REVIEW: Oneworld Lounges (LHR)
August 2018
British Airways Galleries First Lounge (T5)
Access
I was flying AA First, but I also have access with Oneworld Emerald status. There is a Business Class lounge as well where you can access by flying in Business Class or in any class with Oneworld Sapphire status.
There are spa treatments available but only for those flying First specifically on British Airways flights so I was unfortunately turned away.
I was on a layover at LHR on LAX-LHR-ARN and because of that, I couldn’t access the T3 lounges on arrival with customs and transfer to my next flight at T5. I’d read that some have had success by asking or exerting some power but it still takes significant effort, which I didn’t feel like chancing since I’d be able to go through T3 on the return.
Design & Comfort
The First Class lounge was very spacious with some decent modern design choices — large horse statue lamp, expansive champagne bar, clear wine displays, and a clean and well laid out buffet. There were a lot of comfortable seating choices and I never had a problem moving around or finding any seats, whether by the buffet, champagne bar, or by an outlet.
The biggest letdown of this lounge were the showers. They looked very depressing like a public restroom, and it’s a huge sound funnel so you can hear a lot going on outside. It’s not a place you want to spend more time than you need.
The Food
I wasn’t too hungry but I sampled a few things from the buffet, which were a bit salty and forgettable. The nice thing that not many seemed to notice or take advantage of was the a la carte menu, featuring things like burgers, nachos, and arancini. I had the arancini and they really hit the spot.
Qantas First Lounge (T3)
Access
Conveniently and funnily enough, all the Oneworld lounges are all along one long hallway in T3. There’s no separate First Class area for this Qantas lounge so as long as you’re flying Business or have at least Oneworld Sapphire, you will have entry. I have read that you do get better champagne options if you are flying Qantas First.
Design & Comfort
I arrived at 1:40pm and it wasn’t crowded. You enter on the bottom level, which wasn’t really used at this time, so you have to ascend the staircase to where the bar and buffet are. There’s also a kid’s area out in the open by the buffet but the lounge space is large enough to sit further away if it’s loud or in use.
I’ve really liked the Qantas lounges that I’ve been to — Sydney, Perth, Hong Kong, Los Angeles — but the one in LHR was a bit underwhelming. It lacked a sense of levity or refinement that the others had. The staff kinda roam about with no one helping you, lacking the signature friendly Australian vibe from the mainland ones. The gold accents felt gaudy in a Trump way. There were also quite a bit of flies I noticed in the lounge which I’ve never really noticed in airports before.
I did appreciate the bathrooms though. There was a cute design element with a belt being wrapped around the large circular mirror. And I liked the ASPAR products.
The Food
Food options were plentiful and varied catering to different cuisines and palettes and depths of hunger, which I appreciated.
The tikka masala flavor was good but looked gritty and could always be spicier. The potato salad had a good sharp mustard bite but would’ve benefited from smaller cuts on the potato. I really enjoyed the eggplant and roasted vegetables.
The mushroom soup was the best thing I had here. Though it leaned on the salty side, it had loads of amazing mushroom flavor.
The focaccia and flatbread were a waste of space. It would be better if served warm or toasted but just felt like dense, cold bread. The scone did not fare any better; it dried up my mouth a lot.
Definitely worth a pit stop before Cathay for some decent Western options and good vegetables.
American Airlines Flagship First Lounge (T3)
Access
I hadn’t been back to the LHR Admiral’s Club in years and it was better than the domestic Admiral’s Clubs at the time before they updated a lot of them. Along with the same premium itinerary and Oneworld status entry rules, you can access the Admiral’s Club with a membership or the Citi AA Executive World Elite card.
Design & Comfort
AA lounge either now has a separate first class area that I didn’t know about or didn’t have access to a few years ago when I had Admiral’s Club membership. The lounge mimics Cathay with having a Moët champagne bar at the entrance. Unfortunately, the furnishings have yet to be updated to AA’s better design standard from the past two years. What exists currently is a lot of sad browns and tans. There’s also a First Class dining area of the lounge but it looked so sad that I opted to just eat in the rest of the lounge.
Even the agent checking me in suggested that I lounge hop. It was almost defeatist but I’m glad they still advertise it to passengers who have the time or are unaware of that option.
I do know that they are planning to upgrade so it’s nice they have still put an effort into it because right now, with Qantas, British Airways, and Cathay available, it’s hard to compete. Never in any airport have I had so many Oneworld options. The most you get are two, but off the top of my mind, Narita had AA, CX, and JAL.
I will say that the staff here were all very friendly and more willing to help — whether that’s suggesting any food or ensure that your glass is never empty.
The one major con of this lounge was the really loud flight announcements. Definitely not conducive for resting.
The Food
The buffet options were well laid out and actually looked appetizing. I tried the mushrooms and chicken, which was moist and tender. The mushrooms had good mushroom flavor, creamy and not too salty.
From the a la carte menu, I got the green curry, which tasted authentic with decent spice but on the sweeter side. The lemongrass flavor came through well. I added chicken, which was moist but unseasoned — probably due to being separately prepared or pre-poached. The noodles were advertised as pad thai but they were more like a laksa egg noodle. More an issue about description and expectation but flavor was still good. Overall, I was impressed that AA could provide a solid asian option that wasn’t watered down.
At the staff’s suggestion, I finished my meal with a French Apple Tart, which was nice but a bit flimsy in texture.
British Airways Galleries First Lounge (T3)
Access
There are separate spaces and checkin areas for the First and Business lounges.
Design & Comfort
I only stopped in for a few minutes just to check everything. I didn’t find it as nice or comfortable as the T5 lounge. The staff had a similar level of enthusiasm to Qantas’ — as in very low. It does have a sectioned off kids area that would help cancel out noise for the main area.
The Food
It has the same a la carte menu to T5 from my visit a week prior. However, some of the buffet options didn’t look as appetizing.
Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge (T3)
Access
There is a separate First Class area but everyone gets checked in through the same area.
Design & Comfort
Out of all Oneworld lounges, Cathay’s is unsurprisingly the clear winner. This lounge is on the newer end, having opened in 2017, so it benefits from a lot of Cathay’s recent design choices and quality. In comparison, the LHR lounge resembles The Pier Business Lounge — lots of wood and warm browns, natural light, comfortable spaces.
Interestingly enough, this Cathay lounge opens into bathroom, showers, and noodle bar, which usually, these tend to be situated at the ends of Cathay lounges. The long hallway design makes this lounge feel bigger than it is, but it isn’t as long as other Cathay lounges, with this one ending after the bar.
The showers are very similar to what you would expect in HKG — very spa-like, rain shower, dark stones, dim lighting, amazing Aesop products. Such a stark contrast to the BA or AA showers.
The Food
The wonton noodles are pretty comparable to HKG but the wontons were a bit salty. I think maybe the boiling liquid had too much salt.
I love the fizzy water machines, and loved that the coffee machines at LHR have a Flat White setting, which the ones in HKG do not.
There’s a small a la carte dining room in the First Class lounge, mimicking the feel of The Pier’s but at a fraction of the size. The shrimp cocktail wasn’t what I was expecting, with it being small shrimps in mayo instead of big shrimps with cocktail sauce. The risotto was good, a sizable portion that I couldn’t finish since I’ve been lounge hopping and eating all day.
The dandan noodles here was sweeter and thicker, definitely not as good as HKG — though definitely not as bad as the one from SFO.
