I do like the Terrace Lounge environment, but find the one in T4 -- airside by Gate 1 -- too crowded. The Arrivals Lounge, landside, is a wonderful oasis at Heathrow, and I spent more than four hours there when I was connecting from JNB to my flight back to YYZ. Having a shower, then breakfast, a nap for two hours in the "quiet meditation" room, and a head massage in the Moulton Brown room is a wonderful way to pass a morning connection.

But I believe that lounge closes at noon, leaving you with only the airside one, which between 1 and 4 pm will be packed with departures to North America and Asia. That's why I recommend going to T3 directly.

Also, just remembered that the T3 First Lounge does have a shower (just one), so you can recover from your overnight flight from SFO there. AA also has a T3 lounge, but I haven't been inside.

There is no dedicated First section to any of the Terrace lounges, so what you experienced was all that is there. I do enjoy the overall experience they are trying to create, and it is an improvement from the old stodgy Executive Lounge in the complex at T4 by gate 11, but again it is the large number of users at that particular time of day that makes me recommend T3. (And in March, the First Lounge was not open airside T4. It may be now, but as I said in my original post, the hastle of changing terminals dictates getting over to T3 once you deplane.)

By the way, the JNB lounges, both Domestic (Comair) and International (there used to be a separate First section in the old International lounge, but it no longer exists in the recently renovated one) are both in the style of the Terrace Lounges.

Don't know if you are flying anywhere else from CPT, but BA/Comair do have comfortable domestic lounges at each of their airports.

While in Cape Town, you must try Mama Africa at 178 Long Street for a sampling of African cuisines and music. And you'll find the steaks anywhere in the country -- filets as tender as anything you've ever experienced out of Kansas City -- superb and priced rediculously cheaply! The wine is equally outrageously cheap for the quality. And if you are into microbrews, there is a brewpub (I forget the name but it is in a converter fire hall) at the Victoria and Albert waterfront development about 100 yards from the infamous Planet Hollywood which was bombed the night after I last was at this pub.

Enjoy!

[This message has been edited by Shareholder (edited 05-05-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Shareholder (edited 05-06-2000).]