Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - AA arrivals lounge in LHR

Hi there,
I'm going to fly to LHR on M next week, just wondering whether I could use the AA arrivals lounge for free as I heard it's an unofficial benefit of the MPC? On AA.com it says econ passengers have to pay US$35 to use the lounge...
Replies very much appreciated!

Hi there,
I'm going to fly to LHR on M next week, just wondering whether I could use the AA arrivals lounge for free as I heard it's an unofficial benefit of the MPC?Well I flew CX into LHR in F as a Diamond recently and I certainly wasn't offered use of the AA arrivals lounge. But I suppose maybe you have to ask... I'd be really quite surprised if you could get it as a Gold in Y though.

Well I flew CX into LHR in F as a Diamond recently and I certainly wasn't offered use of the AA arrivals lounge. But I suppose maybe you have to ask... I'd be really quite surprised if you could get it as a Gold in Y though.

Sorry, you cannot access the AA lounge as a passenger of CX as you have to show your AA boarding pass. I've only heard of CX F class passengers having access to the AA Arrivals lounge, and not by MPC membership status.

I've used the lounge flying CX business class, but that was a good year or more ago. I seem to recall that there was a period when invitations were handed out on the midnight flights from HKG - but I could be imagining it. I'm sure somebody will be able to confirm.

No idea about MPC access though. It's definitely not worth $35 (unless you are by yourself, have time to kill and nowhere to go).

I've used the lounge flying CX business class, but that was a good year or more ago. I seem to recall that there was a period when invitations were handed out on the midnight flights from HKG - but I could be imagining it. I'm sure somebody will be able to confirm.

Yep. Got one in December 2002 (flying F) but not in April 2003, so it didn't last very long.

Yep. Got one in December 2002 (flying F) but not in April 2003, so it didn't last very long.

I flew Y class KUL/HKG/LHR in early Dec 2004 and got an invitation to the lounge as MPC Gold printed in KUL. I guess thay have reinstated it.

is there any lounge open for CX arrivals at LHR?

is there any lounge open for CX arrivals at LHR?No. Best you can do is a day room at a hotel in London. All the lounges are departures side and security is now diligent in keeping you out even if you happen to stray (need current day boarding pass with LHR security stamp). Perhaps CX will renew its arrangement with AA as the AA arrivals lounge is under-utilized and could easily accomodate CX pax, I'm sure AA would gladly take the money.

All the lounges are departures side and security is now diligent in keeping you out even if you happen to stray (need current day boarding pass with LHR security stamp). Perhaps CX will renew its arrangement with AA as the AA arrivals lounge is under-utilized and could easily accomodate CX pax, I'm sure AA would gladly take the money.
So as of the current situation, the only way pax can utilize the lounge immediately after arriving from a CX flight is if they have a connection beyond LHR?

Personally, the only time arrival lounge usage would matter to me is when I am in the midst of a morning arrival and would like to shower before having to kill a full day by staying awake. On the one occassion when I flew on the daytime CX flight to LHR, I just went straight to my hotel after arriving during evening hours. Just my 2 cents. ;)

so let me get this right: at AMS and FRA, two average and underutilized (according to recent exp. in J and F) destinations, I can arrive and shower in the lounge at 6 am before heading for my meeting in the city. (I don't know about CDG and ROM)

In London, CX's European hub, ***THE**** ONEWORLD UBER HUB, I can't. Isn't that ridiculous. CX if you are reading this, we are shaking our heads in disbelief.

I am assuming this is a BAA problem and will be resolved with Terminal 5????

so let me get this right: at AMS and FRA, two average and underutilized (according to recent exp. in J and F) destinations, I can arrive and shower in the lounge at 6 am before heading for my meeting in the city. (I don't know about CDG and ROM)

In London, CX's European hub, ***THE**** ONEWORLD UBER HUB, I can't. Isn't that ridiculous. CX if you are reading this, we are shaking our heads in disbelief.

I am assuming this is a BAA problem and will be resolved with Terminal 5????


I think it's because arrival and departing passengers in LHR can't really meet at the lounge whereas in AMS and FRA... everyone is jumbled together so one may come and go as they wish at the lounge.

If you think about it - look at T4, BA's hub. One can't use the departing lounges either unless one has a boarding pass.

I am assuming this is a BAA problem and will be resolved with Terminal 5????

Right (mostly) on the first bit, probably wrong on the second bit. The CAA/DoT etc. have an obsession (rightly or wrongly) with keeping arriving and departing pax seperated. That is why the departures lounges are just for that - departing pax. We can all hope that T5 (if it has all the OW airlines in it) will have a super fantastic arrivals lounge for all to access. However given the usual lack of love between all the members of OW, don't bank on it.

My last experience of trying to use the lounge was frustrating - I arrived on the early flight from HKG, only to find that the lounge didn't open for another hour. :mad: Perhaps that is why the arrangement was terminated.