Frankfurt Airport's New Terminal 3 Will Be Home To Two Qatar Airways Lounges

Good news for Oneworld flyers: Frankfurt Airport (FRA)'s new Terminal 3 is getting two new Qatar Airways lounges. The airline hasn't formally announced them, but a construction sign posted at the site names Qatar Airways Group as the developer.

Both lounges will be in the terminal's non-Schengen area, next to the SkyTeam Lounge, which is already open. Terminal 3 doesn't have a Oneworld lounge yet, even though the non-Schengen zone serves a long list of Oneworld airlines, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines.

The likely reason for two lounges is access. Qatar's premium outstation lounges — for example, in Singapore (SIN) — only allow passengers flying business or first class, not Oneworld elite status holders flying in economy. A second lounge would give those elite flyers a room of their own, the same split Qatar already runs at its global hub in Doha (DOH).

Andrew's Take

It's great to see Frankfurt Terminal 3 finally get a Oneworld lounge, especially from the luxury-forward Qatar Airways. The two-lounge split is nice too, since it ensures Oneworld elites and Qatar Airways premium passengers have their own space, preventing overcrowding.