I had one last hurrah with my oneworld emerald status during my recent trip through London Heathrow, enjoying both the Qantas and Cathay Pacific lounges while lounge hopping in T3.
Oneworld Lounge Hopping In Heathrow T3
Just before the pandemic, I noted that if I had to pick one airport terminal to live in, it would probably be Heathrow Terminal 3 with oneworld status, since there are four lounge in that terminal:
> Read More: If I Had To Pick An Airport Terminal To Live In…
But then the pandemic hit. Not only did the lounges above close, but Heathrow totally closed off Terminal 3 for more than a year. As traffic slowly rebounded last year, T3 reopened, but it is only more recently that the lounges have reopened.
I was flying out of T5 on British Airways, but had plenty of time after my Finnair A330 flight from Helsinki and decided to visit a couple lounges in T3. This was particularly important to me since American Airlines did not extend status for a full year and my Executive Platinum status recently expired. This would be my last chance, for awhile at least, to visit the Cathay Pacific first class lounge (as well as AA’s international first lounge and the BA first class lounge).
As I always do, I started off my visit to T3 with coffee in the Qantas lounge. Qantas uses Vittoria coffee and the flat whites are always nice. Since my breakfast was fairly meager on Finnair, I also ordered breakfast: smoked salmon egg benedict. Service was really bad in the lounge (I literally had to stand up and find a waiter), but the food was delicious (perhaps the Hollandaise sauce was a bit too rich).
After breakfast, I moved on to the Cathay Pacific lounge and spent the next couple hours there during some work. Before leaving, I had lunch. First, I enjoyed a bowl of watercress spinach soup. For my main course, I had a roasted cod loin in a lovely mustard sauce. A tremendous meal overall (I skipped dessert, noting my British Airways flight was only a couple hours away and I’d be eating again…).
Ironically, Cathay Pacific is still not operating service between London and Hong Kong due to COVID-19 restrictions.
CONCLUSION
It felt like 2019 as I walked though the crowded Heathrow T3 and enjoyed a pair of meals in the Qantas and Cathay Pacific lounge. Lounge hopping is one of the joys of travel and it is nice to see this return.
Nothing beats the Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow.
Says the guy who never experienced flying in First class from LHR with a Oneworld carrier
Perhaps, although at least pre-COVID found the Clubhouse food to be better, more variety than the Concorde Lounge, and more pleasant ambiance.
Wine / spirits were higher end in Concorde, although now post COVID the selections on the wine side (champagne aside) are less flattering.
Not sure how Clubhouse is these days.
Oh I’ve been flying F out of LHR for years, and have spent a lot of time in the CX F Lounge, BA CCR, and QF lounge.
The VS Clubhouse at LHR, menu-wise, blows them out of the water. Even post-pandemic. An extensive menu, to s of variety, some fancy-ish, some fresh beautifully made comfort food, good portions, friendly staff.
I’d been to Clubhouses in the US before, but the LHR clubhouse is truly something else.
Totally agree. … and for the record, I’ve flown both American and British Airways first class multiple times from LHR.
How can CX justify operating a lounge when they’re barely flying to LHR?
They make money from people using the lounge, paid for by the airline you’re flying with. As they’re still having to pay rent on the space they may as well operate it and get some money coming in.
Cathay Pacific will resume HGK – LHR flights operating a daily service using an A350-1000.
LHR T3 is truly one of the best places to be for Emeral members along with HKG, HND and Changi Airports
@Matthew I hear you.
It’s time to re-experience 12 hours inside the Pier First in HKG, Qantas First in Changi and LAX, Al Safwa in DOH and JAL in Narita
Was it easy to get from T5 to T3? Did security give you trouble?
Security gave me no trouble. They did note I was flying from T5, but were well aware of the lounge situation and welcomed me to T3. I’ve done this for other terminals too without issue.
How does that work? Did you just clear security at T3 like a normal passenger flying out of LHR T3? Then how did you get from there to T5? Just exit and take the train over? I didn’t realize any of this was possible.
I’ll do a post on it. It’s a bit complicated.
A post on this would be great. Fly into Terminal 5 and leave from T5 but have 5 hours so time to lounge hop
You just go to T3 Connections and go through security. You can then have the run of T3…then you can just go back the way you entered the terminal post-security, and follow the signs for flight connections to the other terminals.
Just post-security, there is a door back to Connections, clearly signposted, and you just have to signal to the attendants at the desk to push the button to let you through. No questions asked. All good.
Do note that if you are flying out of T5, you CANNOT clear security at T5, go to T3, and then come back. This is because T5 is on a different system, and as soon as your BP is scanned at T5 security, your BP is set as Ready to Fly. You will not be able to leave and come back, and would likely have to clear immigration, go to check-in, and find an agent who knows how to reset your Ready to Fly Status.
If you land at T5 and have a connection from T5, you should be able to transfer immediately to T3 and then go back. Just do not plan on going to T5 airside first, going to another terminal, and expecting to come back easily.
Security at Heathrow gives people plenty of issues, but accessing lounges is not one. Same if you want to shop in one of the specific stores in that terminal.
I love those new machines in T5 where you no longer have to take your liquids out! Such a great improvement.
My favorite title to a post you have come up with. Love it.
AHH the “T3 Lounge Run”. This was one of the things that most excited me when I started chasing status and, yes feel free to call me sad coz youay be right and I just don’t care lol, we actually stayed stayed at LHR the night before so as to have a whopping 8 hours before the flight to hit all the OW lounges and give them a proper try out.
Fairly certain I’ve never taken, or will again, that many showers in such a small period of time but when I said the plan was to give them a PROPER try I very much meant it and even made a blog post about it on a blog I just failed to ever really bother with tbh.
Shame to here service in QF was so bad as pre coof times it was run to a hotel service standard rather than a lounge with it being managed by one of the Accor brands if I remember right ( maybe Sofitel?) and whilst not branded or mentioned anywhere it is l, or at least was, something known about and in the lounges pre release when it re launched a few years back.
For anyone into their gins then the main bar is something to experience and you’ve not lived till you’ve sampled the Green Ant Gin which will likely never be offered but is generously poured if asked for ( yes they will ensure an actual ant ends up in your glass if you ask nicely).
I’m forever torn between QF and CX being the best but Qantas always fought for the tip spot based on really amazing service we always had on there no matter time of day or how busy the place was.
American should instead fire whoever buys their seats Crappiest cushions in the air
If I wanted to do this, how long should I plan for my layover in LHR?