Heathrow travel lounges

Plaza Premium can get a little crowded. Make sure you keep walking through the lounge to find more seating. It isn't clear at first that it is there. I use this as part of Priority Pass (benefit from credit card), but I don't know that I would feel like I received full value if I were paying for my visit separately.

I've been to the Aspire Lounge at T5 and one of the Plaza's, I don't recall which one but they're pretty much similar. They're OK, on a par with the average US airline lounge although not as good as the BA lounges. The food was mediocre but the same can be said for BA Galleries food and they can also get very busy.

If you can find one with showers, it's really a treat to take a shower after getting off the overseas flight.

I spent a good part of an 8-hour layover at the Plaza Premium Lounge in T5 last year. It was well populated but didn't seem too crowded. Seating was comfortable with various configurations. food was OK, restrooms fine. I don't recall a shower but there might have been one. It's upstairs in a corner of the terminal, the entrance leads into the corner but it's not obvious, unless you move farther in, that the lounge continues around the corner. The quietest seating is probably all the way at the end. I think my pass was good for three hours, then I paid extra for a couple more. I'd recommend this as an alternative to the main terminal for such a long layover. I expect the Aspire lounge is similar.

Plaza Premium does have a shower, but you pay more for it. I suppose just how desparate you are feeling will help you decide if it is a good price or not.

If you want to frequent airport lounges more often, you may want to consider looking for a credit card that includes Priority Pass as one of its benefits. You will pay a higher annual fee, but if you are using lounges a lot, that will be offset easily by the free use of the lounges. You would want to read the fine print for the credit card and priority pass before going this route to make sure it is a good option for you.

The No 1 Lounge in Terminal 3 is perfectly adequate. I was thrilled to (finally!) make Gold status on Delta and thus have access to it. But another passenger was disappointed— he used to have access to the Emirates lounge but had recently lost his status. All a matter of perspective I guess. Reminds me of a certain episode of “Frasier”!

I'd love to hear how you make out! We may have to avail ourselves of one at term 3 in Sept when we most likely will have a 7 hr layover.

But another passenger was disappointed— he used to have access to the Emirates lounge but had recently lost his status. All a matter of perspective I guess. Reminds me of a certain episode of “Frasier”!

But this is what happens when you experience things done better. US airline lounges have a poor reputation and it's not without merit. There are some exceptions to the rule, the AA Flagship Lounge in Miami is one that I experienced recently and can be considered a vast improvement to its other lounges. The Virgin lounge at Heathrow T3 is excellent and comparing it to the No. 1 lounge or Plaza lounges is like chalk and cheese. It has nothing to do with a sense of superiority or a lack of perspective but rather an acknowledgement of a good product. It's like comparing first class long haul with economy, one is clearly better than the other and acknowledging it doesn't mean you're a snob.