SFCav

Sorry if this was already discussed.

Flying into LHR from JFK next week, arriving at 7:30 AM, and wondering if there will be an arrivals lounge I can use (I'm a DM) at LHR. I've read various things on different websites but from what I can tell it looks like the T3 lounge was closed and everyone is directed to the T4 Virgin lounge - is that right?

It'd be ideal to take a shower and have a bite to eat before heading into London proper, so wondering if anyone has any recent experience with this.

If no lounge exists, is there a day rate at any hotels where one can nap/freshen up for a few hours before heading into the city?

THANK YOU in advance for any input!

TheMadBrewer

I don't know the current situation at LHR but a few years ago when Delta was all in T4 I had a long wait until I could get into my rooms so I booked a 4 hour session at the Yotel. At the time DMs (and maybe others) got a free 1 hour room but there stories of waits and what not so I went ahead a booked my own. It was Ł32 for four hours. There was a bed, a shower and a desk (and WiFi). Very small but worked well for me. Got a short nap, a shower and caught up on email. If nothing else works out it might be worth looking in to.

rucksack

Delta no longer operate out of Terminal 4; all DL and VS flights depart from and arrive into T3. As a PM or DM, you will have access to the Virgin Atlantic Revivals lounge upon arrival. Note that you can no longer access the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse upon departure unless you have an Upper Class or Delta One fare. Apparently Delta and Virgin have, as of a week ago, begun allowing DM passengers in Y into the Clubhouse: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-air-lines-skymiles/1790733-new-access-policy-vs-lounge-t3-3.html

woodford02A

Do you have Priority Pass by chance? If so, you have the Plaza Premium Lounge (Arrivals) Terminal 2 and the Club Millesime at Sofitel London Heathrow
Terminal 5

C W

Your best arrival option will be the T3 Virgin Atlantic Revivals (arrival) lounge. Note that it is separate from the Clubhouse. Despite the reports that DMs now have access to the Clubhouse in Y, to be clear, there is never Clubhouse access on arrival, it is a departure only lounge.

C W

The Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge is an interesting place. Great showers and they'll feed you lots of table service food, but the quality of said food and the staff quality are wildly inconsistent. I'll go there if I'm hungry or in T2 already, but would't go out of my way. VS Revivals is better for OP.

rucksack

+1, the "upon departure" component of my original statement still applies. Besides, I don't think there's any way to reach the Clubhouse since you have to exit the sanitized zone through border control, or, have a ticket to a forward destination in order to clear into T3's airside departure lounge where the VS Clubhouse resides.

ecaarch

VS arrivals lounge at T3 is nice but not terribly easy to find. It is on a mezzanine level at the end of the hallway. I had to ask to find it. Besides showers, they will cook breakfast to order.

Although this won't apply to the OP, note that this lounge closes at 1pm. That could be an issue for late arriving TATL flights.

PS - I was granted access as a DM traveling in Y.

TomMM

If the OP isn't connecting to another ST flight, would they still get access to an arrivals lounge?

flyerCO

Of course they do, that's the point of an "arrivals" lounge. This is not an airline lounge like the club house.

TomMM

Admittedly I am new to ST so same-day ticket includes arrivals at a final destination?

CarmenOM

Not always. It really depends on the airport, one's medallion status, and whether a lounge is physically accessible since some arrival airports steer all arriving (not connecting) pax outside of airside lounges. LHR T3 has a VS arrival lounge that is outside of security. Just to make it confusing, VS is not a SkyTeam airline but is a DL partner. The LHR T3 arrival lounge is operated by VS and admits DM and PM but not GM, as well as all Delta1/Upperclass passengers.

A couple of other examples: CDG has an AirFrance arrival lounge outside of security. The most recent reports I've heard are that it currently allows access only to D1 and AF business class (IIRC, called Premiere) and DM in economy, but no other medallions in economy. The KLM lounges at AMS do not admit arriving pax.

Zorak

What you are probably thinking of is that, as a general rule, Skyteam lounge access based on STE+ on an international itinerary does NOT include lounge access upon arrival:

https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...-of-terms.html

But as indicated by the other replies, that isn't relevant/applicable in this context.

flyerCO

Just to clear up, an arrivals lounge is different from an airline lounge. It's sole point is arriving passengers. While you could clear immigration administration customs and goto it, instead most would stay airside and goto an airline lounge. Most close around noon. It allows people flying into LHR/CDG especially to rest/refresh before hotels open for checkin so can get to work.

MSPeconomist

As a general rule, arrivals lounges aren't covered by alliance lounge policies, including lounge access for elites. In most overseas airports, there's a firm distinction between arrival and departure lounges while in the USA, one can generally use lounges upon arrival if TSA will permit you to get to the door of the lounge.

PP generally makes no distinction but the qualification that airport security must permit you to get to the door still applies. The PP rule is just that you must have some sort of same day boarding pass, although certain lounges could impose their own additional requirements.