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I’m flying Club Europe on BA in a few hours. My flight is among the ones that depart from T3 – something I don’t remember trying before. From the looks of it, as someone flying Business Class and being BAEC Silver, I have several options. Which lounge would you all recommend I opt for? I’ll want to sit in peace and write an article, and I’d like some nice food, too. Thanks!
Absolutely loads of discussion on here about this! Start here:
https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/02/06/what-are-the-best-lounges-in-heathrow-t3/
Oh, brilliant! I was hoping there’d be something like that. Thank you!
Cathay lounge for me, big enough to find a quiet spot.
Silly question, I’m sure, but: As I don’t imagine I’ll often fly from T3, I’d love to try both the Qantas and Cathay Pacific lounges whilst I’m there. I presume it’s possible to do one and then the other, as long as I have time before my flight?
Yes. You can and should get there earlier than usual to enjoy a lounge crawl if you’ve never done it before!
Yes you can and it is a common recommendation to try both.
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ve been in the Qantas and BA lounge so far. I’ll save the rest for next time.
The Qantas restaurant is open for (I think) 3 hours before a QR flight departs. At other times it’s just a slightly underwhelming buffet, in which case the food is better in Cathay. The champagne is better in Cathay, otherwise drinks are better in Qantas.
There might be some pick’n’mix to pick up in the American lounge, otherwise don’t bother.
The BA lounge is good to nick a can and a pack of crisps for the flight if you’re in economy, otherwise don’t bother.
If you’ve got an Amex Platinum card you can also go to the Centurion lounge if you’ve got to the airport a looong time before your flight.
I ended up spending more time in the BA lounge than the Qantas lounge. The Qantas people seemed a little snobbish, and I was already annoyed because some Heathrow employee had the audacity to shout after me as I went into the Fast Track security lane, “Excuse me, ma’am, are you flying Business Class?” I suppose I didn’t look the part, but looking at some of the other people in the queue… Anyway, I was already angry because he had shouted after me – and only me, not anyone else – rather than just wait to see whether my boarding pass would scan and let me through, so when the Qantas staff seemed a bit snooty, too, I decided to just go home to good old BA. lol. Is the hot food always mainly Indian in BA lounges, or am I just unfortunate to repeatedly catch them on those days? It’s not my favourite cuisine at all.
Now you mention it, the Qantas staff upstairs can be a bit up themselves, which is funny as they’re a very unremarkable airline.
Haven’t seen a great deal of Indian food in BA lounges, it’s always fishcakes and salads when I’m in!
I’ve never seen the fish cakes, always small pies and Thai green curry when I’m in there!
I’ve also had the upstairs Qantas treatment when I foolishly asked if there was coffee (not just tea) at the breakfast buffet and was scathingly told that I would have to go and ask for it at the bar (of course 🤷♀️). So I had to queue behind people ordering cocktails at 8.30 in the morning to get my coffee while my breakfast went cold.
Fortunately all the other times we’ve been able to wait till table service service starts and always seem to get a lovely server who asks where we’re going and keeps an eye out for our gate.
Re the AA lounge – is it no good for breakfast? We’re there early next month, not impressed with the CX buffet so thought we’d try the AA offering then stock up on sweeties for our 12-hour, under-catered BA flight!
“Excuse me, ma’am, are you flying Business Class?”
What a terrible experience, I hope your flight was more enjoyable.
It was particularly terrible because I almost always fly Business Class and hold BA Silver status + people who have fast track look all sorts of ways. It was so offensive. But yes, the flight was nice and short (to BLL), the food (smoked salmon tartare) was lovely, and the staff was nice. But as this was my first flight from T3 as opposed to T5, I wasn’t exactly impressed. I should complain to Heathrow…
Heh Heh often the First Class line can look a little dishevelled unless you look closely.
I had worse – in Seattle the female Lounge Dragon of the BA Lounge shouted all the way across from her chair surrounded by other passengers at Reception, over to me as I was trying to pull open the heavy door of the First Class half of the Lounge some distance away, “Excuse me Are you flying First Class Madam?”, in a blocking sort of tone.
Actually the one time I was actually flying First Class was that one. Not sure if she’d have kept interrogating me at 25 feet or so away in front of everyone instead of having some manners and walking over to me, as to whether I was Gold instead then, if I hadn’t sweetly provided my First Class seat number.
The First Class half of the lounge was tiny, had only unmaintained crumbs of food and coffee that tasted old, so after I was in I decamped straight over to the Business Class half where coffee was better and there were at least some snacks and stayed there where it was also more spacious.
I do think women are more likely to be questioned though on access things, if they are not accompanied by a man.
Re the AA lounge – is it no good for breakfast? We’re there early next month, not impressed with the CX buffet so thought we’d try the AA offering then stock up on sweeties for our 12-hour, under-catered BA flight!
I’m hoping it’s OK in July – A La Carte menu of egg choices in F looks good, but AA doesn’t get a lot of love for their lounges in terms of style/ambiance etc. No idea what buffet options are available
Am I reading the access rules that I cannot access any of the oneworld lounges with status alone? I’m BAEC Gold, but I have an economy ticket on Emirates.
I prefer Cathay First when I’m on a oneworld flight but think that won’t be possible. Qantas seems like it could be an option as they allow Emirates pax, but I would be using BAEC to enter… Thoughts?
Sinece you aren’t flying a one world airline you can’t access a one world lounge using a one world status.
It would have to be based on an emirates ticket / status.
Or I think it would have needed a Qantas flight number so nope not way to access lounge unless you have priority pass.
So the reviews look a little old now. does anyone have any 2024 experiances of
American Airlines Admirals Club (LHR) Terminal 3
verses
British Airways Galleries First and Galleries Club Lounge (LHR) Terminal 3
will be around 17:30 in the lounge
Yes – but what is your cabin and Oneworld status?
@Danc AA good for grabbing a handful of random jellies/candy. Not much else.
BA T3 probably the least notable of all the generally unremarkable BA lounges at LHR
CX Dan Dan noodles, a glass of fairly decent bubbles and a bit of plane watching our the floor to ceiling windows before a very good shower if it takes your fancy.
QF best coffee in the terminal, normally served with a side of judgemental disdain from staff possessing strange levels of self importance. Great salt and pepper squid normally available any time if asked for politely. Green Ant Gin so you can say you’ve tried it (( citation needed if it’s currently managing to be in stock consistently of late?))
Sure you’ll make up your mind as you go but if you have AA & BA as options then you’d be doing yourself a disservice only visiting the two worse options & denying yourself the better choices
Just to confirm, from a tour of all OneWorld T3 lounges last month: the review links still stand, no changes of note!
Didn’t even sit down in AA.
Immediately clear there was no point in staying – grabbed some sweets to go and a cup of water.BA Galleries I will be using for breakfast on an early flight, and simple food options.
Cathay and Quantas very pleasant environments, good for hanging out and drinking. Both good showers, but Cathay definitely the best.
Indeed not much on offer food-wise unless in Quantas unless a Quantas flight is departing soon.
Next time (earlier flight) it will be Galleries breakfast and then Cathay lounging.
Flying out of T3 this Friday, too early for Qantas table service, sadly. I was underwhelmed with the CX buffet on our last 2 visits.
So, BA or AA? Having seen the in flight food options currently we might need to make some sausage butties to take with us as well!
100% not AA.
And I find the breakfasts in Galleries quite satisfactory. So BA everytime given those choices.
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