The Etihad Lounge in London Heathrow T4, now called “The House”, is not what it once was…but still an above-average lounge at LHR.
A disclaimer is appropriate here. I’m in the midst of my final “vintage” trip report…you can read the introduction here. Some of the pictures below will be from that trip, some will be from a more recent trip. The important thing to remember is that 1.) the lounge still looks identical and 2.) the a la carte offerings have actually expanded since No1 Lounge became the lounge operator last last year.
With that out of the way, you’ll find the lounge past security in Terminal 4, directly below the SkyTeam lounge. It is open daily from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. If you are not granted access with your ticket, you can purchase a pass for £40 online or £50 at the door (children aged 2-11 are half price). Unlike the No1 Lounge in Terminal 3, this is not a Priority Pass Lounge.
Etihad Lounge London Seating
The lounge was empty when I arrived, but filled up to near-capacity as the departure of the Etihad A380 approached. Seating is comfortable and there are plenty of power ports:
There are also a couple of work stations available:
Here’s the lounge when crowded:
Etihad Lounge London Dining
The highlight of my visits to this lounge over the years has been the dining. Etihad, and now the new operator, offer a daily nice a la carte dining menu. A buffet also offers a selection of hot and cold food. Do note that unlike my pictures below, the dining area has been moved to the same room as the buffet, which seems like a reasonable move. In the past, the buffet was on one side of the room and lounge chairs on the others.
During my first visit, I started with a strawberry smoothie and cappuccino and followed it up with bircher muesli, an omelet, and salad.
During my more recent visit, I arrived during the transition from breakfast to lunch and was offered the lunch menu. But I requested Shakshuka from the breakfast menu (same as above) and was obliged. Again, it is my understanding the a la carte menu has actually expanded.
Etihad Lounge LHR Restrooms + Showers
Restrooms plus shower suites are available.
Etihad Lounge LHR Children’s Room
A children’s play room offers a dedicated area for younger children plus plenty of toys.
RIP Spa
During my first visit, the spa was still open…which both my wife and I took full advantage of. It is now closed. The photos below are simply for reminiscing.
CONCLUSION
The lounge is now officially called, “The House, Home of Etihad Airways and Other Leading Airlines.” But with the exception of the small changes in dining and the elimination of the spa, the lounge is fairly identical to its “glory days” under Etihad. I look forward to checking it out again.
Looks and feel better than e.g. CCR.
We flew SIN-AUH / AUH-LHR on Etihad F a few weeks. SIN-AUH leg was amazing for everything (didn’t try the lounge), especially the crew. AUH-LHR was great for the cabin was but the crew was a bit hit-and-miss, everything was as expected but not as warm feeling as on the first leg. Etihad F lounge in AUH was also great, nothing to complain about.
While Etihad may have cut some costs overall I felt the news about their cost cutting had been way exaggerated. All the Middle Eastern airlines have bit of “bad crews” that don’t read well how relaxed service the customers want, sometimes they feel just too distant.
Hi Matthew, many thanks for the detailed review and photos, we’ll be there tomorrow en-route to the F1, we usually fly Emirates to Dubai and wondered if the Etihad lounge will be as good, but it looks to be the case. Thanks again and we now look forward to it, Stuart.