The Qantas Lounge at London Heathrow is finally open, and it’s a stunner

Six months ago, we nominated Qantas’ new much-anticipated premium lounge at London Heathrow one of three lounges worth waiting for.

After over a year of construction, rolling delays—in true Heathrow form—and radio silence from the airline, the new flagship club is now open, and it does not disappoint.

Located at Terminal 3, The Qantas London Lounge spreads across two floors, with a capacity of over 230 passengers. The investment reflects Qantas’ ongoing expansion at London Heathrow; a new route to Perth, operated on a Boeing 787 dreamliner aircraft, will debut late March 2018.

The refined interiors evoke the city of London with hardwood floors, an impressive marble bar, brass chandeliers, and leather couches. There are no less than two bars, on both levels, linked by a grand floating staircase.

The club boasts large windows with a view of the tarmac, and naturally, power outlets and USB are conveniently located throughout.

Qantas Lounge London amenities

The Qantas Lounge London features the airline’s signature “Rockpool menu and dining experience” with a full buffet, cooked-to-order entrees, and an expansive wine and cocktail menu.

The selection aims at satisfying both the British and Australian palate, with traditional British comfort food such as ploughman’s platters, pot pies and scones with jam and cream, healthy Australian delicacies such as brunch bowls with eggs, avocado and kale, and zucchini and haloumi fritters, and a favorite from the Qantas First Lounges, the signature salt and pepper squid with green chilli sauce.

Patrons in a rush may help themselves from a substantial buffet, while guests who have time to linger may order a cooked-to-order meal from a staff member trained by five-star hospitality pioneer Sofitel.

The drink selection also strikes a balance between healthy—with infused waters and tisane—and downright thrilling, with a premium gin selection featuring Australian and British varieties. There is also barista coffee, as well as wide range of sodas and juices.

The lounge boasts six spacious shower suites outfitted with Aurora Spa products.

Other amenities include a business center, multiple work spaces, a children’s zone, and two VIP rooms.

Access rules

The Qantas Lounge at London Heathrow airport welcomes:

Bottom line

The new Qantas Lounge at London Heathrow airport is finally here, and it looks like it was worth the wait indeed. The architecturally stunning space is augmented by a solid range of amenities, including high-end dining with cooked-to-order food, elegant shower suites, and a well-stocked bar with a collection of fine gins.

However, in a departure from the model established at Sydney and Los Angeles airports, Qantas will not offer dedicated services to First Class and oneworld Emerald passengers, save for token benefits such as priority access to showers. The choice is understandable—the First Class market is shrinking globally, and the cost of catering to top-tier elites at a major hub is not negligible. Yet, London Heathrow commends significant high-yield traffic, and Qantas could have emulated British Airway’s strategy of restricting access to its most premium clubs to First Class passengers.

First Class and oneworld Emerald passengers who desire a more exclusive experience can head over to the nearby Cathay Pacific First Class lounge. For everybody else, the new Cathay lounge offers a new high-end option at London Heathrow airport, which complements the elegant offerings of the Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge, as well as the—notably more modest—amenities of the British Airways Galleries Club and American Airlines Admirals Club. For lounge hoppers, London Heathrow Terminal 3 is paradise.

Featured image: The Qantas London Lounge – London Heathrow (LHR), courtesy of Qantas