchers of 20 euros for Platinum, ten of 50 euros for Centurion, each shared with the supplementary cards and limited to a small number of redemptions per day. You redeem them in the Amex Experiences app.
In Munich the partners sit only in Terminal 2 and the satellite, where Lufthansa departs: Dallmayr, Käfer, Airbräu Next to Heaven, Hans im Glück, Sissi & Franz and others.
Do not count the face value as a saving. A voucher with no change given, tied to one calendar day, two terminals and an expiry date, is worth only what you would have spent on food there anyway. Fly out of Terminal 2 three times in six months and half of it expires.
There is no Centurion Lounge in Germany, see the list of locations.
When no card opens the door: paying
The Lufthansa lounges are not closed, they are just no longer included. Day access to the Business lounges in Munich reportedly starts at 49 euros, premium economy passengers pay less. You need a Lufthansa boarding pass for the same day, bought in advance or at the lounge door while space lasts.
One tier above that sits VipWing, the VIP terminal with its own entrance next to Module E, its own security and border control and a ride to the aircraft. According to the airport's price list, valid from 1 January 2026, a departure costs 529.41 euros net for the first person and 277.31 euros for each additional one, with suites and airside transfers on top. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours ahead, after that 80 percent is due.
Important for Centurion holders: the included VIP services apply to the Fraport VIP service in Frankfurt. Whether VipWing in Munich is part of the membership is not documented. Clear that with the concierge rather than assuming it.
Fast lane and security
Terminal 2 has a fast lane for HON Circle, Senator, Star Alliance Gold, Frequent Traveller and for first, business and economy flex fares. No credit card opens it. Frankfurt works differently, see the fast lane article.
More relevant in practice: since 18 September 2026, the 100 millilitre limit for liquids no longer applies at lanes with CT scanners, as Touristik Aktuell reports. At conventional lanes the old rule stands.
When all of this is not worth the effort
- A short wait. Under 75 minutes before departure a lounge in Munich rarely pays off, even less so in the satellite with the train ride.
- Departing Terminal 2 without Lufthansa status. Neither Priority Pass nor a premium card helps here. It is a voucher, a paid entry or the gate area.
- A Schengen departure from Terminal 1 on the wrong airline. Crossing border control into the non-Schengen lounge and back is not a realistic plan.
- Travelling with children. The rules differ noticeably from lounge to lounge, see the overview on lounge access with children.
Conclusion
Munich is the airport where a premium card's lounge benefit carries the least weight. Two Priority Pass lounges, both in Terminal 1, one of them with an airline restriction and shorter hours from November. In Terminal 2, no Amex card has opened a door since October 2026; what remains is a dining voucher until the end of March 2027.
If you fly Lufthansa out of Munich regularly, Lufthansa status is the only currency that works reliably here. If you depart from Terminal 1, the Airport Lounge World in the pier is a good reason to keep Priority Pass. Everything in between is a single-case decision, and whether the card stays in your wallet is a question for the Amex Platinum math.
